Maidstone

Maidstone is Kent's county town, set on the River Medway at a point where the river has been bridged and crossed since at least Roman times. The town centre is not especially well known to visitors from outside the county, but it has a concentration of medieval buildings around the riverfront that are more significant than its general reputation suggests. The Archbishop's Palace, the collegiate church of All Saints and the old stabling buildings together form one of the most intact sets of late medieval ecclesiastical buildings on the Medway.

The Archbishop's Palace was used by successive Archbishops of Canterbury from the 14th century as a staging post on the journey between London and Canterbury. It is one of the largest surviving medieval archbishop's palaces in England and is now in the care of Maidstone Borough Council. Tours run on specific open days throughout the year and must be booked through the Maidstone Museum events programme; the palace can be viewed from outside at any time. The adjacent Maidstone Museum is free to enter and contains a collection that includes Egyptian mummies, natural history and local archaeology.

The River Medway riverside walk connects the town centre to Allington Lock in around 40 minutes and is a practical way to extend a museum visit into a half-day. Leeds Castle is 6 miles east and combines well as a full-day itinerary. Maidstone East station has direct trains from London Victoria.