The market town of Tonbridge is in the south west of Kent. The town was listed in the Domesday Book as Tonebrige which may mean the bridge which belonged to the manor. The town was known as Tunbridge until 1870 when the name was changed by the Post Office to avoid confusion with nearby Tunbridge Wells!
A castle was built at Tonbridge in the 11th century. The gatehouse is still fairly well preserved as is the motte. The castle was used as an official residence by King Edward II and during the later medieval period the town was considered to be important strategically. King Henry III wanted it to become a walled town though the walls were never built, the castle defences being considered sufficient in the end.
The river Medway which flows through the town (indeed next to the castle) was made navigable as far as the town in the 1740s. This allowed for water borne trade from Maidstone and the Thames. Commercial traffic continued on the river until 1911. Tonbridge railway station opened in 1842 and remains a busy station to this day, a large goods yard and depot is next to the station. An interesting transport first for the town was that in 1896 the first ever speeding fine to a motorist was handed out, the motorist had been travelling 8 mp/h in a 2 mp/h zone!
