St Leonard's Tower
ST LEONARD'S TOWER, ST LEONARD'S STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1219087
- Date first listed:
- 30-Nov-1993
- List Entry Name:
- St Leonard's Tower
- Statutory Address:
- ST LEONARD'S TOWER, ST LEONARD'S STREET
Location
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The list includes:
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-06-30
- Reference:
- IOE01/05958/31
- Rights:
- © Mr Richard M. Brown. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1219087
- Date first listed:
- 30-Nov-1993
- List Entry Name:
- St Leonard's Tower
- Statutory Address 1:
- ST LEONARD'S TOWER, ST LEONARD'S STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- ST LEONARD'S TOWER, ST LEONARD'S STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Tonbridge and Malling (District Authority)
- Parish:
- West Malling
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ6759557082
Details
TQ6757
1156-0/2/128
WEST MALLING
ST LEONARDS STREET
St Leonard's Tower
GV
I
Former castle, Built by Gundulf Bishop of Rochester 1077-1108
as his fortified residence or castle. It is one of the best
examples extant of an Early Norman Keep. Built of stone with
tufa dressings, 32ft square at the base, 60ft high on its
north and east faces and 70 ft on the 2 other faces, the
difference due to the inclined surface of the rocky shelf on
which it is built. Corner buttresses. 3 stages. The 1st stage
has traces of herringbone-work. Central buttress to left side
elevation. 2nd stage has 5 round-headed arches on the east
side, only the central one open, the rest blank. 2nd stage has
2 round-headed arches to east side and one to south side. West
side has round-headed entrance to ground floor, round-headed
arch to first and second floors and loop lights to buttresses.
North side has 1 round-headed window.
Internal evidence to suggest there were upper and lower
floors, the lower only about 5ft above ground level.
(Buildings of England: Newman J: West Kent and the Weald:
580).
Listing NGR: TQ6759557082
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 392446
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, (1980), 580
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 23:26:26.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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