NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Maidstone

Coordinates: 51°16′18″N 0°31′46″E / 51.2717, 0.5295 Maidstone is an English town which is in Maidstone (borough). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... Maidstone is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of English administrative division used for the purposes of local government. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping; thus the OECD has used the phrase in reference to the former Yugoslavia[1], the Soviet Union and European institutions such as the Council of... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The ME postcode area, also known as the Rochester postcode area[1], is a group of twenty postal districts around Medway in Kent, England. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... Kent Police is the police force covering Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Kent covering a geographical area south of London, to the coast and including major shipping routes via the Thames and Medway rivers. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... As of 1st July the NHS Ambulance Services Trusts of Kent, Surrey and Sussex are being joined together to form a new South East Coast Ambulance Service . ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... For the local government district, see Maidstone Maidstone and The Weald is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... South East England is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, halfway (30 miles) between the City of London and the English Channel. The River Medway runs through its town centre. A county town is the capital of a county in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Maidstone is in the heart of the so-called Garden of England. Yet the town centre has the largest office centre in the county and the area is a base for the paper and packaging industry. Many high-technology firms have set up on surrounding business parks.

The town is ranked in the top five shopping centres in the south east of England for shopping yields and has more than one million square feet of retail floor space, including the new Fremlin Walk.

History

Early history

Stone Age finds have been made locally, but it was the Romans who first gave Maidstone importance. Their road from Watling Street at Rochester to Hastings across the Weald passed through the site, and two villas have been discovered. They were also among the first to extract stone (the sandstone known as Kentish ragstone) from the area. Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ... The modern Watling Street crossing the Medway at Rochester near the Roman and Celt crossings Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. ... Rochester is a small town in Kent, at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway about 30 miles (50 km) from London. ... For other uses, see Hastings (disambiguation). ... A weald once meant a dense forest, especially the famous great wood once stretching far beyond the ancient counties of Sussex and Kent, England, where this country of smaller woods is still called the Weald. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ...

This part of the Medway Valley was important too, by the time of Domesday Book. In the Middle Ages there were two hospitals here built for the care of wayfarers, especially those on pilgrimage; and a “college” of secular priests. A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ...

Status

Maidstone’s town status was confirmed when, in 1549, it was incorporated. It had originally been governed by a portreeve, 12 brethren and 24 commoners under the direction of the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, when the people of Maidstone rebelled against the crown in support of Thomas Wyatt in 1551, this charter was revoked, although a new charter was established five years later, when Maidstone was created a borough. Arms of Maidstone Borough Council. ... Arms of Maidstone Borough Council. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... Thomas Wyatt the younger (1521-11 April 1554) was a rebel leader during the reign of Queen Mary I of England. ...

The town’s charter was ratified in 1619 under James I, and the coat of arms, bearing a golden lion and a representation of the river, was designed. Recently these arms were added to by the head of a white horse (representing Invicta, the motto of the county of Kent), a golden lion and an iguanodon. The iguanodon relates to the discovery in the 19th century of the fossilised remains of such a dinosaur locally. These remains are now displayed in the Natural History Museum in London. James Stuart (19 June 1566 â€“ 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old. ... Invicta (meaning undefeated) is the motto of the county of Kent, England. ... Species (Boulenger, 1881) (neotype) (Holl, 1829) nom. ... For other similarly-named museums see Museum of Natural History. ...

Industries

The quarrying of building stone around Maidstone has always been important and continues even today. Some of the sandstone is also used in the glass industry.

In the 17th century the Wealden cloth industry reached as far north as the town; for here were deposits of Fuller's earth used for degreasing the wool and, perhaps more importantly, the means of transporting the finished products — the river. Cloth-making was, apart from iron-making, the other large-scale industry carried out on the Weald of Kent and Sussex in medieval times. ... Fullers earth is any nonplastic clay or claylike material that can be used to decolorize, filter, and purify animal, mineral, and vegetable oils and greases. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, Arizona Wool is the fiber derived from the fur of animals and people of the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals such as goats and rabbits and oxes...

