Tonbridge
Tonbridge Castle
Tonbridge shown within Kent
Population	30,340 (2007)
OS grid reference	TQ591468
District	Tonbridge and Malling
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	TONBRIDGE
Postcode district	TN9 (South), TN10 (North), TN11 (East)
Dialling code	01732
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
European Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Tonbridge and Malling
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Coordinates: 51°11′55″N 0°16′35″E / 51.1987, 0.2764

Tonbridge (historic spelling Tunbridge) is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. Tonbridge Castle is situated on Castle Street Tonbridge Early history Following the Norman Conquest, Richard Fitz Gilbert was granted land KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government History Ancient times The area has been occupied for thousands of years Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Tonbridge postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Ashford, Battle, Bexhill-on-Sea, Cranbrook, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Kent Police, a Home Office police force polices Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue service for the County of Kent covering a geographical area south of London The South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent (including Medway South East England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Tonbridge and Malling is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of places in Kent, England split by local government district and sorted alphabetically A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format It is located on the River Medway, approximately four miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 25 miles south east of London. The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters Maidstone is the County town of Kent, England, south-east of London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. It belongs to the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling (population 107,560 in 2001). A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice History Ancient times The area has been occupied for thousands of years

Contents 1 History 1.1 Toponymy 1.2 Normans 1.3 Medieval 1.4 17th and 18th centuries 1.5 19th century to present 1.6 Securitas depot robbery 2 Governance 3 Economy 4 Transport 5 Education 6 Sport 7 Notable residents 8 Twin towns 9 References 10 External links

History

Toponymy

The town was recorded in the Domesday Book 1087 as Tonebrige, which may indicate a bridge belonging to the estate or manor (from the Old English tun), or alternatively a bridge belonging to Tunna, a common Anglo-Saxon man's name. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Another theory suggests that the name is a contraction of "town of bridges", due to the large number of streams the High Street originally crossed. ^[1]

Until 1870, the 'Tonbridge' name was actually known as Tunbridge: old maps prior to this date show it as such, as does the 1871 Ordnance Survey map and contemporary issues of the Bradshaw railway guide. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common George Bradshaw ( July 29, 1801 - September 6, 1853) was an English Cartographer, printer and Publisher and the In 1870, this was changed to Tonbridge by the GPO as it caused confusion with Tunbridge Wells, a much more recent town. The latter has always spelt its name that way.

Normans

Tonbridge stands at a point where the Saxons built a bridge across the River Medway. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters For much of its existence, the town remained to the north of the river, since the land to the south was subject to extensive seasonal flooding. One part of the town is called 'Dryhill'.

A castle was built here in the 11th century by Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare,^[2] a cousin of William the Conqueror's invading Norman army. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Richard FitzGilbert (1030 - 1090 was a Norman lord who participated in the Norman conquest of England in 1066 The de Clare family of Norman lords were associated with the Welsh Marches, Suffolk, Tonbridge and Ireland. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Richard was responsible for governing England in William I's many absences.

The town was besieged by William Rufus, soon after his accession to the throne, because the Earl had pledged allegiance to William's brother, Robert. William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 It is thus hardly surprising that the arrow that killed William Rufus a few years later in the New Forest was fired by Walter Tirel who was born in town as well as the Earls in law. Walter Tirel III - also spelt Tyrell Thurold Turold French Gaultier or Gautier Tirel (1065 - some time after 1100 was an Anglo-Norman nobleman

It was soon afterwards taken again, this time by King John only a few months after the signing of the Magna Carta. John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death Magna Carta ( Latin for Great Charter, literally " Great Paper " also called Magna Carta Libertatum ( Great Charter of Freedoms Both the Earl and his son were signatories and guardians of the document responsible for its compliance. It was subsequently besieged by Prince Edward, son of Henry III. Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 On this occasion the besieged garrison burnt the town rather than see it fall. The town and Tonbridge Castle were rebuilt after this and in the 13th century became an official residence and records repository of Edward II. Tonbridge Castle is situated on Castle Street Tonbridge Early history Following the Norman Conquest, Richard Fitz Gilbert was granted land For the play see Edward II (play. For the film see Edward II (film.

