Tonbridge and Malling
Encyclopedia
Tonbridge and Malling is a local government district
and borough
in the English
county
of Kent
.
Tonbridge and Malling borough covers an area from the North Downs at Burham
and Snodland
in the north to the town of Tonbridge
in the south. The River Medway
flows in a north easterly direction, through the borough towards the Medway Gap
.
The district was created under the Local Government Act 1972
, on 1 April 1974. It was a merger of the urban district
of Tonbridge, together with Malling Rural District
and the villages of Hadlow
and Hildenborough
from Tonbridge Rural District.
people left behind much evidence: megaliths such as Kit's Coty House
at Aylesford
and the Coldrum Stones
at Trottiscliffe
; and the Long barrows at Addington
being examples. Bronze
and Iron Age
finds are also plentiful. So too is Romano-British
: evidence is to be found all along the Medway Valley.
The immediate district of Tonbridge is omitted from the Domesday Book
; however most other settlements in the Borough are included. Castles were built at Tonbridge, Allington
and West Malling
in the 13th century. Religious houses: Malling, Aylesford
and Tonbridge were built: one such was St Mary's Abbey dating from 1092. Aylesford
Priory on the banks of the Medway, was built in the 13th century.
Medieval manor houses can still be seen: Ightham Mote
and Old Soar Manor
being two of them.
as the principal centre of population, an area now crossed by the railway and motorway (M20
); southwards of the ridge is the heavy clay of the Weald
and valley of the Medway"
is also a magnet for such commuting, since it provides a good deal of employment opportunity.
A remnant of the once flourishing hop-growing industry is provided by a tourist attraction at Beltring
: once the Whitbread Hop Farm, it puts on frequent weekend exhibitions and shows of varying kinds. Here twenty-five of the finest examples of Victorian oast house
s, once used for preparing hops
for brewing
.
At East Malling is a Research Station designed to "benefit research development and dissemination of useful results of such research in matters directly affecting horticultural crops generally with particular emphasis on the fruit, hop and nursery stock industries" (taken from website).
Many of the villages are located on the Tourist Trails designed, perhaps, to show the Borough more as being "scattered with picturesque villages, orchards and bluebell wood
s" instead of being a hard working area.
, with an area office at Tonbridge
Castle. The Borough is divided for political purposes, into 26 wards, including seven in the town of Tonbridge (called Cage Green, Castle, Higham, Judd, Medway, Trench and Vauxhall wards). Outside the town, councillors serve wards covering the following villages or groups of villages, many of which have parish councils also (see below):
Tonbridge
, being the former area of Tonbridge Urban District Council, is an unparished area.
In the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, the area is covered by the larger Tonbridge and Malling Parliamentary Constituency
and part of Chatham and Aylesford Parliament constituency.
The council hs 45 Conservative and 7 liberal Democrat councilors as of March 2011.
The South Eastern Main Line on the route London - Tonbridge - Ashford International - Dover crosses the west of the Borough with stations at Hildenborough
and Tonbridge
.
The Maidstone East Line on the route Victoria - Maidstone East - Ashford International - Canterbury - Thanet with its stations at Borough Green & Wrotham
, West Malling for Kings Hill
, East Malling
and Barming
crosses the north of the Borough.
From Tonbridge
, the Hastings line
services run to Tunbridge Wells and Hastings
, with some through services from Hastings to London, and the Redhill to Tonbridge Line
services run to Redhill: through services on that line to Guildford
have been discontinued.
The High Speed 1 line with Eurostar services crosses the north of the Borough, but there are no stations here.
The Medway Valley Line
links the North Kent Line
at Strood
with the South Eastern Main Line at Paddock Wood railway station. Stations are at Snodland
, New Hythe
, and Aylesford
on the Strood - Maidstone West section of the line in the north of the Borough and Wateringbury
on the Maidstone West - Paddock Wood section of the line in the south of the Borough. Also, Beltring and Brandbridges Halt
is close to the Borough boundary. Trains on this line now run through from Paddock Wood to Tonbridge, but through services from Maidstone West via Strood to London Bridge have been discontinued.
