
Visit St Leonards Tower in West Malling
This is a list led by castles or historic places, 4 of its 7. One place to visit is mapped inside West Malling’s built-up area, with 6 more within 5 km of its edge. Among them, 2 are cared for: 1 by English Heritage and 1 by the National Trust. For a full day, there is Rochester Cathedral, 12 km away.
Best known, in and near West Malling
Alongside St Leonards Tower you find 2 castles, a museum and an abbey or priory.
Fort · English HeritageSt Leonards Towerin town
CastleLeybourne Castle600 m outside town, to the northeast
CastleMereworth Castle3 km outside town, to the south
Museum · National TrustColdrum Long Barrow2.3 km outside town, to the northwest
Abbey or prioryThe Friars - Aylesford Priory4 km outside town, to the eastZooZooHemsley Conservation Centre4.8 km outside town, to the northwestEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Where each one is
Furthest out is Hemsley Conservation Centre, at 6.1 km.
The dashed line is West Malling’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
Grouped by kind
Most common are castles or historic places: 4 of 7.
Green: inside West Malling. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
2 places are cared for: 1 by English Heritage and 1 by the National Trust (St Leonards Tower and Coldrum Long Barrow).
In West Malling first, then nearby
After the one in town come 6 more within 5 km of its edge.
Mereworth Castle
Grade I listed English country house in Mereworth, Tonbridge and Malling, Kent, England, UK.
Coldrum Long Barrow
Neolithic chambered long barrow near Trottiscliffe, Kent, England, UK.
The Friars - Aylesford Priory
Carmelite monastery in Kent, England, UK.
The one inside West Malling comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
168 listed buildings and 2 scheduled monuments are on West Malling’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in West Malling →
Around the region
Out of town, Rochester Cathedral (12 km) leads 12 names to know.
CathedralRochester Cathedral12 km northeast
Castle · English HeritageRochester Castle12 km northeastMuseumMuseumRoyal Observatory Greenwich35 km northwest
CastleLeeds Castle16 km east
MuseumCrystal Palace High Level Station Entry37 km west
Big drawMuseumNational Maritime Museum35 km northwest · 2.4M visitors a year
Castle · National TrustBodiam Castle34 km south
MuseumCutty Sark36 km northwest
Historic houseHever Castle24 km southwest
Historic house · National TrustKnole House15 km west
Castle · English HeritageUpnor Castle15 km northeast
MuseumQueen's House35 km northwestPlaces well known beyond West Malling (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Practical questions about West Malling
What are the main attractions in West Malling?
The place to visit inside West Malling’s built-up area is St Leonards Tower. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 6 more within 5 km.
Does West Malling have a museum?
1 museum or gallery is in or within 5 km of West Malling: Coldrum Long Barrow.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near West Malling?
Yes. In or within 5 km of West Malling, 2 places are cared for: 1 by English Heritage and 1 by the National Trust (St Leonards Tower and Coldrum Long Barrow).
What are the best-known days out near West Malling?
Within 40 km: Rochester Cathedral (12 km), Rochester Castle (12 km), Royal Observatory Greenwich (35 km), Leeds Castle (16 km).
Where are West Malling’s historic buildings listed?
West Malling has 168 listed buildings, 7 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for West Malling when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (16)
- St Leonards Tower: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leybourne Castle: Glen, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mereworth Castle: Antonio Visentini / Francesco Zuccarelli, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Coldrum Long Barrow: Chris Gunns, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Friars - Aylesford Priory: August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Cathedral: Raggatt2000, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leeds Castle: Misterzee, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Crystal Palace High Level Station Entry: Dickinson Brothers, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- National Maritime Museum: Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bodiam Castle: Antony McCallum, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cutty Sark: Krzysztof Belczyński from Warsaw, POLAND, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hever Castle: Nigel Lamb, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Knole House: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Upnor Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Queen's House: Vladimír Procházka, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
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