For the Love of the British Isles: MAIDSTONE

Maidstone is the old capital of Western Kent and appears to have developed in the vicinity of a stone marking an important meeting-place or Moot.

I have yet to do a full town visit to Kent's County Town, but today I went specifically to see the visiting Knife Angel and took the opportunity to stroll around Brenchley Gardens, the town's memorial garden, which stands behind the Maidstone Museum.

Unfortunately, the museum was closed today, as part of the period of National Mourning, but I will do a full town visit at a later date.

Meanwhile, here are a few shots of the memorials in the garden..................

The Elizabethan manor house which is part of the museum. The Brenchleys were a notable Kent family, going back several generations. Several held the position of Mayor of Maidstone.

Julius Brenchley was an ordained clergyman in the 19th. Century, and a highly renowned explorer. When Maidstone railway station was being built, he quickly snapped up a piece of land next door, to prevent it being built on, and to provide a green buffer between the railway and the town. He presented this land, Brenchley Gardens, to the town. When he died, his entire collection of artefacts that he had brought home from his explorations, formed the basis of the collection at Maidstone Museum.

There is a good write-up on Julius Brenchley here

The Lighthouse Centre, formerly St. Faith's church, which is playing host to the Knife Angel, stands in the corner of Brenchley Gardens. There is a rather lovely Victorian bandstand, which is still used in the summer months, and the below notable elements.

The cenotaph-style war memorial, which forms a focal point of Brenchley Gardens, was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens. It was unveiled in 1921, and honours the 6,866 officers and men of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment who died in the First World War.

The National Monument Against Violence and Aggression (The Knife Angel) on his visit to Maidstone

As soon as you exit Maidstone East railway station to head into town, you are confronted by Iggy, the town's Iguanadon. In 1834 during an excavation along Queen’s Road, a fossilised bone was unearthed. After considerable research, it was found to be a piece of a partial skeleton of an Iguanodon.

There are other dinosaur replicas in the town, like this little one, outside the Maidstone Museum

Directly opposite Iggy, is Sessions House, built in around 1920. Combined judicial offices and courts etc.

To the left, is a wall - a huge, thick stone wall.

This is Maidstone prison, built in 1819, once home to some very bad men indeed, but now downgraded to category C. It houses foreign national men who have committed crimes.

Some of the more notorious inmates previously were, George Joseph Smith, serial killer, was hanged at Maidstone Prison in 1915. Éamon de Valera, Irish statesman, Taoiseach and President of Ireland, was briefly held at Maidstone Prison in 1917. John Vassall, British civil servant convicted of spying for the Soviet Union in 1962. That's all on top of hosting the Krays, of course.

It also once housed 'Slippery Sam', the nickname of Samuel Jackson, a notorious 18th. century smuggler who lived in a 15th. century inn on Stone Street in Petham. (The building is still there, although now a private house)

He bought the farmhouse aged 20 and it soon had a warren of tunnels underneath, used for storage and hiding places.

Sam earned his nickname after escaping from Maidstone Gaol by covering himself in axle grease and slipping through a small window to freedom.

Watch MoreHe bought the farmhouse aged 20 and it soon had a warren of tunnels underneath, used for storage and hiding places.Sam earned his moniker after escaping from Maidstone Gaol by covering himself in axle grease and slipping through a small window to freedom.

But in 1760, after shooting and killing a Revenue officer, he was hanged and gibbeted for two days at the age of 30.

Above the entrance to the Sessions Square complex, is the Invicta symbol of Kent.

The Invicta is to be seen all over Maidstone, as are references to Maidstone's former own regiment, the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, now amalgamated with other regiments.

If you walk from Maidstone East station, diagonally across Brenchley Gardens, as you exit close to the Maidstone Museum, you'll will find this memorial stone:

exit close to the Maidstone Museum, you will find this memorial stone

The first civil war ended in 1646 with a Royalist defeat, and the King in custody.

By May 1648 there was a staunch Royalist rebellion after the county committee at Canterbury tried to block a petition calling for the return of King Charles I and the dissolution of the New Model Army, the parliamentarian army.

The Battle of Maidstone was fought in the Second English Civil War and was a victory for the attacking Parliamentarian troops over the defending Royalist forces.

Notice the quotation from Richard Lovelace. For more information about him, see the section on Bethersden.

There are many plaques all over the town. Some are self-explanatory, and those I shall just include as a picture, with no references or information

youIf you walk from Maidstone East station diagonally across Brenchley Gardens, as you

Just past this plaque, and the little dinosaur shown above, is the Maidstone Museum. That will have to wait for another time.

However, I will just note that the foundation stone was laid by Lady Bearsted in 1923. Lady Bearsted was formerly Dorothy Montefiore Micholls, and became wife of Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted.

