91-539: Tonbridge ( / ˈ t ʌ n b r ɪ dʒ / TUN -brij ) (historic spelling Tunbridge ) is a market town in Kent , England, on the River Medway , 4 miles (6 km) north of Royal Tunbridge Wells , 12 miles (19 km) south west of Maidstone and 29 miles (47 km) south east of London . In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling , it had an estimated population of 41,293 in 2019. The town
182-746: A Vets team. The club has two girls teams (Under 15 and 18), and a junior and mini section. Tonbridge's football team, the Tonbridge Angels , play in the National League South – with the former manager of the England national football team , Roy Hodgson having played for them. The town has a canoe club that has produced a number of Olympic participants, and a dinghy sailing club, the Tonbridge Town Sailing Club, which holds events at Haysden Country Park on
273-440: A community space on the upper floor. The oldest surviving structures date from the mid-17th century. In Scotland, borough markets were held weekly from an early stage. A King's market was held at Roxburgh on a specific day from about the year 1171; a Thursday market was held at Glasgow , a Saturday market at Arbroath , and a Sunday market at Brechin . In Scotland, market towns were often distinguished by their mercat cross :
364-514: A crossing-place on the River Thames up-river from Runnymede , where it formed an oxbow lake in the stream. Early patronage included Thomas Furnyvale, lord of Hallamshire , who established a Fair and Market in 1232. Travelers were able to meet and trade wares in relative safety for a week of "fayres" at a location inside the town walls. The reign of Henry III witnessed a spike in established market fairs. The defeat of de Montfort increased
455-528: A crossroads or close to a river ford , for example, Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. When local railway lines were first built, market towns were given priority to ease the transport of goods. For instance, in Calderdale , West Yorkshire , several market towns close together were designated to take advantage of the new trains. The designation of Halifax , Sowerby Bridge , Hebden Bridge , and Todmorden
546-581: A few years later, in an incident generally reported as a hunting accident, when he was shot by Walter Tirel , Richard Fitz Gilbert's son-in-law, & born in Tonbridge himself. The town was soon afterwards taken again, this time by King John only a few months after the signing of the Magna Carta . Both the Earl and his son were signatories and guardians of the document responsible for its compliance. It
637-491: A full list, see this table at Danish Misplaced Pages ). The last town to gain market rights ( Danish : købstadsprivilegier ) was Skjern in 1958. At the municipal reform of 1970 , market towns were merged with neighboring parishes, and the market towns lost their special status and privileges, though many still advertise themselves using the moniker of købstad and hold public markets on their historic market squares . The medieval right to hold markets ( German : Marktrecht )
728-559: A good deal is known about the economic value of markets in local economies, the cultural role of market-towns has received scant scholarly attention. In Denmark, the concept of the market town ( Danish : købstad ) emerged during the Iron Age. It is not known which was the first Danish market town, but Hedeby (part of modern-day Schleswig-Holstein ) and Ribe were among the first. As of 1801, there were 74 market towns in Denmark (for
819-591: A group of villages or an earlier urban settlement in decline, or be created as a new urban centre. Frequently, they had limited privileges compared to free royal cities . Their long-lasting feudal subordination to landowners or the church is also a crucial difference. The successors of these settlements usually have a distinguishable townscape. The absence of fortification walls, sparsely populated agglomerations, and their tight bonds with agricultural life allowed these towns to remain more vertical compared to civitates. The street-level urban structure varies depending on
910-414: A hundred policemen, charged the crowds many times during the evening, only to end up as the target of the crowd, who started hurling stones and cobbles at them instead of each other. Many people, including twelve policemen, were seriously injured before the crowd finally dispersed at midnight. The United Kingdom's first speeding fine was handed out by Tonbridge Petty Sessions court in 1896. The guilty driver
1001-455: A local shopfront such as a bakery or alehouse, while others were casual traders who set up a stall or carried their wares around in baskets on market days. Market trade supplied for the needs of local consumers whether they were visitors or local residents. Braudel and Reynold have made a systematic study of European market towns between the 13th and 15th century. Their investigation shows that in regional districts markets were held once or twice
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#17327724464171092-468: A market town at Bergen in the 11th century, and it soon became the residence of many wealthy families. Import and export was to be conducted only through market towns, to allow oversight of commerce and to simplify the imposition of excise taxes and customs duties . This practice served to encourage growth in areas which had strategic significance, providing a local economic base for the construction of fortifications and sufficient population to defend
