Advantages: (+) Good shops, green parkland available, places to go for days out Disadvantages: (-) Traffic congestion like most towns
...centre on any land possible. Maidstone used to be quite an industrial area using the River Medway as transport for its goods from factories like Fremlins for brewing and Sharps (taken over by Trebor Basset) as well as paper making and a local market. This soon faded out with the demand for service industries and tourism becoming more prominent than ever before. It has a current population of almost 139,000.
*****Accessibility*****
Access from the ... ...There are various areas around Maidstone for shopping. The council is currently using the slogan, 'Great to Visit, Great to shop' with its recent development of the Fremlins walk and the change in management of the Chequers Centre over to The Mall company. I wont be able to list all the shops we have but I'll give it a go and give you an overview for you to judge what is available.
----------------Week Street----------------
This is sort of the ...
redhotfeet 07.11.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Maidstone in General
Advantages: Plenty to do Disadvantages: No football stadium yet
...I chose to move to Maidstone in 1978 when I purchased my first house with my then fiancé having scouted around the outer London area, from Basildon, Crawley and Canvey Island. We decided on Maidstone because it has excellent rail and road links into central London which was of major importance in those days as we both worked up there. Maidstone still has excellent links with London and the rest of the country's motorway network, although it has missed ... ...further down the county.
Maidstone Itself
Maidstone is the county town and the administrative centre of Kent. Tourists visit Canterbury, the former county town, but for business it is Maidstone that provides the jobs. Kent County Council offices are in the town and it is the biggest local authority outside of Greater London, or so I have been told. There is a largish open space with a large pub called Penenden Heath. Play area for kids, football ...
orlando 31.12.2003 (27.11.2006)
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Advantages: A practical, pleasant and prosperous town Disadvantages: But short on character and maybe even charm
...or indeed very attractive. Maidstone is a practical and prosperous town. Although a community in its own right, not just a commuter dormitory, it is conveniently close to London. It is also convenient for reaching the continent. It offers copious, if rather unoriginal, opportunities for shopping and entertainment. There is some attractive countryside nearby. It stands at the heart of a varied and interesting county. Perhaps long familiarity has bred ... ...* History *
Maidstone is indeed historic in that there has been a settlement here since Roman times, but not in having been the scene of any decisive battles, treaties or world-shaking events. Its main claim to historic fame was as the epicentre of Sir Thomas Wyatt's anti-Catholic uprising of 1554, which was rapidly suppressed by Queen Mary, with the result that Maidstone was deprived of its status as Kent's county town until Queen Elizabeth 1's ...
torr 29.11.2003 (28.01.2007)
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Advantages: A large place - Lots of shops. Disadvantages: A large place - Hard to find your way around if you are not use to it.
...are probably 350 shops in Maidstone if not more. The Chequers Centre itself, (The huge shopping centre in the middle of Maidstone) more than likely holds more than half of that total.
‘Shopping Roads’
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What do I mean by shopping roads? Well, in Maidstone, a lot of shops are all packed together in a street, i.e. Week Street, which is a non-traffic road (except for goods delivery), for pedestrians ... ...one of the busiest in Maidstone town centre. It has a large range of different shops that could help you with everyday items like Cameras, (if you are into that sort of stuff!). Yes, there is Jessops - Camera shop, Argos - Miscellaneous and many other shops.
The Bank.
Many people argue about whether the Natwest bank is in King Street, or High Street. Those two streets are joined on to each other and if you didn’t know already, you wouldn’t ...
Iggglybufff 13.02.2002
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Advantages: Fantastic historical castle, extensive grounds, maze and grotto, suitable for all ages Disadvantages: Can be busy in summer
Looking for something to do over the Easter weekend? Something which is still open to the public despite the foot and mouth restrictions? Suitable for the whole family, combining history, the outdoors, education, fun and also somewhat reminiscent of a fairy tale? If so, then Leeds Castle is certainly the place to come. Once again, this is an attraction which the Ciao team didn’t feel deserved its own category (I was advised to post it under ... ...op will explain why.
