Town profile


A 10-pin bowling alley in King Street completes the town centre’s fixed action attractions, but there is always a moveable feast of festivals, fetes and activities to keep locals and visitors entertained all-year round.


There is never a shortage


of live music to be found in Maidstone’s vibrant pubs. Saturday Jazz is a popular free attraction in Brenchley Gardens throughout the summer and there are regular events at the Exchange Studio in the Hazlitt Arts Centre and at nearby Pizza Express.


The Maidstone Mela, which takes place this year on


September 10 and 11, coinciding with the UK’s Heritage Open Days, is a celebration of Kent’s diverse cultural identity and when music and dance once more swells Mote Park for a whole weekend.


Close to the town’s Hazlitt Theatre and Arts Centre, with


its Graham Clarke art gallery, the pavement café culture here is at its finest during the summer months - and a great spot for people watching!


Popular high street chains such as Café Rouge, La Tasca,


Prezzo and Nandos offer fare from all corners of Europe while independents such as Mexxa Mexxa and Earls offer everything from Spicy South American dishes to traditional jacket spuds and pie and peas.


If you’re spending a long weekend in Maidstone, you’re going to need somewhere to stay.


The King Street Hotel – unsurprisingly in King Street! -


might be unprepossessing from outside but has recently undergone a £2m refurbishment, marketing itself as the town’s first boutique hotel.


If you prefer the anonymity of a large chain, The Best


Western Russell Hotel, in Boxley Road, is within walking distance of the town centre, as is The Village, in Forstal Road, which also has its own gym and leisure club – although you’d probably be safer in a car to get here as it involves traversing the busy A229.


But if you hit Mote Park before then, as well as enjoying a


raft of recent improvements which include two new bridges, walkways and new café, you can enjoy bumble bee and butterfly walks, the tales of Beatrix Potter, arts and crafts and bushcraft cooking – and that’s only for starters! For a full list of events and activities in the park, from now until the end of the year, visit www.maidstone.gov.uk


The Grade II listed mansion of Mote House has recently been extensivly refurbished as part of a major retirement village scheme. However, historians with an interest in the house will be able to visit on 24 select days in the year, details of which will be advertised in advance.


Sport is naturally first and foremost in folks’ thoughts with


London hosting the Olympics this year. Health clubs and leisure centres are gearing up for the usual influx of custom as armchair sports fans decide to get on their bikes – or rowing machines – and join their sporting heroes in getting fit (or fitter!).


Cobtree Manor Park Golf Club is an 18-hole pay and play facility, open Monday to Friday from dawn till dusk.


Mote Park Leisure Centre is open all year round for members and visitors who want to play a variety of sports, attend fitness classes or workshops, swim or simply get in trim.


If calorie control is not your


concern, Maidstone has a wealth of restaurants and bars – many centred on the streets around Earl Street.


16 Mid Kent Living


On the eastern side of town, heading out towards the delights of Lenham and Leeds Castle, are the Marriott Tudor Park and Mercure hotels, both on the A20.


If you really want to turn your visit into a memorable


occasion and live like a King (or Queen), Leeds Castle has just launched its new self-catering accommodation, to complement its existing castle bedrooms.


Six period properties on the estate provide modern


facilities, such as outdoor patio seating and barbecues, whilst retaining their original charm. The Stable Courtyard Bedrooms offer guests the chance to stay in luxury en-suite bed and breakfast accommodation in a beautiful setting while the 16th century Maiden’s Tower, offers five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, all decorated in period style – but with a contemporary twist.


Well Cottage is another award-winning property, situated on Hollingbourne Hill, while just outside Lenham is the delightful Chilston Park, a favourite with celebrity clientele and newly-weds.


If you’re not completely footsore, shopped out and


exhausted at the end of your weekend in Maidstone, you can always venture into the rural environs. Historic villages, such as Lenham, with its town square and monthly Sunday morning farmer’s market, Yalding, with its tea shops, country pubs and Tea Pot Island, complete with its collection of 6,700 teapots, or Aylesford, with its wonderful medieval bridge and calming surroundings of The Friars, all have their own Kentish charm. But better to save that for another day!


www.visitmaidstone.com


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