insideKENT Magazine Issue 68 - November 2017 | Page 61

TOWNSPOTLIGHT
Spotlight on
MAIDSTONE
Maidstone is Kent’s county town, so it holds a special place of importance
when it comes to the administrative side of the Garden of England.
MAIDSTONE ISN’T JUST ABOUT ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE,
HOWEVER, THE TOWN ALSO HAS PHENOMENAL BEAUTY AND HISTORY TOO,
AS WELL AS EXCELLENT TRANSPORT LINKS AND AMENITIES. MAIDSTONE, AS
A COUNTY TOWN, DOES US PROUD.
HISTORY IN BRIEF
Maidstone has always been somewhere that people wanted to be, an
allure that first made itself clear way back with the Romans and the
Normans. Both of these groups of settlers made drastic improvements
to the town, turning it from a small but perfectly placed village into an
industrial hub of enterprise. The Romans built the roads and a number
of villas, while the Normans established an abbey, hospitals, and even
a college for priests.
Leeds Castle
Maidstone has always been historically significant and there are many
fascinating stories about exactly what went on there. For example, on
1st June 1648, the Battle of Maidstone took place wherein 2,000 Royalist
soldiers defended the town against the New Model Army led by General
Fairfax; the Royalists surrendered in the churchyard at midnight. And
on 28th April 1868, the last woman to be publicly hanged in Britain,
Frances Kidder, was executed at Maidstone prison.
Today, Maidstone is an excellent place to go shopping, with a popular
shopping centre (Fremlin Walk) and a huge number of independent
stores, boutiques, and cafés to browse and buy from.
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