IHouse · listed 1993St Leonards TowerOn the list as St Leonard's TowerPhoto: Poliphilo · CC0
St Leonard's Tower · Photo: Poliphilo · CC0AHistory Grade
History of West Malling · Historic England
168 listed buildings, 7 of them Grade I
Historic England counts them inside West Malling’s built-up area, 395 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 2 scheduled monuments. We have photos of 17 of its listed buildings. 22% of its homes were built before 1919. West Malling grades A for history: #9 of 87 in Kent.
Listed buildings
168
395 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
7
exceptional interest
Grade II*
11
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
2
nationally important sites
Homes built before 1919
22%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
West Malling in 18 photos
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Gatehouse and Chapel to St Mary's AbbeyGrade I listed
The Ancient House, and 65 and 67 High StreetGrade I listed
Forge Cottages Forge HouseGrade II listed
The Wheatsheaf InnGrade II listed
Frazer Monument approximately 3 metres south of Duplow Monument, Parish Church of St Mary the VirginGrade II listed+13See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
The map
Where West Malling’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monument400 m from Gatehouse and Chapel to St Mary's Abbey
6 of 7Grade I buildings stand within 400 m of Gatehouse and Chapel to St Mary's Abbey, a five-minute walk. So do 142 of the 168 listed buildings.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
168 listed buildings by grade
7 Grade I11 Grade II*150 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings.
Grade I
The 7 Grade I listed buildings in West Malling
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings; 6 of these stand within 400 m of Gatehouse and Chapel to St Mary's Abbey. 4 are photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
IWalls & gates · listed 1959Gatehouse and Chapel to St Mary's AbbeyPhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
IHouse · listed 1952The Ancient HouseOn the list as The Ancient House, and 65 and 67 High StreetPhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
IChurch · listed 1959St Mary's Abbey Tower to Original AbbeyPhoto: PAUL FARMER · CC BY-SA 2.0
Walls & gates · listed 1959St Mary's Abbey North Wall of Cloister
Public · listed 1959St Mary's Abbey Chapterhouse And LibraryOn the list as St Mary's Abbey, Chapterhouse and Library
Public · listed 1959St Marys Abbey Convent Building
Grade II*
The 11 Grade II* listed buildings in West Malling
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 10 are photographed.
II*House · listed 1952Brome HousePhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1952Douce's ManorPhoto: Spudgun67 · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Church · listed 1993Ewell Monastery the Abbey Tithe BarnPhoto: The Voice of Hassocks · CC0
II*House · listed 1952Malling PlacePhoto: Tom Parnell · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Church · listed 1959Parish Church of St Mary the VirginPhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1993Prior's Cottage the PriorsPhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1952The Assembly RoomsPhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1952The Bakery RestaurantPhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1952Went HousePhoto: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1952Yew Tree CottagePhoto: Oast House Archive · CC BY-SA 2.0
Historic streets
High Street has the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
High Street33 listed
King Street5 listed
West Street4 listed
Swan Street3 listed
Of the 168 entries, 50 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of West Malling’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas105
Churches, chapels & priories27
Walls, gates & bridges12
Inns, shops & warehouses11
Street furniture6
Public & civic buildings6
Memorials, crosses & tombs1
105 entries (63%) are houses, terraces and villas. 27 are churches, chapels and priories, including 1 of the 7 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
150 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
All 150 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Abbey Brewery CottageAbbey Cottage Including Forecourt WallAbbey Gate HouseAbbey View House Including Forecourt WallAbingdon HouseAndrew Smith Huntsman Stedham Stedham (85 and 97) Andrew Smith (89) Huntsman (91) and 83 Is the Flat BehindArundel HouseAvicia CottageBear HotelBollard Opposite No 16 (Prior's Cottage)Bollard Opposite No 18 (The Priors)Boundary Wall to Brome HouseBrewery CottagesBrook CottageBrook HouseBuilding to Rear of Nos 36 and 38 High StreetCade HouseCalais CourtChest tomb 0.5 metre south of east-most buttress to nave of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb 0.5 metre west of List entry 1292818, south of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb approximately 0.5 metre west of List entry 1209107, south of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb approximately 1 metre south of List entry 1209107, south of Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb approximately 1 metre south of nave of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb approximately 10 metres south of nave of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb approximately 25 metres south of nave of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb approximately 3 metres south of nave of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChest tomb approximately 6 metres south of Grahame Monument, Parish Church of St Mary the VirginChestnutsChurch HouseClout's Memorial HallCoach House to Brome HouseDownman Monument 1 metre south of Frazer Monument, Parish Church of St Mary the VirginDownman Monument approximately 15 metres south of Honywood Monument, Parish Church of St Mary the VirginDuplow Monument approximately 3 metres south of List entry 1209110, south west of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginEwell Monastery GuesthouseFive Pointed Star Public HouseForecourt Wall to Nos 75 and 77Forecourt Wall to West Malling Free ChurchForecourt and Wall to No 79 (Cade House)Forge Cottages Forge HouseForge HouseFormer Stables to Rear of Bear HotelForstersFrazer Monument approximately 3 metres south of Duplow Monument, Parish Church of St Mary the VirginGrahame Monument approximately 15 metres south of west tower of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginHill HouseHonywood Monument approximately 20 metres south of south aisle of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginIcm OfficesIndustrial Building to Rear of 71 and 73K6 Telephone KioskKent County LibraryKingsworth HouseLeybourne GrangeLodge to Douce's ManorLucknowMilverton HouseMonument to James Godfrey approximately 30 metres north of chancel of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginMonument to Thomas Holebin 7 metres south of west wall of south aisle of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginNos. 