Situated in the Kent countryside, a few miles from Maidstone, and only just over an hour from London, it’s very easy to get to. You could even leave the car at home for the day, as it’s possible to buy a combined ticket which includes either coach or rail travel. The regular admission price for an adult is £10, students £8.50 and children £6.50. You can also buy a family ticket for £29. This might seem a little on ...
weebagpuss 10.04.2001
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Advantages: County Town of Kent, Historical Value Disadvantages: Very much under used potential
...Town. Shopping in Maidstone is fine as long as you are happy to browse the run of the mill shops found in most town centres. The main shopping street is a pedestrianised area in which you will find Littlewoods, M & S, and Maidstones only Department Store, Army and Navy, amongst other shops. The High Street has Argos and Jessops and the added 'feature' of nearly getting run over by lunatic cabbies and bus drivers as you cross the road.
The main shopping ... ...unfair in my description of Maidstone so far. It does have some good features such as the newly built Lockmeadow Complex which houses a cinema, nightclubs and a couple of restaurants. There is also a bowling centre and two Museums which do have some very interesting exhibitions and artifacts to view. Public transport is frequent during the day with trains running from the towns 3 stations, and there are plenty of buses. But these service becomes ...
wiggglypufff 12.12.2000 (22.10.2001)
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Advantages: A huge are of gardens to see, beautiful castle outside and internally Disadvantages: None really
As recently as 25 years ago Leeds castle was still used as a private home. After the death of the owner a charitable trust was set up and this now enables people to visit the castle and its grounds. It is probably due to it only having recently become an attraction which you can visit and possibly also because it is not a National Trust or English Heritage property that it is not marketed as extensively as other castles or stately homes.
Although ... ...not mean it does not have a long history to it. The castle was started soon after the Norman conquest of the 11th century. It remained a property of the Kings and Queens of England until it fell out of favour with Henry V111 in the mid-16th century. The castle did fall into relative disrepair until the last owner spent a fortune restoring it. It is the fruits of that restoration that the visitor is able to see.
The castle itself is a beautiful one ...
polydeuces 29.04.2001
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Advantages: Good selection of shops and food outlets, nice houses, friendly people. Disadvantages: Grammar schools, snobs and chavs. Not great for tourists, except Leeds Castle.
...floral sheep can talk then Maidstone will be the centre of the universe. Huh? Well when you arrive in Maidstone by train, bus, bicycle or on foot one of the first things you will see as you walk up the High Street from the River Medway will be a humongous sheep-thing, a statue with many hundreds of fluffy white flowers hanging from it. This is just one of many reasons why Maidstone will never be the centre of the universe (unless God in all his almighty ... ...Still, deprived old Maidstone is still the county town (soon to be city) of Kent, often referred to by inhabitants as “the garden of England” or the “gateway to Europe”, but more frequently referred to by the rest of the nation as one big boring suburb. So why do I live in Maidstone? Well firstly it was not my choice to reside here, being as I am 17 and still live my parents. Secondly it was not really my parents’ choice ...
timmyotoole 05.08.2001 (13.08.2001)
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Advantages: lovely castle and park and attractive for all the family Disadvantages: -
Last summer, we spent one day at Leeds Castle. 'The Loveliest Castle in the World' - that's what they call themselves, but I can confirm that it is indeed one of the loveliest castles that I have ever been to. In fact, it is much more than just a castle.
Leeds Castle is located in Kent, near Maidstone. The best way to get there is via the M20 leaving at junction 8. From the car park, you walk to the main entrance and ticket office. It's actually ... ...family ticket (castle + park) last year, but it's worth the money.
First of all, you should enjoy a walk around the large park which will take you along the Wood Garden, the Cedar Pond and the Duckery, where you can watch a number of wildfowl, swans, geese, kingfishers, sparrowhawks and peafowl.
The castle itself is surrounded by water, you have to enter the island via a brigde and the Gate house. The entrance to the castle is through a Norman ...
Michael-S 11.03.2001 (22.03.2001)
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Advantages: Good shops, good surroundings, good location Disadvantages: A bit tatty in places, some places to avoid, wastes it's features by factories
...PLACES TO VISIT : Maidstone is really not a bad place for shopping - Week Street and High Street offer the main chain stores such as HMV, Woolworths etc. but go into the little side streets and you get many specialist shops selling all manner of interesting bits and pieces - for this try the Royal Star Arcade and the Corn Exchange. Other than shopping Maidstone has a large cinema complex, bowling, loads of pubs and restaurants, a leisure centre with ... ...do find yourself getting bored Maidstone is in a great position - just 40 miles from London and near enough to the coast without being tacky. It is surrounded by picturesque villages and Kentish countryside and efforts are made every year to make the town look attractive with flowers and the legendary flower sheep. The town centre is generally not bad looking and the outskirts of town are home to some extremely nice properties.
