St Mary's Abbey Tower to Original Abbey
ST MARY'S ABBEY TOWER TO ORIGINAL ABBEY, SWAN STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1292791
- Date first listed:
- 25-Aug-1959
- List Entry Name:
- St Mary's Abbey Tower to Original Abbey
- Statutory Address:
- ST MARY'S ABBEY TOWER TO ORIGINAL ABBEY, SWAN STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-04-26
- Reference:
- IOE01/06710/07
- Rights:
- © Mr Richard M. Brown. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1292791
- Date first listed:
- 25-Aug-1959
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 30-Nov-1993
- List Entry Name:
- St Mary's Abbey Tower to Original Abbey
- Statutory Address 1:
- ST MARY'S ABBEY TOWER TO ORIGINAL ABBEY, SWAN STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- ST MARY'S ABBEY TOWER TO ORIGINAL ABBEY, SWAN STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Tonbridge and Malling (District Authority)
- Parish:
- West Malling
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 68262 57703
Details
WEST MALLING
TQ6857 SWAN STREET 1156-0/3/157 St Mary's Abbey: Tower to original 25/08/59 Abbey (Formerly Listed as: SWAN STREET St Mary'Abbey)
GV I
Ruins of tower of Abbey church. c1090 built by Archbishop Gundulf of Rochester who removed an order of Benedictine monks installed since AD944 and installed Benedictine nuns with an abbess Aricia brought over from Normandy and rededicated the Abbey from St Andrew to the Virgin Mary. The base of the tower is of the early Norman period with late Norman arcading above C14 octagonal corner turrets and with lean-to erected on the east side during the C18 by Honeywood. Built of stone rubble with 2 lowest tiers of arcading of tufa and some Caen stone dressings. West front has projecting corners, the 1st stage having c1090 round-headed arches, the 2nd stage having similar round-headed arches with impost blocks, the 3rd stage with late Norman blank arcading, the 4th stage with late Noman blank arcading which continues across the front and the 5th stage with C14 tall octagonal turrets. Arched doorway with wooden door surround and 6-plank door with iron handle. Above is a paired trefoliated window with quatrefoil above. Tall round-headed blocked arch on either side of doorcase. North front has blocked-in arch to 1st stage and above window with double cinquefoil-headed arch. East front has C18 lean-to built on with 2 double cinquefoil-headed lights resited from other parts of the Abbey and 2-storey central door, the upper probably a hayloft. South front obscured by C20 building built over west side of cloister.
Listing NGR: TQ6829257677
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 392465
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 24-Jun-2026 at 18:45:40.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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