The castle was finally taken by Henry VIII when its owner, the Duke of Buckingham, was executed for treason. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of

Medieval

At this time, Tonbridge was considered an important strategic settlement. The King intended it to be a medieval walled town and a charter was issued allowing for walls to be built, a market to be held, court sessions to be held and two members of the town to attend parliament. Walls were never built however, probably because the castle's large outer bailey could have easily accommodated the town's populace in times of strife. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. A surrounding bank and ditch known as The Fosse was erected and may have been topped by a wooden palisade. Today only traces of this encircling defence now remain. The historic core of the town still contains a large number of working buildings dating from the 15th century; the oldest being Portreeves on East Street. ^[3] During Queen Mary's reign Tonbridge was involved in an unsuccessful uprising against the Queens marriage to the King of Spain resulting in 500 people of the town being involved at the Battle of Hartley in 1554 ^[4]. As a result of the deffiant action it is not surprising the town did escape being chosen for a place of execution for a number of Protestants and in 1555 James Tutty ^[5] and Margery Polley was burnt at the stake in the town and Joan Beach met the same fate in 1556 at Rochester. ^[6] A memorial to Margery Polly's fate is to be found on the green at Pembury. Pembury is a large Village in the county of Kent in the south-east of England, UK, with a population of around 6000

17th and 18th centuries

During the Civil War, the town was garrisoned by the Parliamentarian side who refortified the castle. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Royalist sympathisers made several attempts to take the town but were repulsed.

In 1740 an Act of Parliament was passed to make the River Medway navigable to Tonbridge by the Medway Navigation Company,^[7] allowing such materials as coal and lime to be transported to the town, and gunpowder, hops and timber to be carried downriver to Maidstone and the Thames. An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament. For a hundred years the Medway Navigation Company was highly profitable, paying out good dividends to its investors but after the arrival of the railway in 1842 the company went into a steep decline and all commercial traffic ceased in 1911 when the company collapsed. Some of the original warehouses and the wharves are still recognisable today, downstream of the town's main bridge.

Later, the town and its surroundings became famous for the production of finely inlaid wooden cabinets, boxes and other objects called Tunbridgeware, which were sold to tourists who were taking the waters at the nearby springs at Tunbridge Wells. Tunbridge ware is a form of decoratively inlaid woodwork, typically in the form of boxes that is characteristic of Tonbridge and the spa town of Tunbridge Another speciality in the town was until recently the production of cricket balls and other sports goods

19th century to present

In October 1853 the Hartlake bridge a few miles downstream of the town was the scene of tragedy when a wagon carrying over 30 hop pickers toppled off the bridge into the river,^[8][9] which was in flood due to heavy rain. Thirty of the wagon's occupants including entire families drowned, but due to the flood it was many days before all the bodies could be recovered. A service was held at the bridge on the 150th anniversary of the tragedy in 2003.

During the March 1880 parliamentary elections, Tonbridge was the scene of a riot. ^[10] On the announcement of the results, several thousand people started to hurl stones and cobbles at each other in the High Street near the Rose and Crown Hotel. The county's Chief Constable Captain Ruskin together with in excess of a hundred policeman charged the crowds many times during the night only to end up being the crowd's target who started hurling stones and cobbles at them instead of each other. Chief Constable is the title given to the Chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except the two responsible for Greater Many people including twelve policeman were seriously injured before the crowd finally dispersed at midnight.

The United Kingdom's first ^[11] speeding fine was handed down by Tonbridge petty Sessions court in 1896. The guilty driver was a Mr Walter Arnold of East Peckham who was fined one shilling for speeding at eight miles an hour in a two mile an hour zone in Paddock Wood, in his Karl Benz powered car. East Peckham is a village in Kent, England, made up of nine hamlets and situated about five miles (eight kilometers east of Tonbridge on the The shilling is a unit of Currency used in current and former Commonwealth countries and was continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth Paddock Wood is a small Town in Kent, England, about eight miles South West of Maidstone. Karl Friedrich Benz, sometimes spelled Carl, ( November 25, 1844, Karlsruhe, Germany – April 4, 1929, Ladenburg Mr Arnold was eventually apprehended by a policeman who had given chase on his bicycle.

During World war II a POW Camp was built on the junction of Tudeley Lane and Pembury Road on land belonging to Somerhill. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including It was used to house both German pilots whom had been shot down, and also captured Italian soldiers. After the war the camp was used as temporary housing for people made homeless by the Blitz. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. The site is now occupied by the Weald of Kent Girls' Grammar School.