1183-563: A market town is the provision of goods and services to the surrounding locality. Although market towns were known in antiquity, their number increased rapidly from the 12th century. Market towns across Europe flourished with an improved economy, a more urbanised society and the widespread introduction of a cash-based economy. Domesday Book of 1086 lists 50 markets in England. Some 2,000 new markets were established between 1200 and 1349. The burgeoning of market towns occurred across Europe around
1274-473: A number of market towns in Saxony throughout the 11th century and did much to develop peaceful markets by granting a special 'peace' to merchants and a special and permanent 'peace' to market-places. With the rise of the territories, the ability to designate market towns was passed to the princes and dukes, as the basis of German town law . The local ordinance status of a market town ( Marktgemeinde or Markt )
1365-604: A place where the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by a ruling authority (either royal, noble, or ecclesiastical). As in the rest of the UK, the area in which the cross was situated was almost always central: either in a square; or in a broad, main street. Towns which still have regular markets include: Inverurie , St Andrews , Selkirk , Wigtown , Kelso , and Cupar . Not all still possess their mercat cross (market cross). Dutch painters of Antwerp took great interest in market places and market towns as subject matter from
1456-412: A relationship with customers and may have offered added value services, such as credit terms to reliable customers. The economy was characterised by local trading in which goods were traded across relatively short distances. Braudel reports that, in 1600, grain moved just 5–10 miles (8.0–16.1 km); cattle 40–70 miles (64–113 km); wool and woollen cloth 20–40 miles (32–64 km). However, following
1547-672: A short walk from the High Street along Canon Lane, on the outskirts of the town. The Borough Council has published proposals to improve the town's shopping and leisure facilities. During the early 20th century Tonbridge became the South East hub for plastic moulding / engineering and printing, with many well-known companies such as The Crystalate Gramophone Record Company, which claimed to be the oldest record producer in Britain. They bought out The Vocalion Gramophone Company in 1932 when
1638-428: A small seaport or a market town prior to export. This encouraged local merchants to ensure trading went through them, which was so effective in limiting unsupervised sales ( smuggling ) that customs revenues increased from less than 30% of the total tax revenues in 1600 to more than 50% of the total taxes by 1700. Norwegian "market towns" died out and were replaced by free markets during the 19th century. After 1952, both
1729-466: A specialist school for languages and science; the Judd School for Music with English and also now Science with Maths; Hayesbrook School for boys, a specialist sports college; and Hillview School For Girls , with Performing Arts Status. Hugh Christie Technology College has IT expertise. Further and higher education is available at West Kent College on Brook Street. There is also a small campus of
1820-455: A successful market town attracted people, generated revenue and would pay for the town's defences. In around the 12th century, European kings began granting charters to villages allowing them to hold markets on specific days. Framlingham in Suffolk is a notable example of a market situated near a fortified building. Additionally, markets were located where transport was easiest, such as at
1911-456: A 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 from the town to attend parliament. The walls were never built, perhaps because the castle's large outer bailey could have easily accommodated the townspeople in times of strife. A surrounding bank and ditch known as The Fosse was erected. Today only traces of this encircling defence now remain. The historic core of
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#17327724464172002-419: A week while daily markets were common in larger cities. Over time, permanent shops began opening daily and gradually supplanted the periodic markets, while peddlers or itinerant sellers continued to fill in any gaps in distribution. The physical market was characterised by transactional exchange and bartering systems were commonplace. Shops had higher overhead costs, but were able to offer regular trading hours and
2093-558: A wide variety of events from product launches to awards ceremonies, as well as international church conferences. In August 2016, Hillsong Church purchased the building and is the current owner. The police station, on Pembury Road, was previously the headquarters of the West Kent Police Division, prior to the West Division being again headquartered at Maidstone. Royal Mail's TN postcode main sorting office
2184-539: Is Kelly Holmes ' former club. The Tonbridge Half Marathon has been held in September since 2011. Tonbridge has a Rugby union club, Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Football club., often referred to as TJs. The 2009/10 season saw the club's first XV win promotion and go unbeaten in the league for the second year running, they played their rugby in 2010/11 in London 1. The senior men's section of the club fields five sides plus
2275-584: Is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages , a market right , which allowed it to host a regular market ; this distinguished it from a village or city . In Britain, small rural towns with a hinterland of villages are still commonly called market towns, as sometimes reflected in their names (e.g. Downham Market , Market Rasen , or Market Drayton ). Modern markets are often in special halls , but this
