Tonbridge Daily Snippet

Tonbridge lost its celebrated Cricket Week after 1945. The army had taken over the Angel Ground during the war and extensive damage occurred to the ground and pitch.  The cost of repairing the pitch was far too expensive to justify the expense.

The owners of the ground, Tonbridge Cricket Club, continued to use the ground for play but could not keep up the maintenance costs, and put forward a plan to change the ground's use to a Greyhound and Sports Stadium.  This met with strong opposition and the plans were abandoned.
The Urban District Council stepped in and rented the area to Tonbridge Football Club.

This area now forms part of The Angel Centre, car parks and Industrial Estate.
 

Tonbridge Daily Snippet

In 1923 Tonbridge Urban District Council brought the Sportsground for the price of £4080 which at the time had 7 football pitches, 57 tennis courts, 12 cricket pitches, miniature golf and a quoit pitch.

Tonbridge Tollgates

Three iron posts, in separate locations in Tonbridge, mark former tollgate sites in the town.
All the commemorative markers are identical, and were put in place by TUDC (Tonbridge Urban District Council). They are undated.

The first is situated outside the Public Library on the corner of The High Street and Avebury Avenue. It's hard to imagine a tollgate in this busy area of the town, but until the coming of the railway the southern part of Tonbridge, as we know it today, simply did not exist.

Outside the Public Library on The High Street

The second marker is on the corner of Hadlow Road and Mill Lane.  This was one of several tolls along this route and it was there until 1868.  There is an undated photograph of this location on

http://www.tonbridgehistory.org.uk/photos/other-roads-and-streets/slides/15.Had2b.html

 

The final tollgate marker can be found on Shipbourne Road.  This one is very hard to spot as it sits behind railings and is slightly hidden by foliage.  The location is directly opposite the petrol station that is next to The Royal Oak pub.

 

Shipbourne Road tollgate marker