TONBRIDGE & MALLING DISTRICT
Religious Buildings & Areas
Some ghost members are said to be haunting the halls of ancient religious buildings and graveyards with their stories to tell, whether it is residual energy or Spirit.
Here is what has been found so far in the Tonbridge & Malling District...
Trespassing remains to be considered for those seeking to visit a cemetery at night.
Private graveyards​ are off-limits unless you have the owners' permission. However, even cemeteries that are open to the public have guidelines that visitors ought to follow.​
From listing their visiting hours online and in their offices to physically closing their gates, most cemeteries make it clear when visitors are welcome and when they aren't. In other words, it should be easy to tell when you're trespassing, even on so-called "public" burial sites. (And, it bears mentioning, if you find yourself hopping a fence or wondering whether what you're doing counts as trespassing, there's a good chance it does.) Either contact the cemetery's owner or caretaker to discuss visiting at night.
​CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR THE BUSINESS WEBSITE
If you find any missing information, hear of any reports of Paranormal Activity, have a story to share about any of the listed places that aren't reported here, or know of any that are not mentioned, please get in touch. Thank you.
ST MARYS ABBEY
52 SWAN ST, WEST MALLING ME19
Little of the original structure remains today; the formidable tower stands as a testament to its Norman heritage up to the first two stories, with its Early English design gracing the upper levels. Fragments of the church cling to the tower, including a transept and a portion of the nave, while the sturdy walls of the refectory also endure. The cloisters, elegantly re-erected in the fourteenth century, whisper stories of years gone by.
The manor of West Malling traces its roots back to King Edmund I, who bestowed it upon Burgric, the Bishop of Rochester, in the year 946. However, during the tumultuous Danish Wars, the land was relinquished by the church, only to be reclaimed in 1076. Around 1090, Gundulf, the Bishop of Rochester and a monk hailing from Bec Abbey in Normandy, chose this serene location for his ambitious foundation—a community of Benedictine nuns, marking the establishment of one of the earliest post-Conquest monasteries for women. Just before his passing in 1108, Gundulf appointed Avicia, a French nun, as the abbey's first abbess.
Gundulf generously endowed the community with the manor of Malling, while Archbishop Anselm contributed the manor of East Malling. Royal grants further enriched the nuns’ coffers, bestowing upon them the rights to hold weekly markets and annual fairs, as well as privileges for wood-cutting and grazing in the verdant nearby royal forests. Additional bequests and gifts swelled the community's income, establishing a foundation for its thriving existence.
The western end of the grand Norman abbey church of St Mary's Abbey likely reached completion towards the twilight of the 12th century. As the abbey flourished, West Malling blossomed into a vibrant market town. Throughout the four-and-a-half centuries of Benedictine life at the abbey, pivotal moments shaped its history. A devastating fire in 1190 ravaged much of the abbey and the surrounding town, while the grim shadow of the Black Death in 1349 drastically reduced the community to just four nuns and four novices. The ultimate surrender of Malling to the Crown on October 28, 1538, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, marked yet another turning point.
The last elected abbess, Elizabeth Rede, found herself deposed when she challenged Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer regarding the appointment of a high steward for the abbey. In her stead, Margaret Vernon, already familiar to Cranmer as a tutor to his son and having previously surrendered Little Marlow Priory, was appointed Abbess of Malling. On that fateful day in October, two agents of the Crown arrived to seize the abbey’s seal and finalize the deed of surrender, yet their efforts to persuade even a single nun to sign were met with staunch refusal.
Just before the Dissolution, Malling Abbey boasted an impressive annual income of £245, positioning it among the wealthiest third of women’s communities in England. With its expansive lands, the imposing Norman church, the graceful Early English cloister, a guest house from the early 15th century, and two gatehouses from the early 16th century, the abbey was indeed a coveted prize for the Crown. In the ensuing 350 years, the abbey changed hands numerous times, with most owners being absentee landlords.
As time wore on, the buildings succumbed to decay until the mid-1700s, when Frazer Honeywood, a forward-thinking London banker, embarked on a project to construct a neo-Gothic mansion and restore the remaining medieval features. In 1892, Charlotte Boyd acquired the property with a singular vision—to create a trust dedicated to restoring church property to its original purpose. Since 1916, this sacred space has served as a nunnery, and it was established in 1891 as an active parish sisterhood.
**HAUNTINGS**
Within the hallowed halls of the abbey, a chilling tale endures: the specter of a monk, glimpsed by a cleaner as he approached her from an upper level, detached from the floor she diligently scrubbed. In a moment of startled horror, she stumbled over her bucket of water as he reached out to her, prompting her to flee in terror from the phantasmal apparition.