The Borough also has many road routes passing through it. There are three motorways: the M2
, M20
and the M26
; three west-east major roads (A20; A21 and the A26 road
. Three other important roads are the A227
, A228
and A229
.
In addition there are long distance footpaths, among them the Greensand Way
, the Medway Valley Walk
, the Wealdway
and the Eden Valley Walk.
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Tonbridge and Malling borough covers an area from the North Downs at Burham
Burham
Burham is a village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling district ofKent, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,251. The village is near the Medway towns.The history of Burham can be traced to Roman times...
and Snodland
Snodland
Snodland is a small town in the county of Kent, England, located on the River Medway between Rochester and Maidstone. It has a population of about 12,000 people....
in the north to the town of Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
in the south. The River Medway
River Medway
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 the Thames Estuary....
flows in a north easterly direction, through the borough towards the Medway Gap
Medway Gap
The Medway Gap is a topographic feature in the English county of Kent near Rochester.It was created when the prehistoric River Medway cut through line of chalk hills now known as the North Downs; other rivers such as the Darent and the Stour have similar features.Its past significance as a means of...
.
The district was created under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, on 1 April 1974. It was a merger of the urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of Tonbridge, together with Malling Rural District
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
and the villages of Hadlow
Hadlow
Hadlow is a village in the Medway valley, near Tonbridge, Kent; it is in the Tonbridge and Malling district. The Saxon name for the settlement was Haeselholte...
and Hildenborough
Hildenborough
Hildenborough is a village and rural parish in the District of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent. It is two miles north-west of Tonbridge and five miles south-east of Sevenoaks...
from Tonbridge Rural District.
Ancient times
The area has been occupied for thousands of years. The NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
people left behind much evidence: megaliths such as Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House or Kit's Coty is the name of the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow on Blue Bell Hill near Aylesford in the English county of Kent. It is one of the Medway megaliths....
at Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
and the Coldrum Stones
Coldrum Stones
The Coldrum Stones are the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Trottiscliffe in the English county of Kent.The monument has been greatly affected by 19th century treasure hunters and chalk extraction but the kerb of 31 peristaliths largely survives, meaning that it is often mistaken...
at Trottiscliffe
Trottiscliffe
Trottiscliffe , is a village in Kent, England about north west of West Malling.Its most notable feature is the neolithic long barrow known as the Coldrum Stones and its medieval church. It is often incorrectly spelled Trosley after Trosley Country Park at the top of The North Downs, which was once...
; and the Long barrows at Addington
Addington, Kent
Addington is a village in the English county of Kent close to the M20 motorway between Wrotham Heath and West Malling. It was known as Eddintune in the Domesday Book. The meaning of Addington is Æddi's estate...
being examples. Bronze
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
finds are also plentiful. So too is Romano-British
Romano-British
Romano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
: evidence is to be found all along the Medway Valley.
The immediate district of Tonbridge is omitted from the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
; however most other settlements in the Borough are included. Castles were built at Tonbridge, Allington
Allington, Kent
Allington is an almost entirely modern village situated alongside the sides of the A20 road west of Maidstone in Kent. It is part of the built-up area of Maidstone. It has 2 primary schools; Allington Primary and Palace Wood...
and West Malling
West Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
in the 13th century. Religious houses: Malling, Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
and Tonbridge were built: one such was St Mary's Abbey dating from 1092. Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
Priory on the banks of the Medway, was built in the 13th century.
Medieval manor houses can still be seen: Ightham Mote
Ightham Mote
Ightham Mote is a medieval moated manor house close to the village of Ightham, near Sevenoaks in Kent .The name "mote" derives from "moot", "meeting [place]", rather than referring to the body of water....
and Old Soar Manor
Old Soar Manor
Old Soar Manor is an English Heritage property, owned and maintained by the National Trust. Located near Plaxtol, Kent, England, it is a small 13th century stone manor house.- External links :**...
being two of them.
