History of St Leonard’s Tower
St Leonard’s Tower is a tower keep castle situated on a sandstone ledge to the south of the village of West Malling.
The tower was built by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester between 1077 and 1108. The castle consists of a tall, ragstone, square keep around 20 m high that originally consisted of a basement and three floors.
The upper floor provided accommodation for the bishop while his servants would have been housed on the first floor. Access to the upper floors was provided by a spiral staircase housed in an external turret.
Two low stretches of the medieval wall survive, incorporated within a post-medieval wall, and these are interpreted as part of an enclosure attached to St Leonard’s Castle. Within the enclosure may have been timber service buildings.
St Leonard’s Castle Visitor Info
The St Leonard’s Tower is open for visitors and admission is free of charge. Visit the Official website
To visit the interior of the castle you must make an appointment:
Phone: 01732 870872.
St Leonard’s Tower Location
Address of the Tower: Saint Leonard’s Street, West Malling, Kent ME19 6, United Kingdom. Use this map to get help with directions: