Tonbridge Castle brown plaque

This brown commemorative plaque records: Tonbridge Castle A Norman stronghold. Motte and bailey 11th century, gatehouse and walls 13th century. Held by the De Clares and the Staffords, seized by Henry VIII, fortified by Parliament 1643. Bought by the town in 1897, it was the seat of local government until 1974. This tablet commemorates the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, 1977.

Tonbridge Castle is a Norman stronghold established in the 11th century as a motte and bailey fortress, later expanded with gatehouses and walls in the 13th century; it has served variously as a military fortification, administrative center, and is now a significant historical site managed by the town.