Tonbridge Daily Photo

Man of Kent, East Street

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #302 - Man of Kent & old Methodist Church, East Street

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #302

This open door is the entrance to the belfry, and top of the tower, to Tonbridge Parish Church, St Peter and St Paul.  It's not often that the public have a chance to go through the door, and climb the medieval staircase to experience the far reaching views over the town, but today you have that chance as free tours will be going on all day as part of Heritage Weekend.

If you look on the third sandstone brick on the left-hand side of the door (from the bottom), you will see a mark that looks a little like a three pronged fork. That's a bench mark, and it's one of a handful left in the town. This chiseled mark would have been made by a surveyor in the stone structure, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod to calculate a 'mean' height. These are no longer used as digital and more accurate surveying equipment is available.

Have a look next time you are there and try to find the bench mark on the old Methodist Church in East Street.

A Taste of Tonbridge c 1873

Did you know that the town's market and trading area was once in front of The Chequers Inn on the upper part of Tonbridge High Street, and did you also know that it was here the annual Town Fair was held.
It made sense as the road was at it's widest at this point, and this could accommodate a good sized crowd.

After the Town Taster day I threw myself into a little research on previous fairs and market trading in Tonbridge, and I came across this piece from Neve's 'The Tonbridge of Yesterday' describing the town fair c1873, and the abolishment of the annual celebration by who we would now call the town council.

Shared by Tonbridge Historical Society Pictorial Collection No. 14B.104

I've copied it out below and it makes really interesting reading. Not quite sure why a Zulu came to Tonbridge though:-

'On the day of the Fair cheap toys, hokey-pokey, gingerbread, sweets (especially big peppermint humbugs) and other fairings were exposed on the stalls which made their appearance, chiefly on the west side of the High Street, between Mr L.M. Wibner (now Clarke and Coleman), and a point just below the Chequers, and also in the open space below the Town Hall (now Nat West Bank).

One or two stalls may occasionally have been seen on the east side, between the Charlton Cafe (now The Slug & Lettuce) and Swan Lane (East Street), and a shooting gallery and a primitive form of camera obscura near the Town Hall. Castle Square was given up to swings, roundabouts, Aunt Sallies, and similar attractions.

In later years the side shows diminished in number and deteriorated in quality: a fat woman and a Zulu with particularly repulsive habits, are specimens of what was good enough for those who patronized the Tonbridge Fair.

Some of the local tradesmen no doubt took a little extra money on Fair Day. Mr. Dutnall, for instance, used to clear his confectioners window of all his ordinary stock and exhibit a huge mountain of gingerbread biscuits which were regularly cleared out before evening.

The local justices resolved that the abolition of the Annual Fair would be for the convenience and advantage of the public.'

I still do wonder about that Zulu!!!!!!!

Tonbridge Litter Lout

Thankyou very much to the person who left their bag of empty beer cans and food containers in the Victorian boot scraper at the old Methodist Church in East Street.

Oh yes it is the perfect place to dump the bag as it fits into the space quite beautifully and snugly. Far better than it swimming around in a litter bin. Why carefully put everything into a refuse bag, tie a knot at the top and then just chuck it into an available space. What's the point of that?

This frankly makes me lost for words. I just don't get it.

More apartments for Tonbridge

I noticed a Planning Application today for the conversion into 11 apartments of the former Methodist Church and hall in East Street. What do you think?

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #172 - East Street at dusk

Tonbridge Daily Snippet

Alfred Skinner (1810-1885) an ironmonger whose business stood on the corner of East Street and The High Street is known for starting a 'Coal Club' in Tonbridge.

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #128 - The Hermitage, East Street

Tonbridge Daily Snippet

I've recently spent some time reading the 1870's archived copy of the 'Local Board of the District of the Town of Tonbridge'. It has been fascinating reading, albeit difficult on occasions as the meetings were transcribed by hand in pen and ink, and the handwriting has been hard to decifer. However, it has all been worthwhile as it has given me an insight into what was important to residents of the town in the 19th century.

An entry on the 4th of December in 1871 titled 'Breaking Lamps' caught my eye. It illustrated how nothing much has really changed over the last 100 years or so, and we are still concerned about the same issues as our ancestors.  This one made me smile!!!!

'The Surveyor reported that he had been informed by Sarah Elizabeth Morley, that on Sunday 24 November at about 1 o'clock she saw Master Burton throw a stone through a lamp opposite her house in East Street, and another Master Burton with a catapult shoot a stone through the same lamp.

Complaints as to the serious damage and annoyance to the Public by use of catapults having become so numerous that it is absolutely necessary some stringent measures should be taken to stop the same.'