2366-487: Is a relatively recent development. Historically the markets were open-air, held in what is usually called (regardless of its actual shape) the market square or market place , sometimes centred on a market cross ( mercat cross in Scotland). They were and are typically open one or two days a week. In the modern era, the rise of permanent retail establishments reduced the need for periodic markets. The primary purpose of
2457-478: Is an example of this. A number of studies have pointed to the prevalence of the periodic market in medieval towns and rural areas due to the localised nature of the economy. The marketplace was the commonly accepted location for trade, social interaction, transfer of information and gossip. A broad range of retailers congregated in market towns – peddlers, retailers, hucksters, stallholders, merchants and other types of trader. Some were professional traders who occupied
2548-579: Is located on Vale Road in the town. Tonbridge is also the location of Carroty Wood, an outdoor activity and residential centre run by Rock UK , offering groups of young people the opportunity to try out a variety of outdoor activities. A former oast house on the road to Hildenborough has been converted to a small theatre called the Oast Theatre . Tonbridge Medical Group built a substantial new medical centre in 2020 to replace their ageing Pembury Road and Higham Lane sites. Tonbridge railway station
2639-701: Is no single register of modern entitlements to hold markets and fairs, although historical charters up to 1516 are listed in the Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales . William Stow's 1722 Remarks on London includes "A List of all the Market Towns in England and Wales; with the Days of the Week whereon kept". Market houses were a common feature across the island of Ireland . These often arcaded buildings performed marketplace functions, frequently with
2730-665: Is on the green at Pembury . During the Civil War , the town was garrisoned by the Parliamentarian side who refortified the castle. 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, allowing such materials as coal and lime to be transported to
2821-593: Is one of Kent's busiest with 4.1 million passengers using it each year. It is an important railway junction with lines to London, Ashford , Hastings and Redhill . The town is also served by the A21 trunk road between London and Hastings and the A26 between Maidstone and Brighton. It is also close to the M25 motorway . Tonbridge is served by numerous bus routes, most of which are run by Arriva Southern Counties . Dualing of
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2912-512: Is perpetuated through the law of Austria , the German state of Bavaria , and the Italian province of South Tyrol . Nevertheless, the title has no further legal significance, as it does not grant any privileges. In Hungarian, the word for market town "mezőváros" means literally "pasture town" and implies that it was unfortified town: they were architecturally distinguishable from other towns by
3003-620: Is reflected in the prefix Markt of the names of many towns in Austria and Germany , for example, Markt Berolzheim or Marktbergel . Other terms used for market towns were Flecken in northern Germany, or Freiheit and Wigbold in Westphalia . Market rights were designated as long ago as during the Carolingian Empire . Around 800, Charlemagne granted the title of a market town to Esslingen am Neckar . Conrad created
3094-515: Is the last remaining plastic moulder and toolmaker based in the town. In 1999, Harvester Trust Tonbridge bought a derelict site on Medway Wharf Road, in the centre of Tonbridge. A£4 million building which can be used as a church, community centre and conference centre was given planning permission in March 2000. Work began in 2001. The River Centre was officially opened in January 2003, and hosted
3185-503: Is the oldest established cricket club in Tonbridge. Its large secluded ground features a modern pavilion, offering facilities to club members and visitors alike. The club competes in the Kent Cricket League Division IV on a Saturday and plays friendly matches, under the banner of Tonbridge Exiles CC, on a Sunday. The club has a junior section. Tonbridge Athletic Club which trains on the Tonbridge school track,
3276-474: The Lowy of Tunbridge . The lowy covered the approximate area of the later parishes of Tonbridge, Tonbridge Rural, Southborough , Hildenborough and Hadlow . The separate administration of the lowy continued until at least the 14th century, after which it became regarded in a similar way to the other hundreds of the county. In the 1894 local government reforms Tonbridge and Southborough became urban districts and
3367-635: The University of Kent . Tonbridge has many primary schools including Hilden Grange School and infant nurseries/daycare. The 2007 Tour de France passed through the centre of Tonbridge on 8 July, as part of the first stage (London to Canterbury). The riders climbed Quarry Hill at the south of the town, a Grade 4 and the first King of the Mountains climb of the Tour. The town is home to two cricket clubs: Cowdrey CC and Tonbridge CC. Cowdrey Cricket Club
3458-510: The Yiddish term shtetl . Miasteczkos had a special administrative status other than that of town or city. From the time of the Norman conquest, the right to award a charter was generally seen to be a royal prerogative. However, the granting of charters was not systematically recorded until 1199. Once a charter was granted, it gave local lords the right to take tolls and also afforded