Ruth Ellis, the last woman in the United Kingdom to be hanged, was married ^[12] at the registry office in Tonbridge on the 8th November 1950. Ruth Ellis ( October 9 1927 — July 13 1955) was a British Murderess who was the last woman to receive the Death penalty

Securitas depot robbery

Main article: Securitas depot robbery

Tonbridge was the location of the largest cash theft in British criminal history. The Securitas depot robbery was a Robbery which took place in the early hours of 22 February 2006, between 0100 and 0215 ^[13] On 22 February 2006, over £53. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 1 million was stolen from the Securitas cash-handling depot in Vale Road to the east of the High Street. During the following police investigation, around half of the money was recovered. On 28 January 2008 five people were convicted at the Old Bailey. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Central Criminal Court in England, commonly known as the Old Bailey, is a court ^[14]

Governance

Tonbridge is in the parliamentary constituency of Tonbridge and Malling. A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty Tonbridge and Malling is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since the constituency's creation in 1974, its Member of Parliament has been Sir John Stanley of the Conservative Party. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Sir John Paul Stanley (born January 12, 1942) is a British politician and Conservative Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. ^[15] The town is within the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling, and is divided into the seven local government wards of Cage Green, Castle, Higham, Judd, Medway, Trench and Vauxhall. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government History Ancient times The area has been occupied for thousands of years In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district ^[16] These wards have 15 of the 53 seats on the Tonbridge & Malling District Borough Council. As of November 2007, all 15 of these seats were held by the Conservative Party. ^[17] Tonbridge & Malling District Borough Council is responsible for running local services, such as recreation, refuse collection and council housing;^[18] while Kent County Council is responsible for education, social services and trading standards. The council house is a form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom. Responsibilities The council is responsible for public services such as education transport strategic planning emergency services social services public safety and waste Both councils are involved in town planning and road maintenance.

Economy

Major industries include light engineering, printing and publishing, distribution and financial services. Tonbridge together with its neighbour has been designated by the South East Assembly as a Regional Hub.

A monthly farmers' market sells a wide variety of locally produced food and drinks, together with more exotic imports.

The town has largely retained its 'market town' atmosphere and has many attractions to visitors and residents alike, including the well-maintained Castle Gatehouse, a large country park and activities based around the river. Sports facilities including an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, a leisure centre and a large sportsground are all located close to the town centre. Many of the facilities are provided or subsidised by the local authority.

Most of the town's shopping facilities are concentrated on The High Street, which runs for about one mile through the town centre. There has been increasing criticism from local residents that there is a relative abundance of restaurants, estate agents, banks and 'cheap' shops, and a lack of major high street retailers. However, there are far fewer empty high street premises than in the mid-1990s reflecting the town's increasing prosperity. The town does inevitably suffer from its proximity to large shopping centres such as Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Bluewater. Bluewater is a super-regional shopping centre, opened on 16 March 1999. The Borough Council has published proposals to improve the town's shopping and leisure facilities.

The Police Station is the headquarters of the West Kent Police Division and is located on Pembury Road.

Royal Mail's TN postcode main sorting office is located on Vale Road in the town.

Tonbridge is also the location of Carroty Wood, an outdoor activity and residential centre run by 'Barnabas Adventure Centres'[4] offering groups of young people the opportunity to try out a variety of different outdoor activities.

The town has its own wildlife hospital, The Fox Project.

Transport

Tonbridge railway station is one of Kent's busiest with 3. The South Eastern Main Line is one of two long-distance routes crossing the county of Kent, England, UK to reach to Kent Coast The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters Tonbridge railway station is a station serving the town of Tonbridge in Kent England 8 million passengers using it each year. It is an important railway junction with lines to London, Ashford, Hastings and Redhill. The town of Ashford lies on the River Great Stour, M20 motorway, South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways in the borough of Ashford Hastings is a town on the coast of East Sussex in England; it is also the administrative centre for the Borough of the same name Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. The town is also served by the A21 trunk road between London and Hastings and the A26 between Maidstone and Brighton. The A21 is a major Trunk road in Southern England connecting London with Hastings, East Sussex. It is also close to the M25 motorway. To see information about the M25 motorway under construction in Ireland, see N25 road.

