Maidstone factfile

How to get to Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, 32 miles (51 km) south-east of London on the River Medway. Maidstone enjoys direct road and rail links into the capital, and is conveniently located for London Stansted and Gatwick airports.

Maidstone through the ages
Maidstone has a long and fascinating history, beginning with the Romans and encompassing the English Civil War, Canterbury pilgrims and brewing. The Roman road from Rochester to Hastings passed through what is now Maidstone, and the remains of two Roman villas have been discovered here.

Situated on the pilgrims' route to Canterbury, Maidstone was a favourite resting point for travellers to the cathedral city for hundreds of years. Maidstone was also the site of a crucial battle in the English Civil War on 1 June 1648, at which the Royalist troops were defeated with heavy losses.

Later Maidstone became more industrial, and was for a long time home to the large Fremlin Brewery.

Shopping in Maidstone
Maidstone has a huge selection of shops and retail outlets. The impressive Fremlin Walk shopping development created an entirely new street in the town, which boasts all the top high-street names.

The Broadway Shopping Centre on Tonbridge Road has a wide choice of clothing outlets and a large discount supermarket, and the central Chequers Mall has shops and eatieries to suit all budgets.

Gabriel's Hill and Bank Street in the older part of town host many independent local businesses, in particular shoemakers and jewellers.

Europe's biggest shopping complex at Bluewater, near Greenhithe, is also within easy reach of Maidstone by road.

Eating and drinking in Maidstone
Maidstone offers everything from fine-dining restaurants and top-class hotels to budget family fare. Try Bank Street and the surrounding area in the town's historic centre for stylish wine bars, traditional pubs and a range of cuisines.

Many of the surrounding villages have traditional inns famous for their warm welcome and traditional good food.

Things to see and do around Maidstone
Henry VIII's country home, Leeds Castle, just a few miles from Maidstone, is a stunningly beautiful moated castle surrounded by 500 acres of parkland and gardens, with an aviary, a maze grotto and its own vineyard. The castle also has outdoor ice skating in winter and hosts many events in summer, from rock concerts to opera.

The award-winning Museum of Kent Life, just north of Maidstone, has a collection of historic Kent buildings housing exhibitions about Kent's life and history over the past 200 years.

Natural beauty spots around Maidstone
Maidstone is a good base from which to visit a number of local beauty spots, including Vinters Valley Nature Reserve, a 90-acre park on the eastern outskirts of the town that's home to many rare species of plants and animals, and the historic yew woodland at the Westfield Wood nature reserve.