3549-410: The koopman, which described a new, emergent class of trader who dealt in goods or credit on a large scale. Paintings of every day market scenes may have been an affectionate attempt to record familiar scenes and document a world that was in danger of being lost. Paintings and drawings of market towns and market scenes Bibliography Pembury Too Many Requests If you report this error to
3640-454: The parliamentary constituency of Tonbridge . The town's development is shaped by the Medway valley and the railway lines, with development forming a rough 'hourglass' shape centred on the river and the castle. The residential areas north of the town centre include the mostly post-war Trench Wood and Cage Green (north of the town centre) and Higham Wood (north east). Areas in the south part of
3731-659: The "small seaport" and the "market town" were relegated to simple town status. Miasteczko ( lit. ' small town ' ) was a historical type of urban settlement similar to a market town in the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . After the partitions of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 18th-century, these settlements became widespread in the Austrian , German and Russian Empires. The vast majority of miasteczkos had significant or even predominant Jewish populations ; these are known in English under
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3822-426: The 16th century. Pieter Aertsen was known as the "great painter of the market" Painters' interest in markets was due, at least in part, to the changing nature of the market system at that time. With the rise of the merchant guilds, the public began to distinguish between two types of merchant, the meerseniers which referred to local merchants including bakers, grocers, sellers of dairy products and stall-holders, and
3913-431: The 20th century, the special rights granted to market towns mostly involved a greater autonomy in fiscal matters and control over town planning, schooling and social care. Unlike rural municipalities, the market towns were not considered part of the counties . The last town to be granted market rights was Ólafsvík in 1983 and from that point there were 24 market towns until a municipal reform in 1986 essentially abolished
4004-479: The A21 from Castle Hill to Pembury , where a new regional hospital opened in 2011, has now been completed and opened in 2018. Before World War I , aviation pioneers Frank Gooden and Richard Johnson tried to establish an airfield to the north of Tonbridge at Cage Green Fields, at the top of the ridge which The Ridgeway ascends, and east of Shipbourne Road . An accident is recorded as having occurred on 24 December 1913 at
4095-610: The British record until 2003. However, this temperature was later rejected as being around 2 °C (3.6 °F) too high. Major industries include light engineering, printing and publishing, distribution and financial services. Tonbridge, together with its neighbour Tunbridge Wells, has been designated by the South East Assembly as a Regional Hub. The town has largely retained its 'market town' atmosphere and has many attractions to visitors and residents alike, including
4186-728: The Earth and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council. The project also received some support from some local shopkeepers and residents. Parts of Tonbridge are at risk of flooding. Significant flooding occurred in 1968 , which led to the construction of the Leigh Barrier; and in 2013 which resulted in the Environment Agency building a 320-metre long flood defence along Avebury Avenue in 2015. Despite these measures, significant flooding occurred again in December 2019. The area to
4277-516: The European age of discovery, goods were imported from afar – calico cloth from India, porcelain, silk and tea from China, spices from India and South-East Asia and tobacco, sugar, rum and coffee from the New World. The importance of local markets began to decline in the mid-16th century. Permanent shops which provided more stable trading hours began to supplant the periodic market. In addition,
4368-519: The Green Party, 3 by the Lib Dems and 3 by the once-dominant Conservatives. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council is responsible for running local services, such as recreation, refuse collection and council housing ; while Kent County Council is responsible for education, social services and trading standards. Both councils are involved in town planning and road maintenance. Tonbridge is in
4459-680: The airfield, although neither Gooden or Johnson was injured. The scheme was ended by the outbreak of war. Tonbridge School , founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde , is a major independent school for boys, which is in the centre of the town. Around 60% of the boys there are boarders, and live in the school's houses, which are all close to the school. The town is also home to several Grammar Schools , including The Judd School , Weald of Kent Grammar School and Tonbridge Grammar School. A number of Tonbridge's secondary schools have specialist status, including Tonbridge Grammar School for Maths and ICT, as well as Languages; Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls,
4550-549: The area. It also served to restrict Hanseatic League merchants from trading in areas other than those designated. Norway included a subordinate category to the market town, the "small seaport" ( Norwegian lossested or ladested ), which was a port or harbor with a monopoly to import and export goods and materials in both the port and a surrounding outlying district. Typically, these were locations for exporting timber, and importing grain and goods. Local farm goods and timber sales were all required to pass through merchants at either
