THE Kent Messenger headquarters at Larkfield was among more than 40 buildings and places in the Tonbridge and Malling area thrown open to the public at the weekend as part of Heritage Open Days.

The Europe-wide celebration of heritage, now in its eighth year, included a large photographic exhibition and video presentation on the history of the oldest newspaper group in Kent.

Also on the list of cultural landmarks were 900-year-old St Mary's Abbey and St Leonard's Tower in West Malling, Ightham Mote in Ivy Hatch, dating from 1340, Great Comp Gardens, in Comp Lane, Platt, as well as Broadview Gardens at Hadlow College. Visitors were also given a chance to go on a guided walk of the historic Wrotham and Aylesford village walk.

Churches open to the public included St Michael's Conserved Church in East Peckham, the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Leybourne, St Lawrence's in Mereworth and the Church of St John the Baptists, in Wateringbury.

The open days, run by the Civic Trust, were sponsored for the second year in succession by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

* For more information on the walks, run by the Maidstone-based organisation Footsteps, call 01622 754451.