There are future proposals to dual the A21 at Castle Hill and thereby improve the connection to Tunbridge Wells and Pembury, where a new regional hospital is to be constructed. Pembury is a large Village in the county of Kent in the south-east of England, UK, with a population of around 6000

Education

The town is home to several remaining Grammar Schools, including The Judd School, Weald of Kent Grammar School and Tonbridge Grammar School (formerly Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls). A grammar school is one of several different types of School in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries The Judd School is a voluntary aided Grammar school in the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. Weald of Kent Grammar School is a Grammar school in Tonbridge, Kent for girls aged 11-18 and boys aged 16-18 Tonbridge Grammar School is a state-funded Mathematics and Computing specialist Grammar school in Tonbridge, United Kingdom. Tonbridge School, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde, is a nationally respected boys' public school in the centre of the town. Tonbridge School is a British independent all boys Public school in Tonbridge, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and A number of Tonbridge's secondary schools have specialist status, including Tonbridge Grammar School for Maths and ICT; Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls, a specialist school for languages and science; the Judd School for Music with Maths; the Hayesbrook School for boys, a specialist sports college; and Hillview School for Girls, which has recently been awarded a Performing Arts Status. Hugh Christie Technology College is also renowned in the area for its IT expertise, and for allowing students to take GCSEs in year 9, rather than the usual year 11. Hugh Christie Technology College is an 11-18 Technology College based in Tonbridge, Kent, England. Hillview School For Girls is popular for it's skills in Performing Arts. Hillview School For Girls is a Performing Arts college in Tonbridge, Kent. Further and higher education is also available at West Kent College which recently has announced it will be building a new multi million pound campus. West Kent College (formerly West Kent College for Further Education) is a college of Further and Higher Education based at Brook Street ( satellite There is also a small continuing education campus of the University of Kent. The University of Kent is a plate glass campus University in Kent, England.

The many primary and secondary schools in the Tonbridge area provide a high quality of education, with several regularly appearing close to the top of both county and national ratings lists, and this has been an incentive for many when moving to the town. It also means that teaching is a major source of employment in the town, and this results in thousands of pupils commuting daily into the town from other parts of Kent especially by train.

Sport

The 2007 Tour de France passed through the centre of Tonbridge on 8 July, as part of the first stage (London to Canterbury). History See also:CategoryTour de France by year The dominant sports newspaper in France Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 The riders climbed Quarry Hill at the south of the town, a Grade 4 and first King of the Mountains climb of the Tour. The King of the Mountains (KoM is the title given to the best climber in a Cycling road race usually and officially known as the Mountains classification

Cowdrey Cricket Club, renamed from Tonbridge Printers CC in 1998 after Lord Colin Cowdrey of Tonbridge, is the town's main cricket club. Michael Colin Cowdrey Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, Kt, CBE ( December 24, 1932 - December 4, 2000) was an English The town also has Tonbridge Cricket Club, founded in 1837.

Tonbridge Athletic Club, is noted for being Kelly Holmes' former club.

Tonbridge has its own Rugby union club, Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Football club. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short [5] Often referred to as TJs, the club has a successful minis section that play Tag Rugby for ages U7 and U8, and full contact rugby for U9 and above. Tag Rugby is a non-contact team game in which each player wears a belt that has two Velcro tags attached to it or shorts with Velcro patches TJ's Under 9's were Kent festival winners 2007. During the summer months, the town has a Touch Rugby club. This article deals with several different games all of which are referred to as touch rugby

Tonbridge has its own football team, the Tonbridge Angels who play in the premier division of the Ryman League, a successful canoe club that has produced a number of Olympic participants and a dinghy sailing club, the Tonbridge Town Sailing Club. Tonbridge Angels are a football club in Tonbridge, Kent, England. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism.

Notable residents

Tonbridge made national and international headlines in the summer of 2004 when it staged an open-top bus parade for Dame Kelly Holmes to celebrate her double Olympic gold success. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE (born April 19 1970 is a retired English middle-distance athlete. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Over 40,000 people were estimated to have packed Tonbridge town centre and lined the route from her family home in nearby Hildenborough, roughly equivalent to the combined population of both, and more than twice the numbers who attended the subsequent parade in central London for all of the medallists. Hildenborough is a Village and rural parish in the District of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent. Another medallist at the 2004 Olympics was Tonbridge-born Ian Wynne (1973–) who won a bronze medal for canoeing. Ian Wynne (born 30 November 1973 in Tonbridge) is a British flatwater canoeist who won the kayak 500m (k1 bronze

