Here at Tonbridge, we would like to celebrate and share with you the remarkable history and heritage of the School since its foundation in 1553.

We celebrate 472 years of education on the same site since Sir Andrew Judde founded what he called the ‘Free Grammar School in the town of Tonbridge, for the bringing up of youth in virtue and learning’. 

The buildings and School estate are the most obvious part of our heritage. You can see the original foundation stone over the front door of the Headmaster’s house, while prints, maps and photos can show you how buildings evolved and were replaced.

Then there are the historic books, some of them going back hundreds of years to the foundation of the School, along with First Editions of famous Tonbridge authors like EM Forster.

We also look after the School archives: written records, paintings, maps and photographs relating to school life, including its association with the Skinners’ Company, published histories, records of Old Tonbridgians and the place of the School in the wider educational world.

The wonderful new Archives Room on the first floor of the main School building has been designed to help us organise and preserve everything we have about School history but also allows us to show off select examples of that history.

We also make some of the material available digitally on Tonbridge Connect. Here, for instance, you can find and browse every copy of The Tonbridgian since it was first published in 1858.

This heritage provides a rich source of illustration and information within the School and the wider school community. On this School Archives Day our aim is to help you to appreciate this remarkable history of education at Tonbridge School on the same site Sir Andrew Judde chose 472 years ago.

Bev Matthews and David Walsh
Tonbridge School Archives