Maidstone

• Maidstone is located where the Tidal Medway meets the River Medway, and appears to have first become a settlement after the Norman Invasion.
• Although it was not a Roman town, the area was of great significance to the Romans due to the quarrying of Kentish Ragstone nearby at Tovil. A Roman Road ran from Rochester, through Maidstone, to Hastings.

History

• Kentish Ragstone
  • Kentish Ragstone was the only source of hard rock for building walls in the southeast.
  • The Romans quarried Kentish Ragstone near Maidstone at Tovil, and then transported it along the Medway and the Thames to London.
  • The Blackfriars Roman Shipwreck excavated in London, was found to contain a cargo of Kentish Ragstone.
• Tidal Medway
  • Maidstone is at the point where the Tidal Medway meets the River Medway. The Medieval Archbishops Palace complex is located at this point.
  • Today the Tidal Medway meets the River Medway further downstream at Allington Lock.

Museums

• Maidstone Museum
  • Located in St. Faith’s Street, Maidstone.
  • The museum holds examples of Roman Glassware.
• The Carriage Museum
  • Located in the Tithe Barn of the Archbishop’s Palace (14-16th century CE)
  • The museum holds a collection of over 60 horse drawn vehicles from the Victorian period to 1945.

Roman Roads

• A Roman Road connected the Iron workings in the Weald with Watling Street.
  • Rochester-Maidstone-Hastings.

Kentish Ragstone Quarry, Tovil, Maidstone: