Maidstone guidebook

The county town of Kent, as it's known today, has certainly seen some drama in its past, having survived various historical excitements.

The most prominent of these are the Battle of Maidstone in 1648 and the Protestant persecution during Bloody Mary's reign - in which seven martyrs had the misfortune of being burned at the stake by Fairmeadow on the riverside (and I thought I was having a bad day).

Some magnificent buildings set around the town centre give a glimpse of a colourful history including Archbishops' Palace which was used as a resting place for weary Archbishops of Canterbury travelling between there and London, while the nearby stables and gatehouse were the less salubrious quarters of the no-doubt infinitely more fatigued horses and servants.

Adjacent is Maidstone's main parish church, All Saints, built by Archbishop Courtenay in the 14th century and described as "the grandest perpendicular church in England".

Apart from the absence of its tall wooden spire, lost to a fire in the 18th century, the church remains largely unchanged today.

Industrious Archbishop Courtenay also created the College of All Saints to house priests attached to the church, and this became a significant spiritual and intellectual centre for the entire Kent county - until its dissolution by King Henry VIII in 1546.

Aside from being a pleasant retreat for enervated Archbishops, Maidstone's position on the banks of the river Medway meant that it was once a thriving industrial town.

Local ragstone shipped down the river was used to build the Roman wall of the city of London and the Tower of London, and subsequent improvements in upriver navigation allowed Maidstone to trade with the whole of the Weald.

As road traffic grew post-1900 river transport experienced a terminal decline, but Maidstone and the River Medway have since enjoyed a sparkling renaissance as a recreational resort.

In addition to the river, Maidstone also enjoys proximity to some beautiful countryside, and there are may charming Kent villages to day-trip to.

Not that you'll be desperate to escape the town itself: Maidstone has plenty to keep you busy.

The High Street was the original market place until the 1820s and is now lined by several elegant buildings including the Georgian town hall (dating from 1763) which is home to the Visitor Information Centre.

Although there's the usual mix of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants on both sides of the High Street it's on a much smaller scale than in many towns - you'll find the larger stores in designated shopping areas throughout the centre.

You can drain your bank account in two indoor centres, The Mall Chequers and Royal Star Arcade, and several outdoors streets such as Fremlin Walk, Bank Street, Week Street and Gabriel's Hill.

And as you tote your purchases from shop to shop keep an eye open for another little piece of history - a large metallic boot protruding from one of the buildings along Gabriel's Hill (it's virtually impossible to miss).

This signposts The Golden Boot shoe shop, run by the same family since 1790, and believed to be Britain's oldest shoe-selling establishment.

Trains: Maidstone East - services from London, Ashford and Canterbury. Journey time from London Bridge is just under 50 minutes. Services from Ashford International to Paris and Brussels. Maidstone West - services from Strood, Paddock Wood and Gatwick. Maidstone Barracks - minor station serving Strood and Paddock Wood.

Bus: Bus station at The Mall, Chequers for local services, mostly operated by Arriva Southern Counties.

Road: Maidstone is easily accessible from the M20 motorway at junctions 5, 6 and 7.

Air: Nearest airports are Gatwick (41 miles) and Kent International (42 miles).

Ferry: Good access to the channel port of Dover from junctions 7 and 8 of the M20.

The Mall, Chequers - indoor shopping centre with lots of high street names including Superdrug, Next, Gamleys, BHS, MK One and Miss Selfridge. Eating places such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Bakers Oven.

Fremlin Walk - a pedestrianised shopping development built on a former brewery. High street names include House of Fraser, Zara, Principles, Top Shop, HMV and Boots and a tempting choice of restaurants such as Zizzi, La Tasca and Pizza Express.

Royal Star Arcade - an ornate little shopping centre built on the site of a former coaching inn and featuring interesting individual shops like Baillando dancewear, Pregalicious maternity wear and Lollypop Kids childrenswear.

Further material delights can be discovered in Bank Hill, Gabriel's Hill, Week Street and Earl Street, alongside a sizeable selection of bars and restaurants.

A general market is held at the Lockmeadow Market Hall on Tuesdays (approx 100 stalls) and Saturdays (approx 30 stalls).

Culture: Hazlitt Theatre and Corn Exchange present various professional and amatuer performances (drama, dance, and music); multi-screen Odeon cinema at the Lockmeadow Entertainment Complex. Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery, Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages, Museum of Kent Life open air museum.

