Tonbridge Castle
Encyclopedia
Tonbridge Castle is situated in the town of the same name
, Kent
, England.
was granted land in Kent
to guard the crossing of the River Medway
. He erected a simple Motte-and-bailey castle
on the site. To dig the moat and erect the motte 50,000 tonnes of earth were moved. In 1088, the de Clare
family (descendents of Fitz Gilbert) rebelled against King William II
. His army besieged the castle. After holding for two days the castle fell and as punishment the king had both the castle and the town of Tonbridge burnt to the ground. Before 1100, the de Clares replaced the wooden castle with a stone shell keep
. This was reinforced during the thirteenth century, and in 1295 a stone wall was built around the town.
The twin towered gatehouse was built by Richard de Clare, sixth Earl of Hertford or his son Gilbert. Construction of the gatehouse took 30 years, being completed in 1260. The gatehouse shares many similarities with the ones at Caerphilly Castle
built by Gilbert in 1268-1271. The great seal of England was temporarily kept here during one of Edward's visits to France.
The castle was not lived in between 1521 and the late 18th century, except for a short period during the civil war
. The mansion was added in 1793. Both castle and mansion are Grade I listed buildings.
The site was purchased by the local council
in 1900, who now use the mansion as offices, and making the grounds a public park.
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England.
Early history
Following the Norman Conquest, Richard Fitz GilbertRichard Fitz Gilbert
Richard fitz Gilbert , was a Norman lord who participated in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. He was also known as "de Bienfaite", "de Clare", and "de Tonbridge".-Biography:...
was granted land in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
to guard the crossing of the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
. He erected a simple Motte-and-bailey castle
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
on the site. To dig the moat and erect the motte 50,000 tonnes of earth were moved. In 1088, the de Clare
De Clare
The de Clare family of Norman lords were associated with the Welsh Marches, Suffolk, Surrey, Kent and Ireland. They were descended from Richard fitz Gilbert, who accompanied William the Conqueror into England during the Norman conquest of England.-Origins:The Clare family descends from Gilbert...
family (descendents of Fitz Gilbert) rebelled against King William II
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
. His army besieged the castle. After holding for two days the castle fell and as punishment the king had both the castle and the town of Tonbridge burnt to the ground. Before 1100, the de Clares replaced the wooden castle with a stone shell keep
Shell keep
A shell keep is a style of medieval fortification, best described as a stone structure circling the top of a motte.In English castle morphology, shell keeps are perceived as the successors to motte-and-bailey castles, with the wooden fence around the top of the motte replaced by a stone wall...
. This was reinforced during the thirteenth century, and in 1295 a stone wall was built around the town.
The twin towered gatehouse was built by Richard de Clare, sixth Earl of Hertford or his son Gilbert. Construction of the gatehouse took 30 years, being completed in 1260. The gatehouse shares many similarities with the ones at Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly Castle is a medieval castle that dominates the centre of the town of Caerphilly in south Wales. It is the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Britain after Windsor Castle...
built by Gilbert in 1268-1271. The great seal of England was temporarily kept here during one of Edward's visits to France.
The castle was not lived in between 1521 and the late 18th century, except for a short period during the civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The mansion was added in 1793. Both castle and mansion are Grade I listed buildings.
Modern history
Tonbridge and Malling
Tonbridge and Malling is a local government district and borough in the English county of Kent.Tonbridge and Malling borough covers an area from the North Downs at Burham and Snodland in the north to the town of Tonbridge in the south...
in 1900, who now use the mansion as offices, and making the grounds a public park.