In Maidstone there were many small breweries at the end of the 19th century, the river being useful for transport and water for the beer production. One of the biggest, the Style & Winch brewery, was on the river bank in the centre of the town. It shut in 1965 and the building was demolished in 1976. There were five other breweries; today only a small one — Goachers — remains.

Paper mills, known locally as “the treacle mines”, also grew near the river. Paper was produced at places such as Turkey Mill and Hayle Mill, and what was to become the Reed group had several paper and cardboard milling plants in Maidstone. Today Aylesford (on the northwest side of Maidstone) has the largest paper recycling factory in Europe, manufacturing paper for the newspaper industry. A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from wood pulp and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier Machine or similar apparatus. ... Aylesford is a large village on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England. ...

Until 1998 the Sharps toffee factory of (later part of Cadbury Trebor Basset), makers of liquorice allsorts, was in central Maidstone and provided a significant source of employment. Liquorice allsorts Liquorice allsorts (also spelt Licorice allsorts) consist of a variety of liquorice candies sold as a mixture. ...

Loudspeaker manufacturer KEF was founded in 1961 in Maidstone on the premises of a metal working operation called Kent Engineering & Foundry (hence KEF). Today, KEF still occupies the same river-bank site. In the late 1990s KEF manufactured a loudspeaker called “the Maidstone”. British loudspeaker manufacturer KEF was founded in 1961 by an electrical engineer named Raymond Cooke in a Nissen hut on the premises of a metal working operation called Kent Engineering & Foundry (hence KEF), on the banks of the River Medway, near Maidstone in Kent. ...

Military tradition

The Civil War

The Battle of Maidstone took place on 1 June 1648. For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ...

About 2,000 Royalist forces were defending the town, governed by Sir Gamaliel Dudley, and his lieutenant, Sir John Mainy, who had arranged earthworks and other defences. General Fairfax and a body of dragoons approached in the afternoon, following the Medway Valley from Farleigh Bridge, which had been only lightly guarded, and the first skirmishes took place on the outskirts of the town around 7 o'clock. ... A light dragoon from the American Revolution A dragoon is a soldier trained to fight on foot, but transport himself on horseback. ... Farleigh may mean, in the United Kingdom: Farleigh, Somerset Farleigh, Surrey See also: Farleigh Wallop, Hampshire Farleigh Green, Kent Farleigh School, Hampshire Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset Farleigh Court, Surrey Farleigh Wick, Wiltshire Category: ...

The Royalists put up a spirited resistance, and managed to repulse Fairfax's pikeman, when reinforcements from the town arrived and heavy hand-to-hand fighting took place. Fairfax was astonished that his disciplined New Model Army soldiers where thrown into confusion. Fairfax himself, who had been observing the action from a carriage a short distance away, took to horse and lead his troops on a charge which, following further heavy close fighting, forced the Royalists onto the retreat.Fairfax pushed on, and the storming of the town began at 9 o'clock. The New Model Army became the best known of the various Parliamentarian armies in the English Civil War. ...

By midnight, the remaining Royalists had been driven into the churchyard, and surrendered.

300 Royalists had died in the battle, and 1,300 captured. Between 30 and 80 of Fairfax's men were believed killed.^[1]

Army barracks

There have been two Army barracks in Maidstone. The first was built in 1797 as a reaction to the threat of Napoleon and the barracks became the home of the West Kent Regiment. By 1813 the barracks along the Sandling Road were used to train the cavalry’s young horses and 20 years later they became the Army Riding School. It was also a staging post for the colonies and in the 1860s 600 men could be stationed here.

The present Invicta Barracks is home to the Royal Engineers 36 Engineer Regiment, which includes two Gurkha field squadrons. The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ... Gurkha, also spelled as Gorkha, are people from Nepal and parts of North India, who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. ...

On 29 September 1975 a local pub serving the barracks - The Hare and Hounds - was damaged by a bomb during the IRA campaign against the English mainland.^[2] is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Ã“glaigh na hÃ‰ireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern...

Another pub - The White Rabbit - now occupies the listed building that used to be the Officers’ Mess of the original barracks. Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ...

Two world wars

Detling just to the North of the town, and now the home of the Kent County Showground, was a Naval Air station during the First World War, and served the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Around 1939, a number of other airfields were developed near the town, including RAF West Malling and RAF Lashenden. Maidstone suffered damage from Luftwaffe bombers dumping their loads when unable to reach their primary targets. V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets also fell in the area. In one incident late in 1944, the town was hit by 50 small shells. These came from the South, although the nearest point on the French coast is 60 miles away. The incident has not yet been satisfactorily explained, although there have been suggestions that these were test firings of the German V-3 long distance cannon from Mimoyecques, between Calais and Boulogne, although this complex was destroyed by bunker buster Tallboy bombs dropped from British Lancasters of the No. 617 Squadron, the "Dambusters" on 6 July 1944.^[3] Detling the home Kent County Showground, lies on the Pilgrims Way under the shelter of the North Downs. ... An Agricultural Show or Livestock show is a judged event or display in which breeding stock is showcased. ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... â€œRAFâ€ redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... RAF West Malling was a Royal Air Force station near West Malling in Kent, England. ... Lashenden ALG airfield, August 1947 Lashenden (Headcorn) Airfield (IATA: N/A, ICAO: EGKH) is located 8 nautical miles (14. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (German: air force, literally Air Weapon, pronounced lufft-va-fa, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... The V-1 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1) was the first guided missile used in war and the forerunner of todays cruise missile. ... The V-2 Rocket (German: Vergeltungswaffe 2) was the first ballistic missile and first man-made object launched into space[4], the progenitor of all modern rockets and a direct predecessor of the Saturn V moon rocket. ... Like the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 rocket, V-3 cannon was one of the three vengeance weapons (German: Vergeltungswaffe) built by Nazi Germany during World War II. Unlike the V-1 and the V-2, however, the V-3 was not a guided missile, but a... Mimoyecques was a German fortification in Europe during World war 2,consisting mainly of large cement bunkers, mainly built for testing of the newly built jet propelled aircraft and small versions of the v-2 rocket. ... Calais (Kales in Dutch) is a town in northern France, located at 50Â°57N 1Â°52E. It is in the dÃ©partement of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-prÃ©fecture. ... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... A bunker buster is a bomb designed to penetrate hardened targets or targets buried deep underground. ... The Tallboy was an Earth quake bomb developed by Barnes Wallis and brought into operation by the British in 1944. ... The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). ... For the video game see The Dam Busters (video game) No. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

The headquarters of No 1 Group Royal Observer Corps was situated in Maidstone until the organisation was disbanded in 1995. The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was, until stood down in 1991, a part of the UK Ministry of Defence. ...

Communications

River Medway

Improvements had been made in about 1730 to the River Medway, so that barges of 40 tons could get upriver to East Farleigh, Yalding and even Tonbridge. This meant that a good deal of trade, including corn, fodder, fruit, stone and timber passed through the town, where there were several wharfs. Events Pope Clement XII elected September 17 - Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Ahmed III (1703-1730) to Mahmud I (1730-1754) Anna Ivanova (Anna I of Russia) became czarina Births April 16 - Henry Clinton, British general (d. ... East Farleigh is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Yalding is a village and part of Yalding Civil Parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. ... Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ...

The medieval stone bridge was replaced in 1879 to give better clearance: it was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. A second bridge was built in 1977. Memorial to Sir Joseph Bazalgette on Victoria Embankment Sir Joseph William Bazalgette (28 March 1819 â€“ 15 March 1891) was one of the great Victorian civil engineers. ...

Today the river is of importance mainly to pleasure-boat owners and the considerable number of people living on houseboats. For many years there has been a river festival during the last weekend in July, and a millennium project inaugurated the Medway River Walk, the Medway Park and a new footbridge linking the former cattle market (which is now a multiplex cinema and nightclub) west of the river to the shopping area to the east.