4641-519: The concept. Many of the existing market towns would continue to be named kaupstaður even after the term lost any administrative meaning. In Norway , the medieval market town ( Norwegian : kjøpstad and kaupstad from the Old Norse kaupstaðr ) was a town which had been granted commerce privileges by the king or other authorities. The citizens in the town had a monopoly over the purchase and sale of wares, and operation of other businesses, both in
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#17327724464174732-488: The day when the community congregated in town to attend church. Some of the more ancient markets appear to have been held in churchyards. At the time of the Norman conquest, the majority of the population made their living through agriculture and livestock farming. Most lived on their farms, situated outside towns, and the town itself supported a relatively small population of permanent residents. Farmers and their families brought their surplus produce to informal markets held on
4823-546: The early market towns have continued operations into recent times. For instance, Northampton market received its first charter in 1189 and markets are still held in the square to this day. The National Market Traders Federation , situated in Barnsley , South Yorkshire , has around 32,000 members and close links with market traders' federations throughout Europe. According to the UK National Archives , there
4914-398: The era from which various parts of the city originate. Market towns were characterized as a transition between a village and a city, without a unified, definite city core. A high level of urban planning only marks an era starting from the 17th-18th centuries. This dating is partially related to the modernization and resettlement waves after the liberation of Ottoman Hungary . While Iceland
5005-417: The grounds of their church after worship. By the 13th century, however, a movement against Sunday markets gathered momentum, and the market gradually moved to a site in town's centre and was held on a weekday. By the 15th century, towns were legally prohibited from holding markets in church-yards. Archaeological evidence suggests that Colchester is England's oldest recorded market town, dating to at least
5096-413: The lack of town walls. Most market towns were chartered in the 14th and 15th centuries and typically developed around 13th-century villages that had preceded them. A boom in the raising of livestock may have been a trigger for the upsurge in the number of market towns during that period. Archaeological studies suggest that the ground plans of such market towns had multiple streets and could also emerge from
5187-404: The legal basis for defining a "town". For instance, Newport, Shropshire , is in the borough of Telford and Wrekin but is separate from Telford . In England, towns with such rights are usually distinguished with the additional status of borough . It is generally accepted that, in these cases, when a town was granted a market, it gained the additional autonomy conferred to separate towns. Many of
5278-519: The local town council . Failing that, the Crown can grant a licence. As the number of charters granted increased, competition between market towns also increased. In response to competitive pressures, towns invested in a reputation for quality produce, efficient market regulation and good amenities for visitors such as covered accommodation. By the thirteenth century, counties with important textile industries were investing in purpose built market halls for
5369-464: The market. If the travel time exceeded this standard, a new market town could be established in that locale. As a result of the limit, official market towns often petitioned the monarch to close down illegal markets in other towns. These distances are still law in England today. Other markets can be held, provided they are licensed by the holder of the Royal Charter, which tends currently to be
5460-495: The marshy River Medway could be more easily forded. Ancient trackways converged at this point . There is no record of any bridge before 1191. 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'. Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare founded the Priory of St Mary Magdalene in 1124. A motte and bailey castle
5551-477: The outskirts of the town. Tonbridge Canoe Club was formed in 1977 to promote the various disciplines of canoeing from its base on the River Medway opposite Tonbridge Castle. The club meets every Saturday morning throughout the year, and on various weekday evenings for race training and general club sessions, the club has members actively participating in racing (sprint and marathon), touring, open canoeing and recreational paddling Market town A market town
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#17327724464175642-649: The principal labels included Rex, Nine-Inch Broadcast, and Ten-Inch Broadcast. From the early post-war years, Crystalate was very much involved in producing the 1 mini-disc, which was sold in Marks & Spencers, Woolworths and probably other stores for 6 d (2.5p) each between 1930 and 1937, with labels such as Crown, Embassy and Eclipse. In 1937, Crystalate was absorbed by Decca, which was itself purchased by Polygram (Philips). Some manufacturing still remains in Tonbridge: Enalon Limited, founded in 1946,
