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County town of Kent, England
Photo: Rodney Burton, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Maidstone is the county town in Mid-Kent, in the South East of England on the River Medway. Straddling the river Medway, Maidstone is the economic, administrative and agricultural centre of Kent.
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Near Maidstone. Described by Lord Cornway as "the loveliest castle in the world".
A municipal museum with a wide ranging collection in 20 or so rooms. The local history collection on the ground floor gives an introduction to the recent history of the town. 3 rooms house a small art gallery.
The Tyrwhitt Drake Collection
Fine church rebuilt in the 14th century. The Archbishop's Palace next door is worth a look from the outside; it is now the registry office.
Founded in 1242.
in July, the large county show at the Kent Showground in Detling.
A restaurant and pub next to a large cricket green in a small village just outside of Maidstone called Bearsted. The staff are friendly and helpful. At times, like most successful venues, it can be a tad busy and service can be a little slow. The food is primarily Mexican-based. The fajitas are fantastic, and come in either steak, chicken or mixed. Vegetarian options are available. Other recommendations are stuffed jalapeño peppers and fajitas (normally shared by two people).
Lockmeadow is an entertainment centre in Maidstone town centre. It contains bars, restaurants nightclubs and a cinema.
Shepherd Neame beers and music on Friday and Sunday Nights
Large Green King Pub
Sun
Grade II listed pub that plays music
Plush little B&B in Edwardian villa built from the ruins of Thurnham Castle. Open Mar-Oct, no children under 10 or dogs.
Chequers centre
The Mall is a large shopping centre in Maidstone containing a variety of shops.
By car
Maidstone sits south of M20, which (with the A20) connects with London, Ashford & Folkestone.
By bus
Local buses are operated by Arriva Kent and Surrey, Nu-Venture and ASD Coaches
By train
Trains run every 30 minutes from London Victoria, taking an hour to Maidstone East and continuing to Bromley South and Ashford International (another 30 min).
By taxi
If there is a large group of you, then it may be easier and cheaper to get a taxi from one of the local taxi companies, as Maidstone's bus service is not the cheapest!
By Coach
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Southend-on-Sea, Essex · Regional · SEN
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