Roads

One of the first roads in Kent to be turnpiked was that from Rochester to Maidstone, in 1728, giving some indication of the town’s importance. Today the town is served by the M20 motorway, although it is the hub of the pre-motorway network in this part of Kent. Major roads link it to the Medway Towns, the Isle of Sheppey, Ashford and Folkestone, Hastings, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and London. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The M20 motorway is a major road in England. ... View towards Minster from Elmley Marshes The Isle of Sheppey is a small (36 square miles, 94 kmÂ²) island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some 38 miles (62km) to the east of central London. ... , The town of Ashford lies on the River Great Stour, M20 motorway, South Eastern Main Line and Channel Tunnel Rail Link railways, in the borough of Ashford, located just south of the North Downs, in Kent, England. ... Folkestone Harbour, picture taken from the golf court Folkestone (IPA: ) is a coastal resort town in the Shepway district of Kent, England. ... For other uses, see Hastings (disambiguation). ... Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ... Sevenoaks is a town in the Sevenoaks district of Kent in South East England and forms part of the London commuter belt. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Railways

Maidstone was not well served when railways were built in the 1840s. It was reported at the time that inhabitants were bitterly opposed to the railway: the mayor suggesting that “Maidstone will be ruined as a commercial town”. It was said that wharfingers and corn and coal merchants would be hard hit.

In the event, in 1842, the South Eastern Railway, in its haste to reach the Channel ports of Folkestone and Dover, put its main line through Tonbridge and Ashford, some six miles to the south. A station named Maidstone Road was built in an isolated spot called Paddock Wood, from where coaches were run to the county town. The London and Greenwich Railway (LGR) and the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway (CWR) in East Kent were the earliest railways to serve the then county of Kent: eventually both became parts of the South Eastern Railway (SER). ... , Dover is a major channel port in the English county of Kent. ... Paddock Wood is a large village in Kent, England, about eight miles SE of Maidstone. ...

Two years later a branch line was built to Maidstone. In 1846 another branch line (the Medway Valley Line) connected Strood with the town. It was not until 1874 that the line from London arrived; and another 10 years before Ashford was connected by rail. There are three stations: Maidstone West and Maidstone Barracks on the Medway Valley Line (whose platforms are visible one from the other); and Maidstone East on the Ashford line. The Medway Valley Line is the name given to the railway line linking Strood and the Medway Towns with Maidstone West and onward to Paddock Wood and Tonbridge. ... Statistics Population: 33182 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ725695 Administration District: Medway Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Kent Historic county: Kent Services Police force: Kent Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South East Coast Post office and telephone Post town: ROCHESTER... Maidstone West railway station is one of three railway stations which serve Maidstone in Kent. ... Maidstone Barracks railway station is one of three railway stations which serve Maidstone in Kent. ... Maidstone East railway station is one of three railway stations in Maidstone in Kent, but the only one with a regular direct service to London. ...

Footpaths

Two long-distance footpaths are easily accessible from Maidstone. The Medway Valley Walk between Tonbridge and Gillingham passes through the town, following the banks of the river.

The North Downs Way, which incorporates the Pilgrims' Way to Canterbury, runs for 153 miles between Farnham, Surrey and Dover, passing about five miles to the north and west. The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England. ... The Pilgrims Way is reputedly the route taken by pilgrims to the shrine of Thomas Becket from Winchester in Hampshire to Canterbury in Kent, England. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... This article is about the English town. ... Not to be confused with Surry. ...

Education

When Maidstone was incorporated in 1549 it was authorised to build a grammar school, which survives to this day as Maidstone Grammar School. Alumni include James Burke, television presenter, and Lord Beeching, responsible for cutting British railway routes. William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies was a teacher there. Maidstone Grammar School is a secondary school located in Maidstone, United Kingdom. ... James Burke James Burke (born November 22, 1936) is a British science historian, author and television producer best known for his documentary television series called Connections, focusing on the history of science and technology leavened with a sense of humour. ... Dr. Richard Beeching later Baron Beeching (21 April 1913 â€” 23 March 1985) was an British physicist and engineer, and former chairman of British Railways. ... Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 â€“ 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, poet and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (1983), best known for his novel Lord of the Flies. ... For other uses, see Lord of the Flies (disambiguation). ...

William Lambe, a wealthy clothmaker, endowed another school in 1574. Early in the 19th century a government inquiry found there were no fewer than 13 schools (some of very poor quality) teaching the poor of the town.

Other secondary schools include Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Invicta Girls’ Grammar, Oakwood Park Grammar (Boys), Valley Park Community, Maplesden Noakes, The Astor of Hever Community School, and St. Simon Stock School. Maidstone Grammar School for Girls is a selective grammar school in Maidstone, UK. It operates under the 11 plus exam system, in which students take an exam at the end of primary school in order to be accepted at a school. ... Oakwood Park Grammar School is a secondary school located in Maidstone, United Kingdom. ... Maplesden Noakes School is situated in a residential area, close to the town centre of Maidstone. ... St. ...

Also in Maidstone is the University College for the Creative Arts at Maidstone at which the British artist Tracey Emin began her artistic education. The University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester (often abbreviated to the University College for the Creative Arts) is an art school based in South East England, with campuses in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester. ... Tracey Emin RA (born 3 July 1963) is an English artist of Turkish Cypriot origin, one of the group known as Britartists or YBAs (Young British Artists). ...

Radio

Maidstone has long held links to local radio. Invicta Sound (now Invicta fm) used to broadcast from studio's in Earl Street. Hospital Radio Maidstone is one of the longest serving hospital radio stations in the UK.

Today ctr 105.6 FM (abbreviated from County Town Radio) is the local radio station broadcasting to the Maidstone and Mid Kent area of the United Kingdom, from its studio's in Mill Street. It is now a part of the Kent Messenger Group who acquired the station in October 2006.

On October 18th 2003 CTR FMctr 105.6 fm launched as the independent radio station for Maidstone and Mid-Kent. It was the realisation and culmination of over 13 years of hard work and campaigning by a team of local radio professionals spearheaded by Jon Maxfield, and including Patrick Foster, Russell Card, Cheryl Rothery (Pendry) and Kevin Field. ctr 105. ...

A new version of former pirate radio station Radio Caroline, now broadcasts (via Sky and the internet) from The Maidstone Studios, in the Vinters Park area of the town. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Maidstone Studios is a television studio complex based at Vinters Park in Maidstone, Kent UK. It is home to a lot of independent British television programming including quiz shows and popular childrens shows such as CITVs Art Attack. ...

Maidstone Prison

The prison lies to the north of the town centre. It was completed in 1819^[4] to replace the bridewell and old jail in the centre of the town. The first prisoners moved in at the end of 1818. Building work had been carried out by French prisoners-of-war.

The final execution took place on Penenden Heath to the NE of the town in December 1830. A new gallows was built in front of the county prison. On 28 April 1868, the last person in Britain to be publicly hanged was Frances Kidder, a 25-year-old woman who had murdered her stepdaughter; the execution took place outside Maidstone Prison. is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Theatres

Sport

Football team Maidstone United FC, formed in 1897, has had mixed fortunes in recent years. The peak of the club's achievement was gaining promotion to the Football League in 1989 after many years of success in non-league football. Maidstone's league success was shortlived however, as in 1992 the club, saddled with debt, went into liquidation. The club sold their London Road ground in the 1980s which led to home games taking place in the grounds of a local church, and later at Sittingbourne F.C.’s stadium. In January 2007, work started on a new stadium at Whatman Way in Maidstone.^[5] The club is now playing in the Ryman League. Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Maidstone United F.C. are an English football team from Maidstone, Kent. ... The Football League is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales, and is the oldest such competition in world football. ... Non-league football refers to football in England played at a level below that of the FA Premier League and The Football League. ... Liquidation, or winding up, refers to a business whose assets are converted to money in order to pay off debt. ... Sittingbourne F.C. are a football club based in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. ... The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England. ...

