A memorial in the High Street which celebrates Tonbridge’s twinning with the German town of Heusenstamm has been restored to its former glory.
A stone from Heusenstamm Castle was presented as a gift to the town 20 years ago and was laid on the lawn between the river bridge and Chequers Inn. But when it started showing signs of neglect, residents stepped in to give the site a makeover.
Suzannah Niklas said: “The Heusenstamm relic is around 500 or so years old. It was dedicated by a German contingent in the 90’s along with the town’s Friendship Circle. A lot of people didn’t even know the relic was here.
“We brightened it up with a flowerbed around the relic as it was a gift from our twin town and a symbol of our friendship with them.
“After what happened in the EU referendum it’s important to remember our relationships with Germany.”
Rob Smith, of Pavilion flowers helped source the blooms for the new flowerbed with the Chequers Inn providing hoses for watering the display.
Community gardener Fred Long said: “We just wanted to make this site right for the community and this is another welcome part of the town’s regeneration.”