Maidstone museum is housed in a Grade II listed building, with a modern extension. The original building is an Elizabethan manor house, formerly called Chillington Manor. The museum houses several important collections.

In the courtyard are memorials to the Gurkha regiments who are based in Maidstone, and who have served in the British Army for over 200 years. They are incredibly brave and highly disciplined. 26 Victoria Crosses have been awarded to Gurkha soldiers.

Opposite the museum, is one of the entrances to Fremlin Walk. Fremlins were the owners of one of the largest and oldest breweries in the country. This shopping mall stands where the brewery used to be. Fremlins trade mark was an elephant. I can remember as a child, the tables in the Fremlins pub near our house being cast iron elephants with wooden tables on the backs.

The original entrance to the brewery at the bottom of the High Street, still exists, and has a black elephant over the arch, and a gold elephant on the weathervane

A brewery was founded in Earl Street in 1790. In 1861, it was acquired by Ralph Fremlin of Wateringbury, and went on to become the largest brewery in Kent. Eventually, it was bought out by Whitbreads.

Strangely, Ralph Fremlin disapproved of public houses, of which around 800 came with the business, and wanted to concentrate on brewing, of which around 800 came with the business, and wanted to concentrate on brewing, which is why he sold out the commercial side to Whitbreads

ial side to Whitbreads

This is the sign outside the Muggleton Inn in the High Street. It depicts Charles Dickens writing at his desk. Dickens referred to Maidstone in the 'Pickwick Papers' as 'Muggleton'.

ch is why he sold out the commerc

The former Corn Exchange has been for decades now, known better as the Hazlitt theatre. It was named after William Hazlitt who was born in 1778. He grew up mixing with writers such as Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats.

He became a writer himself, often expressing strong opinions, and married a lady journalist, Sarah Stoddart.

Opposite the theatre, you will see this elegant building, built in 1883, which has the head of Benjamin Disraeli over the door. Disraeli was MP for Maidstone, and became Prime Minister in 1868.

old out the com

Behind the Hazlitt theatre, stands the Royal Star Arcade. This was once a rather exclusive hotel, where Princess Victoria often came to stay. Now it is lined with shops and cafes, which surround a glass atrium

Now for a few little oddities I spotted.........

This plaque was on the house where Andrew Broughton lived, in Earl Street.

Broughton was a member of the Kent county committee from 1643. He acted as attorney on behalf of the corporation of Maidstone during the First English Civil War. In November 1648 he was elected Mayor of the town. Two months later he was appointed Clerk of the Court at the High Court of Justice for the trial of King Charles I of England. As Clerk of the Court, it was Broughton who read out the charge against the king and required him to plead, and at the end of the trial declared the court's sentence of death

After the restoration of the monarchy, Broughton and several other regicides were given asylum in Switzerland

This building is the current Town Hall, built in 1762, which stands in what is now Jubilee Square, and which would have been the market place

Facing the Town Hall, and also undergoing restoration, is this statue of a young Queen Victoria. This was the gift of Alexander Randall in 1862, High Sheriff of Kent in 1861, and was sculpted by John Thomas, who worked on Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster.

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Also opposite the Town Hall in Jubilee Square, partly known as Remembrance Square, is this cannon. The Russian Gun or Sebastapol cannon, was captured in battle during the Crimean War and was presented to the town in 1858 by Lord Panmure, the Secretary of War.

The Brenchley hostelry, named for Julius Brenchley again.

A very handsome bank building

Another plaque commemorating the Battle of Maidstone

Behind the town hall, pictures above, is a narrow road called Bank Street. Obviously at one time, there were several banks here. It's a road full of old, interesting buildings, although some of them are really run down now, I do need to try and establish what they once were.

Although this one looks as though it should be very old, I believe it was built in the early 20th. Century. It was formerly an insurance building, and later on the Post Office. The statues either side of the windows represent Lord Avebury , Sir Lawrence Washington, William Caxton, and Archbishop Courtenay.

If you're not familiar with some of the names above, here's a little run-down.

Lord Avebury (Sir John Lubbock) was MP for Maidstone from 1870 to 1880. We have a lot to thank him for. Formerly, British workers were entitled to two paid days off a year - Christmas Day and Good Friday. He brought in the Bank Holidays, which gave the workers 6 days a year paid leave. Now, of course, it's 8 days.

Sir Lawrence Washington was MP for Maidstone in 1603. Some of his family emigrated to America, and a little farther down the line, in 1732, came the birth of George Washington, his great-nephew and First President of the United State of America.

William Caxton was the first English printer, translator and importer of foreign books into England. Born in 1422, his birthplace is disputed, but was somewhere south of Maidstone. Among the books he printed, was Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'

Archbishop Courtenay went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury. He died in Maidstone in 1396 and in buried in Canterbury Cathedral. He was responsible for the building of All Saints parish church.

