Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #387

It's worth occasionally looking up when you're in the High Street. Above your eye-level is often a bygone world of architecture. This canopy is above the Nat West entrance on the corner of Castle Street.

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #301

Beautiful early autumn view towards Castle Street Tonbridge taken from Cannon Lawn where the roses are still in full bloom. Is this unusual?

Bygone Tonbridge

This is an interesting drawing by George E Mackley depicting the area in front of The Chequers Inn in Tonbridge High Street. The Market Place was lost to the building of a new town hall that was demolished for road widening.

If you look carefully, the entrance to Castle Street is visible next to the building on the far right, and The Chequers Inn is still recognisable.  It seems that this part of the High Street was once the main gathering and trading area, and a busy space to place the town stocks, where the accused was at the mercy of the mob to be pelted with anything that could fit in their hands, especially rotten fruit and vegetables, dead rodents etc.

Miracle Escape

I believe that yesterday a car driven by an elderly man mounted the pavement by the National Westminster Bank, Castle Street and crashed into the window of the barbers and the bank. As far as I know nobody was hurt which seems a miracle, and luckily the damage to the buildings was only minor. Thank goodness nobody was sitting on the bench as it is in rather bad shape.

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #123 - Castle Street

Recognising Tonbridge Recognised

Recognising Tonbridge Feature

The Neoclassical Pediment type feature crowns the highest point on the National Westminster Bank building on the corner of Castle Street, and the High Street, where the bank have had a branch since the 5 November 1923.  It's worth looking up when you're next passing.  Steve Abrahams and Peter Harris quickly located the spot. 

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #59  -  Castle Street

Tonbridge Daily Snippet

c1850 travelling actors and drama companies performed in a waterproof pavillion erected in Tonbridge cattle market, and also in the now demolished The Town Hall which stood on the corner of Castle Street and The High Street