PLACES TO AVOID : ...
DanClegg 03.02.2001
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Advantages: Good location. Prosperous. Fairly clean Disadvantages: Lacks night life, a bit expensive.
...really does have some gems.
Maidstone is not a major tourist town,although there is a theatre,good sports and recreational facilities. Sadly the town did have a Nationwide League side,Maidstone United,but they folded-up some years ago.Now the only Football League side in Kent is Gillingham.
Maidstone makes a good base for touring the lush Kentish countryside. Spots well worth exploring include Leeds Castle- "The Loveliest Castle in World"-the nearby ...
ashford 07.08.2000
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Advantages: Interesting exposition;culture;history Disadvantages: Not a lot
Nestling close against a curve in the River Medway,Kent's primary waterway, and only a comparatively short distance away from Maidstone-the county town of Kent, the Museum of Kent Life at Cobtree, reflects very well the unique character of this part of England.My husband who is from Kent always sings the virtues of his home county and for visitors
the Museum of Kent Life is a great haunt to get an insight into Kent
and its long history.
The Museum ... ...the heart of
the so-called "Garden of England". It seems to me to successfully draw together many strands of Kent's very rich heritage.
There is a first rate collection of historic buildings which now feature interactive exhibitions, a working farm, orchards,hop,herb and kitchen gardens,riverside and country walks,special events, tearooms and a shop.The latter is well stocked and its worthwhile having a good browse
around.
It is a nice place ...
zorbay 31.12.2000
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Advantages: shops, nightlife Disadvantages: dirty, run down, traffic congestion
Maidstone has gone downhill over the last decade. I have lived nearby all my life though thankfully not in the town. It seems to be becoming even more a dump than it has been before, with some areas and estates in urgent need of improvement. It is also not safe for anyone to walk around there at night and although there are some good places to go in the evening, you do not feel safe going there. It does have some good points - the floral sheep always ... ...such as Burtons, DP, RIver Island, and Army and Navy is a good if expensive department store. The archbishop's palace is also worth a look. But Maidstone has a grubby feel to it and does not compare favourably to other Kent towns such as Canterbury or Tunbridge Wells. ...
spittingllama 09.10.2000
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Advantages: Great Clubs/Pubs/Bars/Restaurants/Shops Disadvantages: A slight attitude problem with local youths.
I have lived in the Maidstone area all my life and have had various experiences in the 22 years i've been here. SHOPPING:-
Maidstone town centre has many many shops to cater for everyones needs. Sport shops, music shops, card shops you've got your Argos and also fair share of fast food restaurants. With the newly built Fremlin Walk area of the town now completed it improves the shopping even further in Maidstone. House of Fraser being my personal ... ...When darkness falls on Maidstone the town stays as active and as busy as it is during the day. At the top of end of town you have your bars and civilised bar/clubs to visit and down the bottom end of town you have the Odeon complex which consists of 2 Night Clubs, a Cinema, HotShots, which is like a bar/club with pool tables etc, used mainly as a meeting point before you hit the clubs, 4 restaurants and a Burger King so plenty to do in there! Also ...
Jamie_GFC 07.06.2007
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Advantages: Probably not that many. Disadvantages: Probably a few.
Maidstone, Maidstone – what is it about you? Why do I like wandering through this surely fairly typical town? You are certainly not beautiful, although there are certainly some views that are attractive, such as from the bridge over the Medway. Then, Mote Park in the centre of the town is a great place to wander, surely larger than Hyde Park. But all this is not worth travelling miles to experience, surely? No, I think the answer must be that Maidstone ... ...Kent, but there is no way in which this feeling can be put into words. It’s in Canterbury, too, but Maidstone has it without your having to have your nose rubbed in it with tourist shows. You will either feel it or you won’t. If not, get back to Southend. ...
Luke 01.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Maidstone in General
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