Tonbridge Daily Snippet

Frank Woolley's father, Charles, made bicycles to order in his Tonbridge workshop business at 72 High Street.  The premises were lost due to road widening around the turn of the 20th century, and the family moved to Avebury Avenue and East Street.

It has been documented that Charles made a carriage for his two sons in his engineering business, and the boys were often seen out and about in Tonbridge driving the little vehicle, with two goats at the reins.
 

Tonbridge Daily Snippet

In 1901 an unfortunate death of a workman occurred after he fell into a well of boiling water at The Quarry Hill Brickworks. To make matters even more 'unfortunate', when the emergency call went out from the brickworks to Dr. Cardell, in his East Street surgery, the telephone line was down due to a broken telephone wire.  Contact was made with the Exchange, also in East Street, and from there a hand written note was taken to the doctor.  Sadly,  it was far too late for Dr. Cardell to help the man who died soon after the accident.

Tonbridge Daily Photo

Tonbridge Daily Photo #3  -  Man of Kent, East Street

Recognising Tonbridge Recognised

There were a few correct answers on this Recognising Tonbridge post. Welcome back to Shaun who is a man who knows the Tonbridge spots well, and who I have rarely been able to outwit.

There were also a number of correct sitings via Twitter including Peter @greenhares who also tends to regularly recognise where I am, and a few vague guesses came through that it had to be one of the churches in the town.

Methodist Church - East Street

It is in fact the large arched window on the former Methodist Church in East Street. The stunning window can easily be missed when walking down the narrow pavements and street.  The upper part is a rose window with five trefoil arches and is flashed below by lancets with trefoil heads either side.  Trefoil is a graphic form composed in outline of three overlapping rings, and this pattern is visible on the sides of the window. This ornate feature was often used in Victorian architecture and Christian symbolism referring to The Trinity.

Rose detail in window and trefoil design

 The sculpted images of two male heads that sit on either side of the window and are of Charles and John Wesley who are known to be the founders of Methodism. I am not sure who is who, but if anyone has that information please let me know.

The first Methodist meetings started in Tonbridge in 1802 and took place in 5 various buidlings and locations until the New Wesleyan Chapel was opened is Swan Lane (now East Street) in 1872. In this year the church was reconstructed in East Street at a cost of £2,000. This was the sixth place of worship that Methodists had in Tonbridge.

Memorial Stone laid on June 4 1872

This is a Grade II listed building. So stop next time you pass through East Street, it is certainly worth standing on the opposite pavement to the church and taking a look up at this generally unnoticed spot. I am sure you will be surprised at the beauty of the architecture that is above you.

Recognising Tonbridge Recognised

The Man of Kent Tonbridge

I thought I had outwitted the people of Tonbridge on this one, however after some gentle persuasion to give clues as to where the oasts and roundels could be, they were eventually recognised as being part of The Man of Kent pub sign in East Street.

If you wish to read a previous Tonbridge Daily post on the debate of whether one is a Man of Kent or a Kentish Man take a look on http://tonbridgedaily.blogspot.com/2011/06/man-of-kent-or-kentish-man.html

Man of Kent or Kentish Man?

Man of Kent Pub sign - East Street Tonbridge

An idyllic Kentish scene.  A Man of Kent with scythe in hand works the field cutting and gathering his crop.  White clouds billow in the blue sky above a backdrop of oast houses.  His hat shades him from the sun and he leisurely smokes his pipe whilst harvesting. The grain is mature and is bountiful and will feed his family and community.  The Bakers will offer daily bread.  Hops will dry in the oasts and produce local ale.  The image is full of symbolism.  Is this the contented, self sufficient and hardworking Man of Kent?

Locals would probably say if you are born on the North side of the Medway that runs  through the town you are a Man of Kent, and if you came into the world on the South side you are a Kentish Man.  But that's just us locals.  It's all very ambiguous as there are those who say that anyone born West of the River Medway is a Man of Kent or East a Kentish Man.  Even more confusing is the school of thought that it has absolutely nothing to do with the River Medway but the border is in Rainham, well slightly outside Rainham at at little place named Rainham Mark.  So if you are born West of the border at Rainham Mark you are a Man of Kent and East of the border you are a Kentish Man.  All very baffling.

I have also been reliably told that The Man of Kent pub in East Street is actually east of the Medway which makes this all the more muddled.  This may be why us local use the north and south of the river distinction.  It's just easier.  And, to confuse matters even more a Man of Kent is often referred to as a man of honour and a Kentish Man an ordinary man.  The Man of Kent on the pub sign seems to be rather an ordinary man throwing everything into disarray.