Under the jetty, there are a variety of symbols and the inevitable Invicta arms of Kent.

(below) a general view of the buildings in Bank Street.

Now a jewellers. presumably this was once a gun shop, although I haven't yet established any facts about it.

This one is currently undergoing some restoration, but the beautiful 17th. century pargetting shines through. I'll return later, when the scaffolding comes down, and get a better shot. Then you should be able to see the Prince of Wales insignia on the left, and the Royal Coat of Arms on the right. The partially obscured window between them is rather beautiful too.

Finally, at the end of Bank Street, we come across this modern building, with representations of old pre-decimal coinage on the front. This is Sunley House, a former Barclay's Bank.

If you're my sort of age, you'll remember the farthing with the little Wren on it, and the ha'penny with it's sailing ship. I'm sorry that it doesn't also show either the silver thrupenny coin, or the later bronze multi-sided one with the portcullis on it.

The river Medway is spectacular as it flows along the bottom of the High Street, past the rear of the Archbishop's Palace and the parish church. There is a very pleasant walk along the bank, down past Lockmeadow, once the market, and a children's playground. There is an attractive modern bridge over the river that takes you to very pretty gardens. (More of this walk later).

Where the busy roads converge to cross Maidstone Bridge, stands this 60 foot tall 'Waymarker', erected in 2009. It has an array of different coloured LED lights that flash after dark.

And this modern clock. It is made from steel that has been allowed to rust over time, thus giving it a rich brown patina.

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The central war memorial stands just across the Maidstone Bridge. It depicts St. George having defeated the dragon, and was designed by George Frampton, who was also responsible for the statue of Peter Pan in the gardens of Kensington Palace.

So now, if it's a nice day, take a walk along the river bank down by Lockmeadow. As you pass the modern Law Courts on the left, there is a path along the front of the Entertainment centre, that leads to the children's play park, and the river bank.

The first thing you see will be this amazing stag. It's huge, and I certainly wouldn't want to lock horns with him! It was created by Edward Bainbridge Copnall in 1963 and was first unveiled by Princess Alexandra in Stag Place, near Victoria Station in London.

In 1997 it moved to Sevenoaks, and then in 2004 to here, in the Millennium River Park. At 21 feet tall, he took a lot of moving, so perhaps he will stay here now.

At this point, the walk takes you directly opposite the rear of the parish church and the Archbishop's Palace. Both are beautiful to look at.

Just past here, you come to the elegant Millennium Bridge, which takes you across the river to the Palace complex and beautiful gardens with artworks.

This one is called 'Morning Thoughts' (Alien Egg) by Ekkehard Altenburger.

This plaque is on the wall at the back of a lovely rose garden, and it lists all the people of Maidstone who donated the huge number of rose plants for the garden. Unfortunately, at this point I was running out of time, so I will need to return and complete the walk along the river.

And so to the Archbishop's Palace complex. Unfortunately, it wasn't open today, so that's another place to return to. It was built as a place for the Archbishop to rest on the long journey between London and Canterbury. Parts of it date from the 14th. century, others from the 16th. century.

During the late 14th-century, the Church of All Saints and the adjacent ecclesiastical college were founded.

The palace was given to Henry VIII, who then granted it to the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt: However, due to his son Thomas Wyatt the younger staging a revolt against Mary I, the palace was returned to the Crown.
Maidstone Palace was then given to the Astley family, who extended the estate further during the 16th-century much of which can be seen today.

This gateway was the entrance to the Palace from the river bank.

Under the arched gateway between the College of All Saints and the church, is this plaque, explaining how the Borough Council came into the ownership of the complex.

Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake was educated at Charterhouse School. Sent to Argentina at 18, he spent a year on a cattle ranch and returned with his first wild animal, a puma. On his return, he joined his father’s firm. He spent his spare time building up his collection of animals and working with travelling circuses.

Sir Garrard lived at Cobtree Manor where he used part of the estate to house his private zoo - the largest in the country. His magnificent collection included lions, tigers, bears and elephants. He opened Maidstone Zoo at Cobtree...between 1934 and 1954 where the public were invited to see his wild and rare animals and travel round the Park on a light gauge railway.

He was first elected to Maidstone Borough Council in 1912. Between 1915 and 1949 he was Mayor of Maidstone 12 times, High Sheriff of Kent 1956–1957 and served as a County Councillor from 1933–1937. He was knighted in 1936 in recognition of his public service and charitable work. He also began collecting carriages after realising that the horse-drawn vehicles of his childhood were being driven off the road by the rise in popularity of the motor car. He used to ride a horse at the head of the annual Maidstone Carnival procession, used his own horses and carriages for civic events and was a familiar figure around town driving in his yellow Rolls Royce. Maidstone’s most generous benefactor, as well as the Cobtree Estate, he also gave to Maidstone, The Old College Buildings in College Road, land at Ringlestone Estate, Carriages for the Museum and many silver pieces including the Chain of Office for the Deputy Mayor. Sir Garrard was undoubtedly a major benefactor to the town, as he also donated the buildings of the College of All Saints in 1950.