The boxer Sir Henry Cooper also lives in the adjoining village of Hildenborough. Henry Cooper may refer to Henry Cooper (boxer (b 1934 British boxer Henry Cooper (U The cricketer Frank Woolley (1887) and the film actor Harry Andrews CBE (1911) were both born in the town. Frank Edward Woolley (born 27 May 1887 in Tonbridge, Kent, died 18 October 1978 in Chester, Nova Scotia Major Harry Fleetwood Andrews, CBE (born 10 November, 1911 - 6 March, 1989) was an English Actor Many famous people were educated in Tonbridge, including cricketers Bob Woolmer, at Yardley Court, and David Fulton, at The Judd School. Robert Andrew Woolmer ( 14 May 1948 – 18 March 2007) was an international Cricketer, professional Cricket coach and also David Paul Fulton (born November 15, 1971 in Lewisham) is a former English Cricketer He was a right-handed opening batsman The Judd School is a voluntary aided Grammar school in the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. Tonbridge School has educated a number of famous pupils including the authors E. M. Forster, Frederick Forsyth and Vikram Seth, cricketers Colin Cowdrey and Chris Cowdrey, and more recently the members of the famous pop/rock band Keane. Tonbridge School is a British independent all boys Public school in Tonbridge, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde Edward Morgan Forster OM, CH (1 January 1879–7 June 1970 was an English novelist Short story writer Essayist, and Librettist Frederick Forsyth, CBE (born August 25, 1938) is an English author and occasional political commentator Vikram Seth (विक्रम सेठ pronounced /vɪkrəm seːʈʰ/ born June 20, 1952 is an Indian Poet, Novelist, travel Michael Colin Cowdrey Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, Kt, CBE ( December 24, 1932 - December 4, 2000) was an English The Honourable Christopher Stuart "Chris" Cowdrey (born 20 October 1957 in Farnborough) is a former English Cricketer Keane (kiːn are an English Piano rock band, first established in Battle, East Sussex in 1995, and taking their current

Other famous people born in the town were: Anna Atkins (1799-1871) botanist and photographer, James Edward Cowell Welldon (1854-1937) Bishop of Calcutta, Henry Watson Fowler (1858-1933) educationist, Harold Stephen Langhorne (1866-1932) career soldier, William Cobbold (1862-1922) England international football player, Reginald Punnett FRS (1875-1967) geneticist, Sir James Ralph Darling OBE (1899-1955) Chairman Australian Broadcasting Commission, Cecil Frank Powell (1903-1969) Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, Sir Dick White KCMG KBE (1906-1983) Director General of MI5, Neville Duke DSO OBE DFC (2 bars) ADC (1922–2007) World War II pilot and world air speed holder in 1953, Ron Challis (1932-2001) football referee, Malcolm Simmons (1946–) British Speedway Champion 1976/7 and former captain of England team, Timothy Allen (1971–) photojournalist. Anna Atkins (née Children (1799-1871 was an English Botanist, Photographer, and the first person to publish a book illustrated exclusively with James Edward Cowell Welldon (born 1854 died 1937 was an English divine, Bishop of Calcutta, and scholar Henry Watson Fowler ( 10 March 1858 – 26 December 1933) was an English schoolmaster Lexicographer and commentator Harold Stephen Langhorne ( 17 September 1866 Bordyke, Tonbridge, Kent, England and died Barnwood, Gloucester William Nevill Cobbold ( February 4, 1862 – April 8, 1922) familiarly known as "Nuts" Cobbold, was one of the leading Professor Reginald Crundall Punnett FRS ( June 20 1875 &ndash January 3 1967) was a British geneticist who Sir James Ralph Darling OBE ( 18 June, 1899 - 1 November, 1995) was the Headmaster of Geelong Grammar School, (1930-1961 Cecil Frank Powell ( December 5, 1903 &ndash August 9, 1969) was a British Physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Sir Dick Goldsmith White, KCMG, KBE ( 20 December 1906 &ndash 21 February 1993) was a British Intelligence Squadron Leader Neville Frederick Duke DSO, OBE, DFC & Two Bars, AFC, FRAeS ( 11 January 1922 – Ronald Challis (born c1932 died January 2001† was an English football referee in The Football League. Malcolm Simmons (born 20 March 1946 Tonbridge, Kent) is a former Speedway rider Timothy Allen (born 1971 in Tonbridge, Kent) is an English Photojournalist best known for his reportage and ethnographic photography

Twin towns

Tonbridge is twinned with the towns of Le Puy-en-Velay in France, and Heusenstamm in Germany. Le Puy-en-Velay ( Lo Puèi de Velai in Occitan, pronounced ˈpœj də ˈvəlaj is a commune of south-central France This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Heusenstamm is a town in Hesse, Germany. Its population is approximately 19000 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

References

External links

• Tonbridge at the Open Directory Project
• Local history site including 900+ photos
• History of Tonbridge Churches
• Tonbridge Tourist Guide - Heart of Kent

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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