English Heritage - St Leonard's Tower — Attraction in Tonbridge and Malling

St Leonards Tower which was most probably a Nornans keep. It was gifted by William the Conqueror to his half brother in or around 1090 and thanks to English Heritage it is maintained for future generations to enjoy and visit this free site.

The Tower is located opersite Manor Park and just a few hundred metres from the busy town of West Malling.

St Leonards Tower will have a special opening on 14th & 21st September 2025 between 12o/c -4pm to celebrate heritage opening days. Visitors are invited to see inside the tower and English Heritage volunteer will have photos and information on the history of this special Norman tower.

There are two free parking spaces for visitors to the tower plus ample free parking spaces in St Leonards Street. Further parking at a small cost is in manor park. which is definitely...

I'm not disparaging the tower by only giving it two stars. It's just that it's a very small site with not much to see or do.

However the tower is sturdy and impressive. Around the back, where the tower doorway is, I met a local who was very surprised to encounter another visitor there.

They alerted me to two highlights I would otherwise have missed - peering through the keyhole of the door to glimpse a view of the interior, and a "memory box", stashed in undergrowth to the left of the door, where visitors leave, take and exchange mementos of their visit.

Combined with a visit to Manor Park Country Park accross the road, which you can use to get to and from West Malling station, it makes a very pleasant...

St Leonard's Tower is a probable Norman keep in West Malling, in the county of Kent, England. The tower was probably built by Gundulf, the Bishop of Rochester, between 1077 and 1108. It was a three storey building, constructed of local stone, and would have stood at least 22 metres (72 ft) high. At a later point, probably during the English Civil War, the tower was deliberately damaged to prevent it being used for military purposes, and its uppermost storey was demolished. Concerns grew about the tower's condition in the 20th century and in 1937 it was taken into the guardianship of the state. In the 21st century, it is managed by English Heritage and the exterior is open...