Maidstone

About

Maidstone in the heart of the Kent countryside has some wonderful events each year, both at the Kent County Show Ground and at many other venues in the town including the theatre, the museum and Leeds Castle.  The town is just 39 miles from Central London, and is an ideal base for exploring the county of Kent.  The River Medway running through the heart of the town providing a great place to walk, cycle and enjoy a number of independent cafes and riverside views.

Things to do in Maidstone

• Leeds Castle remains a spectacular day out for all the family with great events throughout the year including Jousting, theatre, Christmas at the Castle and many other great events. There's also a Go Ape at the castle.
• Maidstone Museum is home to one of the largest collections in Kent, with over 600,000 items of international importance that are free for all visitors to discover, including archaeology, ancient Egypt, local history and more.   The Japanese gallery has one of the best collections of Japanese Art in England and new interactive research stations will allow visitors to find additional articles within the collections in this state of the art facility.
• Kent Life has lots of good events throughout the year but particularly popular is the Hops and Harvest Festival, which includes local food products from the Kent countryside including regionally made beers. This is usually the second weekend in September. The Apple Festival is usually the second weekend in October and has everything to do with Apples, including eating apples, cooking with apples, cider etc.
• Mote Park has been a popular place to visit for both visitors and locals being a huge green open space in the heart of town. It's vast number of mature trees create a landscape of tranquil beauty, cool shade in the summer and glorious colour in the autumn.
• The Kentish Lady River boat is synonymous with Maidstone and is one of Kent’s premier excursion providers
• Balfour Winery has been producing England's most exclusive pink fizz, Balfour Brut Rosé, since its award winning 2004 vintage. The family-owned winery uses traditional Champagne grape varieties and methods in the production of its sparkling wines and also crafts small batches of traditional method Sparkling Ciders, and still wines from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
• Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats is a Kent-based, caring for between 130 and 150 goats resident in the sanctuary at any one time. Entry is free but please donate as all income goes to look after the goats.
• The Maidstone Distillery is a brand new distillery, in the heart of the town. Set in a beautiful building where visitors can learn about Maidstone rich history in the making of gin.
• Take in the sights and splendor of the River Medway and Maidstone, from the comfort of your seat aboard the Kentish Lady River Boat or take to one of the self-drive hire cruisers for up to 6 people.

For things to do in Maidstone this weekend, check out our guide to What's On in Kent.

Coach Parking can be found close to the town centre with good drop off points. For longer stays in Kent, Maidstone is centrally based and offers excellent hotels and good prices to group visitors. Being located here brings you within easy reach all the castles of Kent, some brilliant gardens to visit and the best evening economy in the county, with good nightlife, theatre, bars and restaurants.

Towns & villages near Maidstone

Explore these places closer than 10 miles from Maidstone and find out where to go in the local area to get the most from a visit to the town.

• Malling (4 miles)
• Chatham (7 miles)
• Rochester (7 miles)
• Gillingham (7 miles)
• Medway (8 miles)
• Borden (9 miles)
• Sittingbourne (10 miles)