Our Blog - August 2025 - England trip - Maidstone

Maidstone is the largest town in Kent. Saxon charters dating back to 975 show the first recorded instances of the town's name, de maeides stana and maegdan stane, possibly meaning stone of the maidens or stone of the people. The actual town charter was granted in 1549 and ratified in 1619. The coat of arms has a golden lion and a representation of the Medway River. In the 19th century, the fossilized remains of a dinosaur, called an iguanodon, was discovered which can now be seen in the Natural History Museum in London. It was the closest large town to where we stayed during the last 9 days in England.

Our first stop was the Maidstone Museum, housed in Chillington Manor, a nice example of domestic architecture from the late Tudor period. The house was built between 1561 and 1577 for local politician. In 1855, the owner left a collection of antique objects to the town, and the town then purchased his house to open a museum to show these objects.

Sessions Square is dominated by the neo-Baroque façade of County Hall which was built between 1910 and 1913.

This house is on Week Street, which lies along the line of a Roman road linking Rochester with the ironworking areas and the port. Foundations of a Roman building were found here in the 1960s. This house, built in 1680, is an example of "pargetting", where external lime plaster is used in a decorative manner. This became common when the "wattle and daub" (the stuff that was put between the wood beams) of the half-timbered Tudor houses began to fall into decay.

Like most English towns, High Street was the original market/shopping street in town. These covered arches were "new" market buildings that were built in 1825. There were interesting store signs that I assume are newer than the 1800's based on their design but I don't really know.

The Russian Gun, called ‘the Cannon’, was captured in battle during the Crimean War and was presented to the town in 1858 by Lord Pamure, the Secretary of War.

This medieval Palace, the Archbishops’ Palace, has developed and changed since the Middle Ages, with parts being removed and rebuilt according to the needs of the time. King Henry VIII stayed here, appointing a Maidstone man as Royal Physician to treat his painful gout, and later took the property for the Crown. It was bought by the people of Maidstone to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee and is now used as a Register Office.

Originally named the ‘Tithe Barn’, this building was where visitors to the Archbishops’ Palace (across the street) lodged their servants and horses. The stone work and buttresses date from 1397. Since 1946 it has housed the Carriage Museum, which shows a unique collection of horse-drawn vehicles, widely regarded as the finest in Europe.

Maidstone’s main parish church, All Saints Church, was built on the site of the 7th century Saxon church called St Mary’s, but was rebuilt in the 14th century’. Completed in 1398, it has remained largely unchanged, except for a wooden spire which was destroyed by lightning in 1730.

When the church was first built, the nave would have had no seating and the congregation stood for the entire service. Pews started being installed after the Reformation and in the 1500s, rich families would have "family pews" installed.

There have been 3 different roofs, this one dating from 1886.

The All Saints Window was made in 1890 and has 28 Saints, 4 coats of arms, and 6 bible scenes.

This is in a side chapel of the Chancel, with a large tomb dating to 1417. It is richly painted with a scene from The Annunciation, showing Mary and the Archangel Gabriel. In the closeup picture, you can see mutilation of the painted face and sword slashes across it. These were done by anti-religious soldiers in the Battle of Maidstone in 1648.

The Sanctuary has the same high wooden roof as the Nave and the walls above the arches are colorfully painted. The large stone monument behind the altar in the Sanctuary is known as a Reredos. It was added in 1904 and dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

This stained-glass window was made in 1904, called the Canon Joy Window. The altar has an interesting, painted front although I don't have a date for that.

The stained-glass in this window was done in 1862 and the panels illustrate the death of Christ.

This in the gateway into a complex of medieval buildings, the former College of All Saints. The College was built in 1395 to house the priests attached to All Saints Church. King Henry VIII dissolved the College in 1546 and the property was neglected until the late 17th century. It is now leased as private offices.

Bank Street is probably the most complete historical street in town with many of the buildings dating from the 15th to 17th centuries, easily recognized by their overhanging upper floors, a feature known as jettying. A couple of the more interesting ones are the flamboyant Queen Anne style shop front (2nd picture) and one with 4 niches across the 1st floor with statues in them.

Jubilee Square was originally called High Town and was part of the town's marketplace from 1261 to the 1820's when it was moved to the new Market Buildings that we saw earlier. The statue of Queen Victoria in the middle, dating from 1862, replaced the original market cross.

You can tell that Lucy was tired ... this is NOT her normal position at a restaurant. Usually, she is out, begging for food ... today ... curled up in a ball under the table.