Description of the district
"Tonbridge district can be divided in two distinct areas, which were divided at the beginning of the nineteenth century by the woods and heaths of the ragstone (1) ridge from Great Comp to East Malling. Northwards lies the well peopled Holmesdale with the market town of West MallingWest Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
as the principal centre of population, an area now crossed by the railway and motorway (M20
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
); southwards of the ridge is the heavy clay of the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
and valley of the Medway"
-
- extract from Kent Dr Felix Hull (An Ordnance Survey Historical Guide 1988)
- (1) Known as Kentish ragstone - geologically speaking Upper Greensand - and much used in church building throughout the county.
The modern Borough
Generally speaking, the Borough is mainly agricultural - orchards, and livestock in the main - although the proximity of the railways and the motorway means that there is a good deal of commuting from some of the more built-up villages. The new settlement of Kings HillKings Hill
Kings Hill is a civil parish in the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is one of several new villages built in Kent since the 1950s . Development started in 1989 near West Malling, on land previously occupied by RAF West Malling. The plan was for a multi-purpose site of both...
is also a magnet for such commuting, since it provides a good deal of employment opportunity.
A remnant of the once flourishing hop-growing industry is provided by a tourist attraction at Beltring
Beltring
Beltring is a village in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England.Beltring is known for the annual War and peace show which takes place at The Hop Farm Country Park...
: once the Whitbread Hop Farm, it puts on frequent weekend exhibitions and shows of varying kinds. Here twenty-five of the finest examples of Victorian oast house
Oast house
An oast, oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning hops as part of the brewing process. They can be found in most hop-growing areas and are often good examples of vernacular architecture...
s, once used for preparing hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
for brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
.
At East Malling is a Research Station designed to "benefit research development and dissemination of useful results of such research in matters directly affecting horticultural crops generally with particular emphasis on the fruit, hop and nursery stock industries" (taken from website).
Many of the villages are located on the Tourist Trails designed, perhaps, to show the Borough more as being "scattered with picturesque villages, orchards and bluebell wood
Bluebell wood
A bluebell wood is a woodland that in spring-time has a carpet of bluebells underneath a newly forming leaf canopy...
s" instead of being a hard working area.
Borough
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council is based in Kings HillKings Hill
Kings Hill is a civil parish in the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is one of several new villages built in Kent since the 1950s . Development started in 1989 near West Malling, on land previously occupied by RAF West Malling. The plan was for a multi-purpose site of both...
, with an area office at Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
Castle. The Borough is divided for political purposes, into 26 wards, including seven in the town of Tonbridge (called Cage Green, Castle, Higham, Judd, Medway, Trench and Vauxhall wards). Outside the town, councillors serve wards covering the following villages or groups of villages, many of which have parish councils also (see below):
- Aylesford
- Blue Bell HillBlue Bell HillBlue Bell Hill is a chalk hill between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent. It overlooks the River Medway and is part of the North Downs. Settlements on the hill include Walderslade; and Blue Bell Hill and Kit's Coty villages...
& Walderslade - Borough Green & Long Mill
- Burham, Wouldham and Eccles
- Ditton
- Downs
- East Malling,
- East Peckham & Golden Green
- Hadlow, Mereworth & West Peckham
- Hildenborough
- Ightham
- Kings HillKings HillKings Hill is a civil parish in the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is one of several new villages built in Kent since the 1950s . Development started in 1989 near West Malling, on land previously occupied by RAF West Malling. The plan was for a multi-purpose site of both...
- Larkfield - two wards: North and South
- Snodland - two wards: East & West
- Wateringbury
- West Malling & Leybourne
- Wrotham
Civil parishes
The lower tier of local government is the civil parish. In this district they are as follows:- AddingtonAddington, KentAddington is a village in the English county of Kent close to the M20 motorway between Wrotham Heath and West Malling. It was known as Eddintune in the Domesday Book. The meaning of Addington is Æddi's estate...
- AylesfordAylesfordAylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
- BirlingBirling, KentBirling is a village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England, about seven miles west of Maidstone. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 430....
- Borough GreenBorough GreenBorough Green is a large village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling District of Kent, England. The main village is situated on the A25 road between Maidstone and Sevenoaks in Kent.-History:...
- BurhamBurhamBurham is a village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling district ofKent, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,251. The village is near the Medway towns.The history of Burham can be traced to Roman times...
- DittonDitton, KentDitton is a large village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling District of Kent, England. The village is about north-west of Maidstone town centre and east of West Malling. The parish, which is long and narrow, straddles the A20 , with farmland to the south and industry to the north...
- East Malling and LarkfieldEast Malling and LarkfieldEast Malling and Larkfield is a civil parish in the district of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent, England. It is about southeast of West Malling, northwest of Maidstone, and SSW of Rochester....
- East PeckhamEast PeckhamEast Peckham is a village in Kent, England, made up of nine hamlets and situated about east of Tonbridge on the River Medway. It was the centre for the hop growing industry in Kent and is still home to the Hop Farm which has the world's largest collection of Oast Houses.-History:The Domesday entry...
- HadlowHadlowHadlow is a village in the Medway valley, near Tonbridge, Kent; it is in the Tonbridge and Malling district. The Saxon name for the settlement was Haeselholte...
- HildenboroughHildenboroughHildenborough is a village and rural parish in the District of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent. It is two miles north-west of Tonbridge and five miles south-east of Sevenoaks...
- IghthamIghthamIghtham is a village in Kent, England, located approximately four miles east of Sevenoaks and six miles north of Tonbridge. The parish includes the hamlet of Ivy Hatch....
- Kings HillKings HillKings Hill is a civil parish in the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is one of several new villages built in Kent since the 1950s . Development started in 1989 near West Malling, on land previously occupied by RAF West Malling. The plan was for a multi-purpose site of both...
- LeybourneLeybourneLeybourne is a small village in Kent, England situated off Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. Leybourne is adjacent to Larkfield and West Malling....
- MereworthMereworthMereworth is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows through the village and powered a watermill, the site of which now lies within the grounds of Mereworth Castle.-History:...
- OffhamOffham, KentOffham is a village in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England, five miles to the west of Maidstone.Offham has a Quintain on the village green that was reported in medieval times for use in jousting...
- PlattPlatt, KentPlatt, or St. Mary's Platt is a village in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. The village contains a church which was built in 1843 and which stands on a hill overlooking the village centre. The architects were Whichcord and Walker of Maidstone.The hamlet of...
- PlaxtolPlaxtolPlaxtol is a small village of about 1,000 inhabitants in Kent. The River Bourne flows through the parish, and formerly powered three watermills in Plaxtol - Winfield Mill , Longmill and Roughway Paper Mill....
- RyarshRyarshRyarsh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is home to around 1,000 residents. Ryarsh is west of Maidstone and north of West Malling and Kings Hill.-Ryarsh Circle:...
- ShipbourneShipbourneShipbourne lies in the English county of Kent, in an undulating landscape traversed by the small streams of the River Bourne, set in a clay vale at the foot of the wooded Sevenoaks Greensand Ridge....
- SnodlandSnodlandSnodland is a small town in the county of Kent, England, located on the River Medway between Rochester and Maidstone. It has a population of about 12,000 people....
- StanstedStansted, KentStansted is a village and rural parish in the Tonbridge and Malling district of the county of Kent in the United Kingdom .It is located at , close by the M20 motorway...
- TrottiscliffeTrottiscliffeTrottiscliffe , is a village in Kent, England about north west of West Malling.Its most notable feature is the neolithic long barrow known as the Coldrum Stones and its medieval church. It is often incorrectly spelled Trosley after Trosley Country Park at the top of The North Downs, which was once...