Food and Drink: A good mixture of well-known restaurants (Pizza Express, Hanrahans, La Tasca, Harvester, Beefeaters etc) alongside individual outlets, and lots of bars and pubs with a refreshing lack of chains.

Nightlife: Plenty of bars and clubs in the town centre including: Up The Creek Comedy Club; The Basement, a venue for alternative live music; The Loft, a popular club with guest DJs; Maidstone Music Room, a jazz club; and Ikon, Maidstone's largest nightclub, part of the Lockmeadow Entertainment Complex which also has bars, restaurants and a bowling alley.

Leisure: Maidstone Leisure Centre in Mote Park has excellent facilities including a variable length swimming pool, a leisure pool with twin flumes, a splash pool and a "lazy river run". Non-water based activities include badminton, netball, volleyball, basketball and aerobics.

Maidstone has several golf courses and the surrounding countryside provides plenty of walking, running and cycling opportunities.

Parks and Open Spaces: Brenchley Gardens in the town centre offers a charming escape from the hustle of the shopping crowds, with Sunday afternoon concerts held throughout the summer months.

Mote Park to the east of the centre has 450 acres of parkland with a 30 acres lake - sporting facilities including pitch and putt, children's play area, horse-riding (permit required) and cycling.

Maidstone Millennium River Park includes 10 km of accessible paths along the banks of the Medway, three new footbridges and Whatman Park which has treetop walks, nature trail, adventure playground and a skatepark among its recreational facilities.

As is typical of a railway town, there are some well-preserved Victorian terraced homes in the centre such as the neat cottages in Chancery Lane and Hastings Road.

There's also the usual semis and detached properties ranging from modest to substantial in size, with a high proportion of red brick properties exuding a rich, upmarket feel.

New-build developments have a strong central presence, too, with smart, modern sites such as The Chenies selling almost as fast as they're being constructed.

Several building developers have also been busy by the river where there's an impressive range of new homes such as Delta Riverside (Bryant Homes) on Hart Street and The Crescent apartments (Fairview Homes) in the waterfront setting of the former Trebor Basset factory.

Mote Park dominates the north-eastern corner of the town centre meaning the roads around it, such as Mote Avenue, Greenside and Willow Way, are in prime position to enjoy the fresh air facilities of the park as well as great access to the town centre's temptations.

Tovil to the west of the centre once suffered a fairly poor reputation as one of the most deprived areas of Maidstone but its riverside location has earmarked it a prime target for property developers keen to capitalise on that major asset.

It has recently been the focus of several new waterfront developments such as Riverside Plaza (Barratt Homes) which is earning the district a new reputation as an up-and-coming place to be.

Tovil's other great advantage, particularly the part closest to the river, is that it's very close to Maidstone West train station making it an excellent location for commuters.

Away from the river, The Printworks (Westbury Homes), utilising an old printing factory, is a new development of houses, and Barratt Homes are in the process of completing Spectrum, a mixture of smart two bed apartments and three and four bed houses.

Fairview Homes are anticipating completing a site in Eccleston Road by summer 2006 which will offer a choice of one, two and three bed apartments and four bed houses.

Although Tovil's metamorphosis into a hip and trendy, serious-competition-for-Docklands haunt isn't yet complete, with the amount of development interest being shown, it's a fairly safe bet that a plethora of waterfront cafes and bars will show up before too long.

Across the riverbanks from Tovil is the small semi-residential enclave of Fant, another area with a spectacular waterside setting.

No surprise, then, that Fant is also attracting property developers desperate to make their mark - and a quick buck - on that side of the river, such as the recently completed Jasmine Court houses and apartments on Upper Fant Road.

St Michael's Church of England junior and infant schools are on Douglas Road and nearby Clare Park has tennis courts, bowling greens and a children's play area.

These are both very popular late 20 th century housing estates towards the eastern outskirts of town, kept as two distinct areas by the Vinters Valley Park (Grove Green lies to the east of the park and Vinters Park to the west).

Some slight variation in property design prevents either area from seeming completely uniform and estate-like while the well-maintained facades and bright brickwork create an attractive suburban feel.

A mixture of detached and semi-detached houses, apartments and masionettes mean that this neighbourhood would suit just about anyone.

Grove Green has a primary school, Tesco superstore, post office, community centre and a couple of pubs including the unusually-designed Early Bird with its massive Oast House.

At the other side of the park, Vinters Park has three schools, a community centre, its own local shops and a restaurant.

Vinters Valley Nature Reserve is a 90-acres site containing woodland, grassland, scrub, marshland, stream and lake with a wide variety of inhabitants ranging from foxes and voles to kingfishers and geese.

