Maidstone, capital of Kent in southeast England

Friday, 9 December 2011 - 02:38 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General
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The Exchange © Clem Rutter

The Exchange © Clem Rutter

Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, 32 miles (51 km) south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town’s trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural county of Kent, known as the Garden of England. There is evidence of a settlement in the area dating back to beyond the Stone Age. Many of today’s residents are employed within the retail, administrative or service sectors within the town; there are many industrial estates around the town providing employment. Some of the workforce commutes to other towns, including to London.

The town is within the borough of Maidstone. In 2001, the town had a population of 75,070. Maidstone’s economy has changed over the years from being involved in heavy industry, to more light and service industries. The town is ranked in the top five shopping centres in the south east of England for shopping yields and with more than one million square feet of retail floor space, in the top 50 in the UK. Much of this space is provided the two main shopping centres in the town, the 535,000 square feet (49,700 m2) The Mall Maidstone and the 32,500 square metres (350,000 sq ft) Fremlin Walk which opened in 2006.

River Medway ©geograph.org.uk The Stag by Edward Bainbridge Copnall, outside the Locksmeadow Centre © Clem Rutter The Mall © Clem Rutter The 1874 Maidstone East line crossing the River Medway © Clem Rutter Kent County Council © geograph.org.uk - Jacqui Sadler Fremlin Walk © geograph.org.uk - Andy Potter Archbishop's Palace © Stephen Nunney Archbishop's Palace © Clem Rutter All Saints Church © Clem Rutter Maidstone Museum © Linda Spashett Storye book The Royal Albion public house © geograph.org.uk - Andy Potter The Exchange © Clem Rutter
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The Stag by Edward Bainbridge Copnall, outside the Locksmeadow Centre © Clem Rutter
Other recent developments include the riverside Lockmeadow Centre, which includes a multiplex cinema, restaurants, nightclubs, bowling alley, and the town’s market square. The leisure industry is a key contributor to the town’s with the night-time economy worth £75m per annum. The town is situated at a point where the River Medway has previously flowed in a generally west-east direction; now, having been joined by the Rivers Teise and Beult, its course changes to a northerly one. As it does so, it cuts through the ridge formed by the Greensand, so that the town occupies a site on two opposite hills; the more easterly one containing the town centre. Beyond that, and still higher, is Penenden Heath. Many of today’s residents are employed within the retail, administrative or service sectors within the town; there are many industrial estates around the town providing employment. Some of the workforce commutes to other towns, including to London.

Read more on Maidstone Borough Council, Visit Maidstone, Maidstone Tourismus, Wikitravel Maidstone and Wikipedia Maidstone. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organisations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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