Post by Les on Aug 23, 2023 11:09:48 GMT
EARLY HISTORY
The earliest documentary evidence for settlement first appears in Saxon charters of c. 975 where it is
named either as “de maides stana” or “margin stane”, probably meaning either “the maiden’s
stone” or “the people’s stone” – possibly a megalithic tomb which was used as a meeting place. By
1086 the Domesday Book entry is for “Meddestane”, and in 1159 the town is known as Maidestan.
The first recorded use of the current spelling was in 1610.
The origins of settlement in Maidstone are not fully understood and there has been little systematic
archaeological investigation carried out in the town. Much of what is known has depended on
chance finds, many of them in the 18th, 19th, or early 20th Century, which were either never properly
recorded or which did not benefit from the application of modern archaeological techniques.
The first evidence for human activity in the Maidstone area dates from the Mesolithic period (c. 9000 –
4000 BC) and indicates the presence of nomadic hunter-gatherers. The area was obviously attractive
to early settlers of the Neolithic period, as evidenced by surviving ritual monuments such as Kits Coty
House and the other Medway Megaliths found to the north and west of the town. Works in advance
of the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link brought to light the existence of a Neolithic
house at Bluebell Hill, not far away from Kits Coty House to the north of the town. A Bronze Age
beaker was found at Tovil in 1892, some distance southwest of the Conservation Area, and post
holes tentatively ascribed to the Bronze Age were found during archaeological investigations on the
Palace site just to the south of the Conservation Area.
Late Iron Age activity in the general area is evidenced by large cremation cemeteries at Aylesford
and Allington, and cremation urns and pottery of similar date have been discovered as chance finds
in numerous locations in central Maidstone. In the years immediately preceding the Roman Invasion
the oppidum (or proto-town) at Quarry Wood, Boughton Monchelsea, was established, and it is
possible that some settlement focus may have occurred within its territory at the future site of
Maidstone.
The Maidstone area is rich in remains of the Roman period, but there is no concrete evidence of
there being a town here. Evidence from elsewhere, however, does suggest that it was common
practice for settlement focussed on oppida to shift under Roman influence to more lowland sites
served by rivers. There are two known Roman villas in the immediate vicinity of the town centre –
one at The Mount just to the north of the Maidstone East railway line, and another southeast of the
Conservation Area on the eastern side of Upper Stone Street. Many other villas are known along
this stretch of the Medway Valley. Two large cremation cemeteries of Romano-British date were
discovered during building operations during the 18th and 19th centuries. One was at the junction of
Earl Street and Pudding Lane, where several urns containing ashes and other human remains were
found in 1715 about which little is known – possibly associated with this cemetery were the two or
more Romano-British urns found in St. Faith Street circa 1850 and the Romano-British burial group
found in Havock Lane in 1932, as well as the 8 skeletons excavated to the rear of nos. 40-50 Earl
Street in 2003 as part of the archaeological investigations carried out prior to construction ofthe
Maidstone Centre Conservation Area Historical Development
2
Fremlin Walk development. These archaeological investigations also found various pits and ditch
features dating from the Roman period as well as contemporary pottery. The existence of this
extensive cemetery (together with another one found in 1859-60 at Westborough, across the
Medway, which yielded 25-30 skeletons and about 150 pottery or glass urns) suggests some form of
reasonably substantial settlement – if such a settlement did exist, the cemeteries, in accordance
with Roman law, would have been outside it.
Other finds of the Roman period include a 2nd Century jar found during the construction of Len
House in Mill Street in 1937 and a possibly Romano-British building found during the construction of
Colman House at the junction of Week Street and King Street in 1967
The earliest documentary evidence for settlement first appears in Saxon charters of c. 975 where it is
named either as “de maides stana” or “margin stane”, probably meaning either “the maiden’s
stone” or “the people’s stone” – possibly a megalithic tomb which was used as a meeting place. By
1086 the Domesday Book entry is for “Meddestane”, and in 1159 the town is known as Maidestan.
The first recorded use of the current spelling was in 1610.
The origins of settlement in Maidstone are not fully understood and there has been little systematic
archaeological investigation carried out in the town. Much of what is known has depended on
chance finds, many of them in the 18th, 19th, or early 20th Century, which were either never properly
recorded or which did not benefit from the application of modern archaeological techniques.
The first evidence for human activity in the Maidstone area dates from the Mesolithic period (c. 9000 –
4000 BC) and indicates the presence of nomadic hunter-gatherers. The area was obviously attractive
to early settlers of the Neolithic period, as evidenced by surviving ritual monuments such as Kits Coty
House and the other Medway Megaliths found to the north and west of the town. Works in advance
of the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link brought to light the existence of a Neolithic
house at Bluebell Hill, not far away from Kits Coty House to the north of the town. A Bronze Age
beaker was found at Tovil in 1892, some distance southwest of the Conservation Area, and post
holes tentatively ascribed to the Bronze Age were found during archaeological investigations on the
Palace site just to the south of the Conservation Area.
Late Iron Age activity in the general area is evidenced by large cremation cemeteries at Aylesford
and Allington, and cremation urns and pottery of similar date have been discovered as chance finds
in numerous locations in central Maidstone. In the years immediately preceding the Roman Invasion
the oppidum (or proto-town) at Quarry Wood, Boughton Monchelsea, was established, and it is
possible that some settlement focus may have occurred within its territory at the future site of
Maidstone.
The Maidstone area is rich in remains of the Roman period, but there is no concrete evidence of
there being a town here. Evidence from elsewhere, however, does suggest that it was common
practice for settlement focussed on oppida to shift under Roman influence to more lowland sites
served by rivers. There are two known Roman villas in the immediate vicinity of the town centre –
one at The Mount just to the north of the Maidstone East railway line, and another southeast of the
Conservation Area on the eastern side of Upper Stone Street. Many other villas are known along
this stretch of the Medway Valley. Two large cremation cemeteries of Romano-British date were
discovered during building operations during the 18th and 19th centuries. One was at the junction of
Earl Street and Pudding Lane, where several urns containing ashes and other human remains were
found in 1715 about which little is known – possibly associated with this cemetery were the two or
more Romano-British urns found in St. Faith Street circa 1850 and the Romano-British burial group
found in Havock Lane in 1932, as well as the 8 skeletons excavated to the rear of nos. 40-50 Earl
Street in 2003 as part of the archaeological investigations carried out prior to construction ofthe
Maidstone Centre Conservation Area Historical Development
2
Fremlin Walk development. These archaeological investigations also found various pits and ditch
features dating from the Roman period as well as contemporary pottery. The existence of this
extensive cemetery (together with another one found in 1859-60 at Westborough, across the
Medway, which yielded 25-30 skeletons and about 150 pottery or glass urns) suggests some form of
reasonably substantial settlement – if such a settlement did exist, the cemeteries, in accordance
with Roman law, would have been outside it.
Other finds of the Roman period include a 2nd Century jar found during the construction of Len
House in Mill Street in 1937 and a possibly Romano-British building found during the construction of
Colman House at the junction of Week Street and King Street in 1967