Maidstone Hockey Club is one of the oldest hockey clubs in the country, founded in 1878. Currently, the Ladies 1st XI are in the National South Division, while the Mens 1st XI are in the South 1st XI league. In total, the club has 7 mens sides and 4 womens sides playing at all levels of National, regional and County leagues. The club plays on its own Astroturf at Armstrong Road, where the club has also recently built a new Club House. A new Astro is due to be laid during 2007.

Maidstone Rugby Football Club is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country, founded in 1880. The club run 6 senior mens sides and a highly successful Junior section running sides from U18’s down to U7’s, making a playing structure and membership of over 500. The 1st XV play league rugby in London 2 South, having gained promotion in 2005 (our 125th Anniversary year), and in 2006 the 3rd XV won the Mid Kent A League Title for the 5th time in 9 years. The club is based at Mote Park.

Maidstone is also home to the Lashings World XI, an exhibition cricket team based at the Lashings Bar and Restaurant, that has included Brian Lara, Richie Richardson and Muttiah Muralitharan in its line-up^[6]. The Lashings World XI is a famous cricket team. ... Bowler Shaun Pollock bowls to batsman Michael Hussey. ... Brian Charles Lara (born May 2, 1969) (nicknamed, The Prince of Port-of-Spain or simply The Prince) was a record-breaking cricketer, the greatest batsman of his generation, and one of the greatest cricketers ever. ... Richard Benjamin Richardson was born January 12th 1962 in Five Islands Village, Antigua. ... Muttiah Muralitharan (born April 17, 1972 in Kandy, Sri Lanka), often referred to simply as Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history. ...

On 8 July 2007, Stage One of the 2007 Tour de France passed through Maidstone town centre. is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Stages in 2007 The 2007 Tour de France is the 94th Tour de France, taking place from July 7 to July 29, 2007. ...

Maidstone today

The original site of the town, where the main streets are, is on the rising ground to the east of the River Medway. High Street and King Street run up from the river crossing at Lockmeadow; Week Street and Gabriel’s Hill bisect this route. Much of the modern centre is traffic-free or has restrictions imposed.

The county council offices, to the north of the town centre, beside the prison, were built of Portland stonebetween 1910 and 1913. The Cenotaph, in Whitehall, London, England, is made from Portland stone Portland stone is limestone from the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. ...

Maidstone General Hospital opened on the outskirts of the town in 1983, replacing West Kent General Hospital, which opened 150 years earlier in Marsham Street.

Many of today’s residents use Maidstone as a base to commute to London, or are employed within the retail, administrative or service sectors within the town.In March 2005, the Fremlin Walk shopping arcade opened, on the site of a former brewery in the centre of the town. It has an area of 32,500 square metres.^[7] Other recent developments include the riverside Lockmeadow Centre, which includes a multiplex cinema, restaurants, nightclub, bowling alley, and market square.

The town is home to the Maidstone Studios, an independent television production base that was once home to the former ITV company TVS in Vinters Park. The Maidstone Studios is a television studio complex based at Vinters Park in Maidstone, Kent UK. It is home to a lot of independent British television programming including quiz shows and popular childrens shows such as CITVs Art Attack and Saturday Showdown. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Population

Twinning

Maidstone is twinned with Beauvais, Piccardy, France. this previously appeared on the signs upon entry to the town centre, however, it is far less 'advertised' since the replacement of these signs. Beauvais is a town and commune of northern France, prÃ©fecture (capital) of the Oise dÃ©partement. ...