Across the busy road from the Palace, stands the Tyrwhitt-Drake museum of carriages, formed from the collection of the man above. The building was originally a tithe barn, which was used to stable the traveller's horses overnight, with accommodation for the servants above.

And so to the Parish Church of All Saints. It really is a magnificent edifice, with almost every window of stained glass, every wall packed with monuments and memorials, the floor totally taken up with table slabs for vault burials, and the walls of the chancel and sanctuary once resplendent with colourful painted scenes. (sadly some of these are a bit worse for wear, but hey! It's old!) NB some of the memorials were too high up, or too badly placed for me to be able to read who they are to.

This is known as the Maidstone Men memorial, and is in remembrance of those who died in World War I. Below the base of the cross, at the top of the pillar, are four small statues, standing on corbels. These figures are a knight, virgin and child, a king with a crown and sword and a warrior with spear and sword of flame. There is an inscription around the steps of the base. The memorial was paid for by a local family called Monckton, so is also known as the Monckton memorial.

This is the John Astley memorial. John Astley, died in 1596, and was cousin to Anne Boleyn. He was Master of the Jewel Office to Elizabeth I, and MP for Maidstone. The lower figures represent his son and his wife.

Memorial to Lt. Col. John Wallace King CB. 14th. Light Dragoons. Served in the Punjab. Died 1850. He committed suicide due to a disagreement with Sir Charles Napier, who overturned a court-martial decision in his regiment. He is buried in Lahore.

Unable to make out the wording on this one, or recognise the Coat of Arms.

Another one too high up to be able to read the dedication.

Memorial to Lt. Col. . Havelock KH and the men of the 14th. Kings Light Dragoons. The Havelocks were a renowned Indian Army dynasty. The memorial includes, unusually, the names of the soldiers killed alongside their commanding officer, which illustrates the close connection between Indian Army officers and their white soldiers.

Obviously a Royalist, but don't know who

Memorial to the West Kent (Queens Own) Yeomanry, 97 (Kent Yeomanry) and 143 (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiments RA

Field Ambulances memorial

The war memorial panels for WWI (upper panels) and WWII (lower panels) inside the church.

At the east end of the South Aisle is St. Katherine's Chapel, which is used for mid-week services and private devotion.

There's a plethora of stained glass, but for me, this one tops the lot - the wonderful great West window.

(below) There is a side chapel, known as the Arundel Chapel, that is dedicated to Thomas Beckett, that has as its' main feature, a large tomb to the first Master of the College of Priests, John Wootton, who died in 1417. It is of national importance, because of its medieval paintings of Mary and the Archangel Gabriel. During the Battle of Maidstone in 1648, the anti-religious soldiers mutilated the figures.

On the wall opposite the Wootton tomb, is a memorial to John Day and his wife, depicting them holding hands over a skull.

It's a shame that the reredos obscures the magnificent east window, but it is a remarkable sculpture in itself. It was designed by John Loughborough Pearson, who died in 1897, and who was for nearly 20 years, architect and surveyor of the fabric at Westminster Abbey.

It was placed here by the Monkton Family, in memory of Herbert John Monkton, who died in the South African Campaign in 1902. The monument represents the Te Deum.

All of the walls in the Sanctuary are painted, including those surrounding the East window.

The Chancel is decorated with a complete scheme of oil-painted murals painted on a lime plaster. These date from 1907-1908

The North Aisle is known as the Kent Corner. The Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men (your title depends which side of the Medway you were born) was founded in London in 1897. The annual service used to be held in the church of St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe in London, which was destroyed in the Blitz. In 1997 it was decided to re-site it in the County Church of Kent. The Association holds occasional services here. The bell, presented by the Association, is from H.M.S. Kent of 1883.

The chapel at the end of the North Aisle, is known as the Holy Name Chapel. Here are kept the Books of Remembrance for the Fallen, and a few battle standards.

When the church was first built, this aisle was known as the Corpus Christi Chapel. The Corpus Christi Fraternity was a religious guild establishes in 1422 during the reign of Henry VI, for the regular observance of certain religious services, and for the relief of the members when they became sick or old. It was suppressed in 1547 during the Reformation.

On the north wall of this chapel, is the Karkaredg memorial, which dates from 1639, and shows Thomas and his wife, Anna, dressed in Puritan costume. In his will, Thomas left £3 a year for the supply of clothing to two poor widows of the parish.

..........and finally.......

The former Odeon cinema, looking a little time-worn these days.