5733-513: The purchasing habits of the monks and other individuals in medieval England, suggests that consumers of the period were relatively discerning. Purchase decisions were based on purchase criteria such as consumers' perceptions of the range, quality, and price of goods. This informed decisions about where to make their purchases. As traditional market towns developed, they featured a wide main street or central market square . These provided room for people to set up stalls and booths on market days. Often
5824-410: The rest of the area became part of Tonbridge Rural District. Since 1974 the town has been part of the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling , and is divided into the five local government wards of Cage Green and Angel, Castle, Higham, Judd, Trench and Vauxhall. These wards have 12 of the 48 seats on the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. As of May 2023, 6 of these seats were held by
5915-487: The rise of a merchant class led to the import and exports of a broad range of goods, contributing to a reduced reliance on local produce. At the centre of this new global mercantile trade was Antwerp , which by the mid-16th century, was the largest market town in Europe. A good number of local histories of individual market towns can be found. However, more general histories of the rise of market-towns across Europe are much more difficult to locate. Clark points out that while
6006-433: The sale of cloth. Specific market towns cultivated a reputation for high quality local goods. For example, London's Blackwell Hall became a centre for cloth, Bristol became associated with a particular type of cloth known as Bristol red , Stroud was known for producing fine woollen cloth, the town of Worsted became synonymous with a type of yarn; Banbury and Essex were strongly associated with cheeses. A study on
6097-574: The same time. Initially, market towns most often grew up close to fortified places, such as castles or monasteries, not only to enjoy their protection, but also because large manorial households and monasteries generated demand for goods and services. Historians term these early market towns "prescriptive market towns" in that they may not have enjoyed any official sanction such as a charter, but were accorded market town status through custom and practice if they had been in existence prior to 1199. From an early stage, kings and administrators understood that
6188-574: The sample testing of markets by Edward I the "lawgiver" , who summoned the Model Parliament in 1295 to perambulate the boundaries of forest and town. Market towns grew up at centres of local activity and were an important feature of rural life and also became important centres of social life, as some place names suggest: Market Drayton , Market Harborough , Market Rasen , Market Deeping , Market Weighton , Chipping Norton , Chipping Ongar , and Chipping Sodbury – chipping
6279-466: The time of the Roman occupation of Britain's southern regions. Another ancient market town is Cirencester , which held a market in late Roman Britain. The term derived from markets and fairs first established in 13th century after the passage of Magna Carta , and the first laws towards a parlement . The Provisions of Oxford of 1258 were only possible because of the foundation of a town and university at
6370-428: The town and in the surrounding district. Norway developed market towns at a much later period than other parts of Europe. The reasons for this late development are complex but include the sparse population, lack of urbanisation, no real manufacturing industries and no cash economy. The first market town was created in 11th century Norway, to encourage businesses to concentrate around specific towns. King Olaf established
6461-501: The town centre. The high street has a variety of bars, restaurants, estate agents, clothes shops, hairdressers, banks, charity shops, cafes, bakers, a butchers and a fishmongers. There are relatively few empty high street premises compared to the mid-1990s, reflecting the town's increasing prosperity. There are relatively few high street chain stores that have tended to move to large shopping centres such as Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Bluewater , although there are some major retail outlets
6552-693: The town erected a market cross in the centre of the town, to obtain God's blessing on the trade. Notable examples of market crosses in England are the Chichester Cross , Malmesbury Market Cross and Devizes, Wiltshire. Market towns often featured a market hall , as well, with administrative or civic quarters on the upper floor, above a covered trading area. Market towns with smaller status include Minchinhampton , Nailsworth , and Painswick near Stroud, Gloucestershire . A "market town" may or may not have rights concerning self-government that are usually
6643-563: The town include the estates off Brook Street which have Radburn layouts (south west), the Victorian railway terraces around Douglas Road and Barden Park, and Vauxhall (to the south east). In 2014 the Angel Community Garden was created to eliminate eyesores in the area, and encourage bees which are declining. The garden was put along the edge of Sainsbury's car park. It was formed in collaboration with Tonbridge Friends of
6734-408: The town some protection from rival markets. When a chartered market was granted for specific market days, a nearby rival market could not open on the same days. Across the boroughs of England, a network of chartered markets sprang up between the 12th and 16th centuries, giving consumers reasonable choice in the markets they preferred to patronise. Until about 1200, markets were often held on Sundays,
