Not too far outdoors London is the traditional city of Tonbridge, which has the stays of a really massive fort, and a brief bus trip from it is among the UK’s tallest follies.
The fort is all the time open, and the folly often – so if you happen to time it proper, you’ll be able to simply go to each in a single day.
Tonbridge Fortress
Sitting within the centre of city are the spectacular ruins of a fort that owes its origins to the Norman Conquest when Richard Fitz Gilbert was granted land in Kent to protect the crossing of the River Medway. His early picket fort was destroyed in 1100 when household descendants defied the King and misplaced. The present fort largely dates from the thirteenth century, and a big gatehouse was added in 1260.
Between 1521 and the late 18th century, the fort was not lived in, aside from a brief interval in the course of the Civil Conflict. In 1900, the native council purchased the fort and grounds and opened them to the general public.
The fort, with its excessive stone partitions could be very apparent from the city centre, and across the entrance appears to be like very spectacular with the huge gatehouse dominating the view.
What just isn’t apparent from their web site is that a lot of the fort is free to go to.
Admittedly, that’s primarily the big central garden and the walkway across the edges the place there was as soon as a excessive stone wall. In case you didn’t understand it was a fort, you’d be forgiven for considering it’s only a native council park. You possibly can climb up the motte that stands to 1 aspect and offers some fairly first rate views of the realm.
Nevertheless, what you pay for is to enter the gatehouse, and that’s what makes the go to worthwhile.
Acquire an audioguide or printed handout from the cafe contained in the fort grounds, and use the electrical fob to unlock the door into the gatehouse, and inside is a good mixture of environment and historical past.
Staircases can take you up or down, and there’s a kind of path to comply with, however you’ll be able to wander round. Go down into the darkish cellar, and possibly soar a bit once you realise there are waxwork individuals down right here amongst the barrels of meals and weapons saved there.
The steps are a little bit of a battle to rise up, however value it, as above the bottom ground is a big stone room that oozes all of the environment you anticipate from a medieval fort.
Preserve climbing, although, and grasp on. Is {that a} useless finish on the prime? No, the very heavy chainmail might be parted to disclose the roof, and up you go to get some improbable views of the city. I believe the heavy chainmail doorway is a intelligent manner of stopping kids dashing by way of whereas their dad and mom make their manner up the steps.
They are saying it takes about an hour to go to if you happen to use the audioguide, which appears truthful to me. I used the printed information, which was faster, however it’s a enjoyable place to go to for absorbing a little bit of environment.
Tonbridge city centre is a curious mixture of some outdated surviving buildings, however numerous its is fashionable, so you’ll find a couple of issues to see, however not that a lot within the city itself.
Nevertheless, flip up on the fitting day and a brief bus trip will take you to one thing superb.
Hadlow Tower
Seen for miles round, particularly if you happen to’re on the entrance of the highest deck of a double-decker bus, is a tall gothic tower that was in-built 1838 as an addition to a gothic fort that itself was constructed within the 1780s. Many of the fort was demolished in 1951, leaving just a few outbuildings and the tower. The tower, one of many tallest of its kind within the UK, was badly broken by the storm of 1987 and the highest was eliminated in 1996.
In 2011, the council bought the tower and handed it to a heritage charity which secured funds to revive the tower as a vacation residence and exhibition house. Nevertheless, the charity that owned it closed in 2015 and the tower bought. It’s been in personal possession ever since.
Nevertheless, the present proprietor often opens it to the general public.
So, on the fitting day, catch the bus from Tonbridge to the small village of Hadlow, which appears to be like simply as you anticipate a small village to look, aside from the large stone gate on the primary street. Head down right here and previous the indicators warning that the homes listed here are all personal, and out of the blue, the tower looms over you once more.
The proprietor greets you on the surprisingly small door for such a grand constructing. Properly, they’ve a elevate to get upstairs. You possibly can stroll, however nah.
A go to isn’t to see the personal rooms, however the house above, so that you’ll be left on the third ground by the steps that now take you up into the lantern house above.
And oh my.
There are some notices concerning the historical past of the fort and the tower and its restoration, and on a desk is an area historical past e book with beautiful footage of the fort earlier than it was demolished. What you actually need to do is climb.
My tip as all the time is keep away from searching by way of the home windows or round, as you’ll be able to admire all of it the higher when coming again down — simply rise up to the highest for the views.
The walkway could be very slim, but additionally behind a thick stone wall, so under no circumstances scary — and also you get to admire the views by peering by way of the quatrefoil home windows.
And oh my.
The views vary from peering down into the village to over the rolling empty countryside. You are inclined to bend down a bit at instances because the walkway just isn’t solely flat, which oddly provides to the enjoyable. The walkway behind a excessive stone wall does imply you don’t get the grandeur of standing right here wanting round on the panorama, however the home windows delightfully body the views as a substitute.
The excessive stone wall additionally means it feels snug even for people who find themselves notably cautious of heights.
The tower was constructed as a folly to admire from the skin, and the highest by no means anticipated for use, so it’s a useful walkway than an area to loosen up with a glass of wine on a summer time’s night. The proprietor has fairly good views from their rooms decrease down.
You’re not spending lengthy up right here. I walked round twice as a result of I may, after which I headed again down, and with because of the proprietor, off you go. Undeniably a twinge of envy that they get to reside in such an incredible constructing, and as they are saying, one with a heck of numerous kerb enchantment.
My go to lasted about 45 minutes, which is completely timed to catch the half-hourly bus again to Tonbridge.
The tower is often open, and the proprietor broadcasts the following dates on their web site – do NOT e-mail asking for particulars till the date is printed there.
Attending to Tonbridge and Hadlow
Tonbridge is about 40 minutes from London Bridge by practice by way of Sevenoaks and Orpington.
Hadlow is a few 12 minute bus trip from Tonbridge on Route 7 with buses roughly each half-hour. The fare is (at time of writing) £2 for a single ticket, and you’ll pay with contactless on the bus.
Because the fort opened at 9am, I used to be in a position to match that in first then go to the Tower later, so I used to be again in London by mid-afternoon.
This text was printed on ianVisits
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