St Leonard’s Tower stands on a natural sandstone ledge near the head of a narrow valley on the south-western edge of the village of West Malling.
The tower is a mysterious survival. It is thought by some to have been part of a castle built between 1077 and 1108 by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, who founded St Mary’s Abbey, situated about 700 metres (760 yards) to the north-east.
Alternatively it may have been built by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, who was half-brother of William the Conqueror (and who is thought to have commissioned the famous tapestry); he held church lands at West Malling. The tower takes its name from a chapel dedicated to St Leonard that once stood nearby.
Little is known about the history of St Leonard’s Tower. There is no evidence of fireplaces or latrines, which may indicate that the building was used for defensive, rather than domestic, purposes. Alternatively, the tower may have served as a centre for the administration of the local estates of the bishopric.
At a later date the roof of the tower was removed and windows were blocked; these alterations may have been related to the building’s later use as storage for hops.
Above information is from the English Heritage website. I highly suggest you join if you enjoy these videos, they have some proper cool sites scattered throughout the UK.
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