Tonbridge Castle

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Tonbridge Castle Gatehouse and the mansion (from the south)

The motte, which was surmounted by a wooden keep and later a twin walled shell keep.

Tonbridge Castle is situated on Castle Street, Tonbridge Coordinates: 51°11′48″N 0°16′26″E / 51.1966, 0.2738

1 Early history
2 Modern history
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Early history

Following the Norman Conquest, Richard Fitz Gilbert 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.^[1]

The twin towered gatehouse was built by Richard de Clare, sixth Earl of Hertford or his son Gilbert around the middle of the thirteenth century. 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 Edwards visits to France.^[2]

The mansion was added in 1793.