6825-476: The town still contains a large number of working buildings dating from the 15th century: the oldest is Port Reeves in East Street. Tonbridge School , the famous public school, was established in 1552 under letters patent of Edward VI , to educate the sons of local gentry and farmers (There was already a nearby school in existence for poorer boys, now Sevenoaks School.) During Queen Mary's reign Tonbridge
6916-531: The town, and gunpowder, hops and timber to be carried downriver to Maidstone and the Thames. 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
7007-588: The war the camp was used as temporary housing for people made homeless by the Blitz . 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 at the registry office in Tonbridge on 8 November 1950. Tonbridge was the location of the largest cash theft in British criminal history. On 22 February 2006, over £53.1 million
7098-447: 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 sports ground 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 1 mile (2 km) through
7189-416: The west is retained as floodplain including Tonbridge Park. Tonbridge experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ), like all of Kent, and similar to almost all of the United Kingdom. Temperatures all year round are mild, with a low amount of precipitation. Snow sometimes occurs in the winter. On 22 July 1868, the temperature was supposed to have reached 38.1 °C (100.6 °F),
7280-524: 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. Another speciality in the town was until recently the production of cricket balls (the original cricket ball factory in Preston Road
7371-570: Was a Mr Walter Arnold of East Peckham , who was fined one shilling for speeding at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) in a 2 mph (3 km/h) zone in Paddock Wood , in his Karl Benz powered car. Mr Arnold was apprehended by a policeman who had given chase on his bicycle. During World War II a prisoner of war camp was built at the junction of Tudeley Lane and Pembury Road on land belonging to Somerhill House . It held German pilots who had been shot down, and captured Italian soldiers. After
7462-513: Was built here in the 11th century by Richard Fitz Gilbert , son of the murdered guardian of the infant William the Conqueror . 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 Rufus died from an arrow wound
7553-631: Was demolished in 2012 to make way for housing) and other sports goods. The Corn Exchange in Bank Street, which was originally conceived as a chapel, dates from 1790. During the March 1880 parliamentary election, Tonbridge was the scene of a riot. 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, with over
7644-482: Was derived from a Saxon verb meaning "to buy". A major study carried out by the University of London found evidence for least 2,400 markets in English towns by 1516. The English system of charters established that a new market town could not be created within a certain travelling distance of an existing one. This limit was usually a day's worth of travelling (approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)) to and from
7735-720: Was founded as Tonbridge Printers in 1948. On the club's 50th anniversary in 1998, it was decided to make a name change in honour of Lord Colin Cowdrey of Tonbridge. Cowdrey Cricket Club has a junior section and academy, as well as two Saturday teams – the 1st XI playing in Division III of the Kent League, and the 2nd XI in Division IV. The club plays at the Swanmead Sports Ground. Tonbridge Cricket Club
7826-560: Was involved in an unsuccessful uprising against the Queen's marriage to the King of Spain, with 500 townspeople involved in the Battle of Hartley in 1554. As a result, the town was chosen for a place of execution of a number of Protestants; and in 1555 James Tutty and Margery Polley were burned at the stake in the town and Joan Beach met the same fate in 1556 at Rochester. A memorial to Margery Polly
7917-522: Was recorded in Domesday Book 1086 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. 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. Until 1870, the town's name
8008-502: Was spelt Tunbridge , as shown on old maps including the 1871 Ordnance Survey map and contemporary issues of the Bradshaw railway guide. In 1870, this was changed to Tonbridge by the GPO due to confusion with nearby Tunbridge Wells , despite Tonbridge being a much older settlement. Tunbridge Wells has always maintained the same spelling. Tonbridge stands on a spur of higher land where
8099-657: 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 . Tonbridge is in the county of Kent . After the Norman Conquest Richard fitz Gilbert acquired Tonbridge and the surrounding area, this district being known as
8190-429: Was subsequently besieged by Prince Edward , son of Henry III . 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 . In later medieval times, Tonbridge was considered an important strategic settlement. Some evidence shows Henry III intended it to be
8281-405: Was under Danish rule, Danish merchants held a monopoly on trade with Iceland until 1786. With the abolishment of the trading monopoly, six market town ( Icelandic kaupstaður ) were founded around the country. All of them, except for Reykjavík , would lose their market rights in 1836. New market towns would be designated by acts from Alþingi in the 19th and 20th century. In the latter half of
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