- WateringburyWateringburyWateringbury is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows into the River Medway just above Bow Bridge. It formerly powered three watermills in the village, one of which survives. Wateringbury railway station is on the Medway Valley Line.- Demography :As...
- West MallingWest MallingWest Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
- West PeckhamWest PeckhamWest Peckham is a village in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. The River Bourne flows through the extreme west of the parish, and formerly powered a paper mill and corn mill . The Wateringbury Stream rises in the parish...
- WouldhamWouldhamWouldham is a small village on the bank of the River Medway in Kent, Great Britain. As of 2006 its population is approximately 1000 people, with the 11th century church, one school, one village shop, and three public houses....
Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, being the former area of Tonbridge Urban District Council, is an unparished area.
In the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, the area is covered by the larger Tonbridge and Malling Parliamentary Constituency
Tonbridge and Malling (UK Parliament constituency)
Tonbridge and Malling is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was created in 1974 from parts of the seats of Sevenoaks & Tonbridge...
and part of Chatham and Aylesford Parliament constituency.
The council hs 45 Conservative and 7 liberal Democrat councilors as of March 2011.
Transport
Six railway routes operate through the Borough.The South Eastern Main Line on the route London - Tonbridge - Ashford International - Dover crosses the west of the Borough with stations at Hildenborough
Hildenborough railway station
Hildenborough railway station serves the village of Hildenborough in Kent, as well as surrounding villages. Train services are provided by Southeastern....
and Tonbridge
Tonbridge railway station
Tonbridge railway station is a station serving the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. It is a junction between two important commuter routes; the South Eastern Main Line serving Ashford, Ramsgate and Dover and the Hastings Main Line serving Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, as well as a branch to...
.
The Maidstone East Line on the route Victoria - Maidstone East - Ashford International - Canterbury - Thanet with its stations at Borough Green & Wrotham
Borough Green & Wrotham railway station
Borough Green & Wrotham railway station is located in Borough Green in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.In Spring 2008, the concrete footbridge spanning the tracks here and linking the platforms was condemned and replaced by a new bridge immediately to the west.The ticket office in...
, West Malling for Kings Hill
West Malling railway station
West Malling railway station lies to the east of West Malling, Kent, England and is close to Kings Hill, Larkfield and Leybourne. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern....
, East Malling
East Malling railway station
East Malling railway station serves the village of East Malling in Kent, and is close to Ditton, Larkfield and Leybourne. The station, and most trains serving it, are operated by Southeastern....
and Barming
Barming railway station
Barming railway station is located in Tonbridge and Malling Borough, west of Maidstone in Kent and some considerable distance from Barming, which lies to the south...
crosses the north of the Borough.
From Tonbridge
Tonbridge railway station
Tonbridge railway station is a station serving the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. It is a junction between two important commuter routes; the South Eastern Main Line serving Ashford, Ramsgate and Dover and the Hastings Main Line serving Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, as well as a branch to...
, the Hastings line
Hastings Line
The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and East Sussex linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and from there into London via Sevenoaks.-Openings:The line was opened by the South Eastern Railway in main three stages: – :...
services run to Tunbridge Wells and Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, with some through services from Hastings to London, and the Redhill to Tonbridge Line
Redhill to Tonbridge Line
The Redhill to Tonbridge Line is a railway line running from Redhill, Surrey to Tonbridge, Kent in southeast England. It branches off the Brighton Main Line at Redhill station and, after 20 miles, joins the South Eastern Main Line at Tonbridge station....
services run to Redhill: through services on that line to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
have been discontinued.
The High Speed 1 line with Eurostar services crosses the north of the Borough, but there are no stations here.