East of Grove Green is the charming village of Bearstead with a traditional green and pond neatly flanked by a pub on either side.

A centuries-old church, Holy Cross, comes complete with its own legend: the three creatures on its roof allegedly pop down to the churchyard below on an annual basis.

Other features include a cricket green, tennis club and golf course, and there's a good choice of local pubs, restaurants, shops and takeaways.

Properties next to the green are the most sought after, tending to be attractive period homes, usually detached with four and five bedrooms or terraced cottages. Elsewhere there's a high proportion of three bed semis upwards.

A further draw to the village is prestigious Roseacre Junior School which was awarded Beacon School of Excellence status in 2000.

Bearstead has its own mainline train station and lies between two junctions of the M20 making it ideal for commuters.

Penenden Heath is a popular residential area for both families and commuters on account of its good facilities and easy access to the M20 motorway network.

There's an attractive mix of property styles from sturdy Victorian cottages in sought-after tree-lined streets such as Salisbury Road and Curzon Street to modern bungalows, semis and detached homes around Woodland Way and Sandling Lane.

Wordsworth Road has several purpose-built block of flats (Robins Court, Jamaica Court etc) which are ideal for first-timers looking to take their initial step onto the property ladder.

At the opposite end of the scale, Heathfield Road, St Francis Close and Penenden Heath Road have some substantial semis and detached homes which are a perennial draw for affluent families.

A handful of local shops on Boxley Road provide every day necessities and adult residents can enjoy a tipple at the local pub, the Chiltern Arms.

Pendenden Heath itself had a grisly past as a place of executions, but is now a delightful spot with children's play area, bowls, football and tennis facilities - and, mercifully, not a gallows in sight.

Allington is to the north west of the centre and is famous for its moated 13 th century castle which stands near the river and is now a convent for Carmelite nuns.

Allington Marina is situated close to the castle at the north of the suburb and provides a perfect cruising base for exploring the Kent countryside by water - there's the option of tidal cruising or non-tidal cruising for a stretch of 17 miles.

Bungalows make up a large proportion of the housing stock although there are some semis and detached properties, too; the 30s built semi-detached houses in Grace Avenue and Palmar Road are always a favourite due to their large gardens, many of which are around 100 feet long.

Mid-Kent shopping centre has a Waitrose supermarket, chemists and newsagents among its range of businesses and there's also a small Tesco for a speedier supermarket jaunt. Two schools and a church add to Allington's self-sufficiency.

On the eastern side of the river from Allington is Ringlestone, once a council estate but now mostly owner-occupied. The houses are predominantly semis and terraces built in the 50s and ideal for families.

North east of here is the leafy little district of Sandling with semis, terraces and detached homes and its own primary school.

Sandling Park, off Sandling Lane, is a new development of one and two bedroom apartments by Ward Homes set within several areas of parkland, with prices starting at £155,000 for a one-bed flat.

And Sandling Cottage, on the market with haart estate agents (01622 751222), forms part of the sought-after new development of a majestic 19th century property set amidst beautiful woodland.

Barming lies just to the west of Maidstone and has its own railway station.

Terraces, semis, bungalows and detached homes make up the majority of the housing stock although there are some flats around, such as the modern conversions on Tarragon Road, new-builds such as those in Angelica Square and older style purpose-built blocks in Farleigh Road.

Maidstone General Hospital is on Hermitage Lane, about half a mile from Barming train station, while the Blackthorn Medical Centre is in St Andrews Road.

Barming has a primary school, a post office and a handful of pubs.

Loose is a sought-after conservation village to the south of Maidstone where some of the top houses can command prices of around £2 million.

There's a high proportion of 20s and 30s semis and detached properties as well as pretty terraced cottages, and Loose has several local shops for basic needs, its own primary and secondary schools, churches and a smattering of delightful country pubs.

There's also a stream running through the village and a waterfall just by the Loose Viaduct, a structure built by Thomas Telford in 1830. Nearby Loose Valley has some stunning scenery and enjoyable walks.

A one-time council area, Shepway in the south east contains mainly 60s built semis and terraces. As with the other former council estates, Shepway is now mostly owner-occupied.

Also lying at the eastern side is another ex-council area, Park Wood, with a large proportion of prefabricated houses, most of which are now privately owned.

Maidstone Borough Council  

Tour Maidstone

Barratt Homes

Haart, Maidstone

Hatch Batten Estates, Allington

Page & Wells, West Malling

© Find A Property 2000-2007