Maidstone

Maidstone County Hall, © Flickr

There is surely no lack of things to do in Maidstone, Kent. With a booming town centre encircled with magnificent Kentish countryside, Maidstone has an array of captivating places presenting the ideal mix of history, culture, leisure and entertainment.

Filled with numerous attractions, Maidstone has rather appealing to proposition visitors of all ages, imparting that no matter what you fancy, there is an abundance of things to do. Many take pleasure in a day out at Leeds Castle, Kent Life, All Saints Church with its associations with Washington USA,  Maidstone Museum & The Bentlif Art Gallery and trips on the Allington Belle and the Kentish Lady.  These are undoubtedly some rare Maidstone attractions.  Breathtaking countryside surrounds the town with the Kent Downs to the north and River Medway to the south.

Adventures can be had alongside the river with the Canoe Trail, which is full of with camping stops along the way or if you are new to the place or don’t have your own canoe, go for the Canoe Safari.  The wildlife and flowers along this path are a brilliant experience. Along the river you can stop off at a variety of points and visit attractions such as the Teapot Island, Yalding or the Yalding Gardens.

Maidstone has a vibrant history fashioned by battles, revolts, witches, mad priests and more recently, industrialists, brewers and Victorian benefactors.  Located between Dover and London the town was a main route for pilgrimages and a bustling centre for local and national trade, focusing along the River Medway.

In spite of countless changes all through the centuries, the ambience of old Maidstone can still be experienced when walking through the town. Watch out for the Archbishops’ Palace, the All Saints Church, the College of All Saints, Corpus Christi Hall,  Maidstone Town Hall, the Carriage Museum and Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery.

Realise the bizarre and fascinating history of Maidstone. It is an area where a fortune trove of hidden enchantment is waiting to be discovered on the historic walking tour. Just about the town there are a lot of historic sites to visit such as The Friars, Kent Life, Kits Coty and the splendid Leeds Castle. Around the town there are a lot of historic sites to stopover such as The Friars, Kent Life, Kits Coty and the splendid Leeds Castle.

Maidstone town centre easily harbours the best nightlife in Kent.  There are bars, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs with ample places to meet friends and to dance the night away. If you are looking for Maidstone nightclubs,  Lockmeadow entertainment complex has Liquid & Envy and JJ’s which are highly advanced nightclubs with fabulous music.  Restaurants include Old Orleans, Frankie & Benny’, Burger King and Flame.  The 8 screen Odeon multiplex cinema completes the entertainment package at Lockmeadow.

Leeds Castle, © Flickr

In centre of the town there are other clubs and bars, including Beluga, Babylon and Strawberry Moons.  AMF Bowling is situated in King Street and the fantastic Hazlitt Arts Centre offers a range of diverse events from comedy clubs, music and theatre.  A number of exceptional restaurants are to be found in Earl Street close to the Hazlitt with dinner and theatre being a trendy choice.

Whether you’re out for a few calm drinks, or a crazy night of Maidstone clubbing, the bars and clubs are efficiently managed ascertaining that good services are in place throughout the evenings to aid a pleasant and safe evening setting.

From hot tribal eateries to customary fine dining, you will find plenty of restaurants in Maidstone, Kent. There is a vivacious selection of recognized national chain restaurants alongside an array of local independent restaurants serving a range of national and international cuisines.

If you are setting up a unique occasion, how about pamper yourself at an award winning Maidstone restaurant!  On the other hand, if you are in need of a quick snack before a theatre performance or event, there are abundance of bistros, pubs and smaller restaurants in Maidstone to pick from.

In fine weather, alfresco dining is the choice of the day – picture dining in, whilst watching the world go by as you take pleasure in your meal.
Just like the other parts of the British Isles, Kent witnesses a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest official Met Office weather station for which online records are available is at nearby East Malling, about 3 miles west of Maidstone town centre.

The town is graded as the top five shopping centres in the south east of England for shopping yields and with more than one million square feet of retail floor space, in the top 50 in the UK. Much of this space provides the two main shopping centres in the town, the 535,000 square feet (49,700 m2) The Mall Maidstone and the 32,500 square metres (350,000 sq ft) Fremlin Walk that opened up in 2006.

Other recent advancements comprise the riverside Lockmeadow Centre, which includes a multiplex cinema, restaurants, nightclubs, bowling alley, and the town’s market square. The leisure industry is a key contributor to the towns with the night-time economy worth £75m per annum.

One of the first roads in Kent to turnpike was that from Rochester to Maidstone, in 1728, giving some sign of the town’s significance. The A20 runs from side to side of the town and the M20 motorway runs to the north. Initially opened in 1960 as the Maidstone Bypass, A20(M) this was the first motorway standard road to be built south of London.