The Medway Valley Line
Medway Valley Line
The Medway Valley Line is the name given to the railway line linking and the Medway Towns with and onward to , and London St Pancras International...
links the North Kent Line
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...
at Strood
Strood
Strood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. It lies on the north west bank of the River Medway at its lowest bridging point, and is part of the Rochester post town....
with the South Eastern Main Line at Paddock Wood railway station. Stations are at Snodland
Snodland railway station
Snodland railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in north Kent, and serves the town of Snodland which lies some way to the west. Train services are provided by Southeastern. The APTIS-equipped ticket office, in an imposing building on the northbound platform, closed in the early 1990s and...
, New Hythe
New Hythe railway station
New Hythe railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent, and serves New Hythe. The APTIS-equipped ticket office, in an imposing 1930s building on the northbound platform, closed in Sept 1989 and subsequently became derelict...
, and Aylesford
Aylesford railway station
Aylesford railway station first opened on 18 June 1856. It is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent, and serves Aylesford. Train services are provided by Southeastern.-History:...
on the Strood - Maidstone West section of the line in the north of the Borough and Wateringbury
Wateringbury railway station
Wateringbury railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent, England, and serves Wateringbury. Train services are provided by Southeastern...
on the Maidstone West - Paddock Wood section of the line in the south of the Borough. Also, Beltring and Brandbridges Halt
Beltring railway station
Beltring railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent, England. Train services are provided by Southeastern.Beltring station opened later than the others on the line : its opening date was 1 September 1909. The halt originally had platforms built of wooden sleepers...
is close to the Borough boundary. Trains on this line now run through from Paddock Wood to Tonbridge, but through services from Maidstone West via Strood to London Bridge have been discontinued.
The Borough also has many road routes passing through it. There are three motorways: the M2
M2 motorway
The M2 is a motorway in Kent, England. It is 25.7 miles long and acts as a bypass of the section of the A2 road which runs through the Medway Towns, Sittingbourne and Faversham.- Route :...
, M20
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
and the M26
M26 motorway
The M26 is a motorway in Kent, England. It provides a short link between the M25/A21 at Sevenoaks and the M20 near Wrotham.-Route:The motorway starts at junction 3 of the M20 and heads west, encountering almost immediately the single junction along its length where it has an interchange with the A20...
; three west-east major roads (A20; A21 and the A26 road
A26 road
For the road in Northern Ireland see A26 road The A26 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A25 road and A27 road. It carries traffic from Maidstone in Kent in a generally south-westerly direction to Tunbridge Wells and...
. Three other important roads are the A227
A227 road
The A227 road in England runs from Gravesend in Kent in a generally south-south-westerly direction to Tonbridge. It is about in length.-Overview:...
, A228
A228 road
The A228 road is an important transport artery in Kent, England. It begins at the Isle of Grain and runs in a south-westerly direction to connect eventually with the A21 trunk road at Pembury. It serves existing communities and new and proposed housing developments and commercial enterprises...
and A229
A229 road
The A229 is a major road running north-south through Kent.The road begins in the Medway town of Rochester at the foot of Star Hill forming a junction with the A2 road. It then climbs up through the built-up area of Chatham, passing Troy Town and Rochester Airport before descending the slope of the...
.
In addition there are long distance footpaths, among them the Greensand Way
Greensand Way
The Greensand Way is long distance walk of in southeast England, from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. It follows the Greensand Ridge along the Surrey Hills and Chart Hills. The route is mostly rural, passing through woods, and alongside fruit orchards and hop farms in Kent and links...
, the Medway Valley Walk
Medway Valley Walk
The Medway Valley Walk follows the River Medway from Rochester to Tonbridge. Above Allington, it follows the bank of the Medway Navigation. It starts on the Saxon Shore Way at Rochester. The North Downs Way crosses the Medway Valley Walk at the eastern end of the Medway Viaduct or motorway bridge....
, the Wealdway
Wealdway
The Wealdway, Kent and East Sussex, is a public footpath that runs from Gravesend, Kent on the Thames estuary, to the A259 at Eastbourne, 3 km north of Beachy Head....
and the Eden Valley Walk.