St Leonard's Tower

St Leonard's Tower lies just south of the village of West Malling, in the county of Kent in England.

St Leonard's Tower is thought to have been built somewhere between 1077 and 1108, by  Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, or Bishop Odo of Bayeux, half brother of William the Conqueror. It probably was part of a larger castle. In later centuries it was probably used as a tower to a chapel of St Leonard, which once stood nearby, hence its name. Not much more is known about its history.

The square tower is constructed of coursed rubble with stone dressings and survives to a height of 20 meters. It used to have a basement and 2 floors. Attached to its east side is a stretch of 11th or 12th century wall, which may have been part of the castle.

At present the site of St Leonard's Tower is freely accessible. The tower itself however is not accessible. Too bad because this is a very beautiful example of a small freestanding Norman tower keep.

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