23-27 SWAN STREETOld Parsonage CourtOld VicarageOutbuilding to Rear of Five Pointed Star Public HouseOutbuilding to Rear of No 16Outbuilding to Rear of Nos 81-87Park CottagesPuckle CottageRailings Gate and Wall to Went HouseRailings to Old VicarageRailings to Parish Church of St Mary the VirginRose CottageRose and Crown Public HouseSt Leonard's HouseSt Mary's Abbey GuesthouseSt Mary's Abbey RefectoryStable Block 50 Yards North West of Leybourne GrangeStable to the Vicarage (Vicarage Not Included)Stabling to North East of Went HouseStore Adjoining Avicia CottageStreet HouseSwan HotelSwan MillThe Bull Public HouseThe CascadeThe Joiners Arms Public HouseThe Lobster PotThe MillhouseThe Wheatsheaf InnThe White CottageTop Hill HouseTown Hill CottageTown Pump Situated Opposite Old VicarageTudor CottageTudor HouseWall and Gatepiers to Church HouseWarne Monument 15 metres north of west tower of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginWater Pump Opposite No 14West Malling Free ChurchWest Malling LodgeWest Malling War MemorialWistaria House1 and 3, Swan Street101, High Street103 and 105, High Street104, High Street106, High Street107, High Street108, High Street110, High Street114 and 116, St Leonard's Street115 and 117, High Street12, West Street123, High Street127 High Street14 and 16, High Street147-165, Norman Road15, High Street17, High Street18-24, Swan Street2, 4 and 6, King Street2, 4 and 6, West Street2-8, Police Station Road20, High Street26 and 28, King Street27 and 29, High Street28 and 30, High Street30 and 32, King Street31-37, High Street32, High Street34, King Street39-43, High Street42 and 44, High Street46, King Street47, High Street49 and 51, High Street49-53, Swan Street5 and 7, Police Station Road5, West Street54A, 56 and 58, High Street59 and 61, High Street62, High Street63 and 63A, High Street68 and 70, High Street69, High Street71 and 73, High Street72, High Street75 and 77, High Street8 and 10, West Street84, 84A and 86, High Street9 and 11, Frog Lane95, High Street
Conservation areas
1 conservation area covers 30% of West Malling
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
West Malling 197144 ha
44 hain conservation areas, of 145 ha inside the built-up area.
161 of the 168 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
82 of West Malling’s 168 listed buildings were added in 1993
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1993 · 821952 · 67
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 67 entries were listed in 1952, 1 of the 7 Grade I buildings among them. 82 came in 1993. Only 1 has been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
2 scheduled monuments
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
History Grade
West Malling grades A for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (197 points, 463 per 10,000 residents)More than 95% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (22%)More than 66% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Homes by age
22% of West Malling’s homes were built before 1919
Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).
19%
Before 1900
2.8%
1900–18
0.9%
1919–29
2.9%
1930s
9.5%
1945–54
4.7%
1955–64
4.3%
1965–72
3.1%
1973–82
5.7%
1983–92
1.9%
1993–99
4%
2000–08
15%
2009–15
26%
2016–25
West MallingEngland & Wales
19% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was 2016–25, which added 26% of today’s homes.
Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (10 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.
Towns its size
West Malling has the 2nd most Grade I buildings of 1,009 towns its size
Places of 3,000–7,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
West Malling7
#25 of 1,009for listed buildings per resident (395 per 10,000). Sandwich, Tenby and Dolgellau lead.
Only Melbourne has more. West Malling is level with Sandwich, Dartmouth, Thaxted and Wilton. The typical town its size has 0.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around West Malling
| Town | People | Listed | Grade I | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Malling | 4,251 | 168 | 7 | A |
| Larkfield | 26,147 | 87 | 4 | B− |
| Kings Hill | 9,963 | 10 | 0 | D |
| Snodland | 11,820 | 21 | 1 | B− |
| Wateringbury | 2,248 | 49 | 3 | A |
| Vigo Village | 2,005 | 0 | 0 | D− |
| Eccles | 1,706 | 3 | 0 | C+ |
| Culverstone Green | 2,038 | 2 | 0 | D |
In brief
West Malling in brief
For its size, West Malling has more listed heritage than 95% of UK towns. In all there are 168 listed buildings, 7 of them Grade I, including St Leonards Tower. Of its homes, 22% were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. Its Grade I buildings cluster together: 6 of them stand within 400 m of Gatehouse and Chapel to St Mary's Abbey.
Only one of the 1,009 towns nearest its size has more Grade I buildings. High Street alone has 33 listed buildings. A conservation area has protected part of it since 1971. Beyond that, it also has 2 scheduled monuments.
Questions about West Malling’s history
How many listed buildings are there in West Malling?
Historic England lists 168 buildings inside West Malling’s built-up area: 7 Grade I, 11 Grade II* and 150 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in West Malling?
7, including Gatehouse and Chapel to St Mary's Abbey, St Leonard's Tower, St Mary's Abbey North Wall of Cloister, St Mary's Abbey Tower to Original Abbey, St Mary's Abbey, Chapterhouse and Library and St Marys Abbey Convent Building.
Which street in West Malling has the most listed buildings?
High Street (33), King Street (5) and West Street (4) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in West Malling?
Yes, 2 scheduled monuments, including St Mary's Abbey: a Benedictine abbey north and east of Water Lane and Tower keep castle at West Malling.
How many conservation areas are there in West Malling?
1, covering about 44 hectares of the town. The largest is West Malling.
When were West Malling’s buildings listed?
The first in 1952; the most, 82, in 1993.
How old are the homes in West Malling?
22% of homes were built before 1919 and 26% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.