Tonbridge and Malling

Tonbridge Castle

Tonbridge and Malling, borough (district), administrative and historic county of Kent, southeastern England, on the River Medway southeast of London. West Malling, in the northeast, is the administrative centre.

The borough lies to the south of the North Downs and northeast of The Weald in west-central Kent. Although parts of the borough remain rural, it has also developed as a residential area for London commuters. The main urban area is Tonbridge, an old market town at the southern edge of the district.

The town is the site of Tonbridge Castle, which was originally constructed as an earth-and-timber fort by Norman invaders shortly after their arrival in 1066 but was soon thereafter converted to stone. By the 18th century much of the stone from the castle’s walls had been taken to construct locks on the Medway and to build a residence adjoining the castle’s gatehouse. The town of West Malling (originally Town Malling) also features the remains of an impressive Norman structure, St. Leonard’s Tower (built about 1080), as well as the Norman Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Area 93 square miles (240 square km). Pop. (2001) 107,561; (2011) 120,805.