External links

References

Categories: Maidstone | Towns in Kent | County towns in England Maidstone is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Allington is an almost entirely modern village situated on either side of the A20 road west of Maidstone in Kent. ... , Ashbank is a village in Kent, England. ... Barming is a village that is part of the borough of Maidstone, the county town of Kent in England. ... Bearsted is a one-time ancient village in mid-Kent situated to the east, and some five miles (7km) from the centre, of Maidstone. ... Bedmonton is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... , Benover is a village in the Maidstone district of Kent, England. ... , Beult is a village in Kent, England. ... , Bexon is a village in Kent, England. ... Bicknor is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England, north-east of Maidstone and south-west of Sittingbourne. ... , Boughton Green is a village in Kent, England. ... Boughton Malherbe is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England, situated between Maidstone and Ashford. ... The village and civil parish of Boughton Monchelsea is in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. ... The village of Boxley lies below the slope of the North Downs in Kent, four miles NE of Maidstone. ... Bredhurst is a village in Kent, England that forms part of the Borough of Maidstone. ... Broomfield is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England, and forms part of the civil parish of Broomfield and Kingswood. ... Caring is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... , Chainhurst is a village in the Maidstone district of Kent, England. ... Chart Sutton is a small village on the edge of the Weald of Kent, approximately 5 miles to the south of Maidstone. ... Chegworth is a hamlet in the parish of Ulcombe in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. ... Collier Street is a small village in Kent. ... Coxheath is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Detling the home Kent County Showground, lies on the Pilgrims Way under the shelter of the North Downs. ... Downswood is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... East Barming is a village in the civil parish of Barming in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. ... East Farleigh is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... East Sutton parish approximately 6 miles South East of Maidstone Kent in the United Kingdom. ... Fairbourne is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Frinsted is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ... Harrietsham (pop 1,352 1991 est. ... , Hawkenbury is a village in the Maidstone district of Kent, England. ... Headcorn is a fairly large compact village, some ten miles SE of Maidstone in Kent. ... Hollingbourne is a Kent village situated on the Pilgrims Way sheltered by the North Downs, some 5 miles east of Maidstone. ... , Horden is a village in the Maidstone district of Kent, England. ... Introduction Hucking is a small hamlet and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. ... Hunton is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Kingswood is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England and forms part of the civil parish of Broomfield and Kingswood. ... Kits Coty is a small village on the slopes of Blue Bell Hill between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent. ... Ladingford is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Langley is an Kent village 4 miles SE of Maidstone, on the road between the latter and Headcorn. ... For the northern UK city see Leeds and other uses of Leeds see Leeds (disambiguation). ... Lenham Cross on the Downs Lenham is a market village in Kent situated on the southern edge of the North Downs, halfway between Maidstone and Ashford. ... Linton is a village on one of the roads leading south out of Maidstone in Kent. ... For an up-to-date list of articles on places in Kent see Category:Towns in Kent and Category:Villages in Kent and Category:Kent. ... Lordswood is part of Walderslade, a suburb of Chatham in Medway (formerly Kent). ... Marden is a village to the south of Maidstone. ... Marley is a hamlet in the civil parish of Harrietsham that, in turn, forms part of the district of Maidstone in the English county of Kent. ... , Milebush is a village in the Maidstone district of Kent, England. ... Nettlestead is on the B2015 road SW of, and part of the borough of Maidstone. ... Nettlestead Green, like its near neighbour Nettlestead lies in the Medway valley SW of Maidstone in Kent. ... Otham is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... , Otterden is a village in the borough of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Park Wood is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Platts Heath is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Pollhill is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Sandling is a small hamlet on the edge of the village of Saltwood in Kent. ... , Sandway is a village in the Maidstone district of Kent, England. ... Shepway is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Sutton Valence is a village 5 miles SE of Maidstone, Kent, England. ... , Staplehurst [stei. ... Stockbury is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Teston (pronounced â€™â€™Teesunâ€™â€™) is a village in the civil parish of Barming in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. ... The village and ancient parish of Thurnham lies at the foot of the North Downs three miles NE of Maidstone in Kent. ... Tovil is a suburb of the town of Maidstone, the county town of Kent in the South East of England. ... Ulcombe is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. ... Walderslade is a large suburb to the south of Chatham in Kent encompassing almost all the ME5 postcode (except parts of Luton). ... Weavering is an area, or villiage, mainly consisting of the Grove Green and Bearsted Park housing Estates, within the borough of Maidstone, Kent in South East England that was formerly farmland. ... West Farleigh is a village 4 miles southwest of Maidstone in the county of Kent. ... Wormshill is a small village in Kent, England, situated at a high point on the North Downs between Sittingbourne and Maidstone some ten miles south of The Swale. ... Yalding is a village and part of Yalding Civil Parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. ... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Portal. ... Medway is the name given to a conurbation in the north of Kent, England. ... Ashford Borough Councils Coat of Arms Ashford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ... Dartford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ... Gravesham is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ... Maidstone is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ... Tonbridge and Malling is a local government district and borough in the English county of Kent. ... Tunbridge Wells is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ... The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. ... Dover is a local government district in Kent, England. ... Sevenoaks is a local government district in Kent, England. ... Shepway is a local government district in Kent, England. ... For other meanings of swale see Swale (disambiguation). ... Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April of 1974. ... , The town of Ashford lies on the River Great Stour, M20 motorway, South Eastern Main Line and Channel Tunnel Rail Link railways, in the borough of Ashford, located just south of the North Downs, in Kent, England. ... Broadstairs is a town in Kent, England, 76 miles east of London, with a population of about 22,000. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... , Chatham is a large English town that developed around an important naval dockyard on the east bank of the River Medway to the south-east of London in the county of Kent. ... Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ... Deal is a town in Kent, England. ... , Dover is a major channel port in the English county of Kent. ... Edenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. ... Faversham is a town in Kent, England, in the district of Swale, roughly halfway between Sittingbourne and Canterbury. ... Folkestone Harbour, picture taken from the golf court Folkestone (IPA: ) is a coastal resort town in the Shepway district of Kent, England. ... Fordwich is the smallest town in England, with a population of around 300 people. ... , Gillingham is a town in Kent, England, forming part of the Medway conurbation; it is a constituent of Medway unitary authority. ... Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. ... , Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, South East England, with a population of 35,188. ... Hythe (pronounced ) is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway (derived from Sheep Way) on the south coast of Kent. ... Arms of Lydd Town Council Lydd is a town in Kent, England, lyins on the Romney Marsh. ... Margate is a town in Thanet, Kent, England (population about 60,000). ... Map sources for Minster-in-Sheppey at grid reference TQ952729 Minster is a small town on the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England, east of Sheerness. ... Map sources for New Romney at grid reference TR0624 New Romney is a small seaside town in Kent, England. ... Location within the British Isles Northfleet as a name is derived from North creek (or inlet), and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201. ... Paddock Wood is a large village in Kent, England, about eight miles SE of Maidstone. ... , Queenborough is a small town on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in South East England. ... , Rainham is a town near Gillingham in the county of Kent in South East England. ... Ramsgate is an English seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. ... Rochester is a small town in Kent, at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway about 30 miles (50 km) from London. ... , Royal Tunbridge Wells (often called simply Tunbridge Wells) is a Wealden town in west Kent in England, just north of the border with East Sussex. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sevenoaks is a town in the Sevenoaks district of Kent in South East England and forms part of the London commuter belt. ... , Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. ... Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles (12. ... Snodland is a large village in the county of Kent, England, located on the River Medway between Rochester and Maidstone. ... Southborough is a northern suburb of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent, England. ... Statistics Population: 33182 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ725695 Administration District: Medway Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Kent Historic county: Kent Services Police force: Kent Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South East Coast Post office and telephone Post town: ROCHESTER... Swanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. ... Tenterden is a small town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. ... Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ... West Malling is an historic town in Kent, England. ... Westerham is a scenic village which is now almost a town. ... Westgate-on-Sea is situated on the North Kent coast to the west of Margate. ... Whitstable is a town in Kent, England with a population of 30,000. ... // Ashford Ashford itself is unparished. ... There are four rivers draining the county of Kent. ... Kent has been occupied since the Lower Palaeolithic as finds from the quarries at Swanscombe attest. ... The ceremonial county of Kent, (which includes the unitary authority of Medway), is divided into 17 Parliamentary constituencies - 1 Borough constituency and 16 County constituencies. ... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. ...

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