History - Maidstone Market and Market Buildings

Maidstone Market

Maidstone has always been a market town, gaining a grant in 1261 for markets every Thursday at Peter’s Field, then moving to the High Street, which remained the market place for the town until the late 19^th century.

By the 17^th century Maidstone was described as the ‘principle market town in the county’. The whole length of the High Street had already been occupied by various markets by the mid-16^th century. By the early 17^th century, cloth sales had been lost to London (because of a Parliamentary decision). However, the grain market had increased in importance, having strong links to London traders. The corn market moved from Corn Cross to the arcaded ground floor of the 1608 Court House, the fish market from the lower end of Middle Row to the Old Corn Cross, and the vegetable market to the old fish market site. The lower end of Middle Row also provided the home for the butter market, housed in a small, round building. Fruit and hop markets were introduced, and in 1682 Maidstone was granted the right to hold a monthly cattle market which took place in Earl’s Lane, which was renamed Bullock Lane as a result.

River trade in general expanded greatly in the 17^th century, particularly important commodities being canons, canon balls, timber, corn, stone, hay, hops, wool and leather. A town charter of 1619 enabled the corporation to charge tolls on all vessels berthing at Maidstone, and Acts of Parliament in 1628 and 1644 sought to improve the navigation of the Medway by way of locks, towpaths and dredging.

In the 1720s, Daniel Defoe declared Maidstone market the best in England, with a wide variety of goods going to London including bullocks, timber, corn, hops, paving stones, sand and apples.

In 1739 the Medway Navigation Company was set up to deal with improvements to the river so that by the late 18^th century the whole of the Weald and much of Sussex received their groceries via Maidstone.

By the latter part of the 18^th century the old market arrangements in the High Street were causing traffic congestion, and a new market hall for fish and vegetables was erected. The old Court House nearby was replaced by the current Town Hall in 1764, which originally retained an open arcaded ground floor for market traders.

The original market-place of Maidstone was the broad High Street, and a market cross existed in the middle of its upper end until being considered an obstruction to traffic, it was moved on rollers in 1771 to a position on the north side of the street.  It was considered inadequate, however, and improved accommodation for fish and vegetable markets was built in 1780 and 1805 on the same spot. In 1824 it was decided to concentrate the corn, fish, meat and vegetable markets into the same place and remove them from the streets.

Market Buildings

In 1823 a committee was appointed by the Corporation to examine the state of all markets in the town, amidst a growing feeling that the High Street location was becoming increasingly inconvenient.  As a result, new market buildings were erected in 1825/6 in a location behind the High Street, apparently in the former inn-yard of the Mitre Hotel, which itself was rebuilt and still exists, and is now known as The Muggleton Inn.  The total cost of the project was £13,000. Stalls were sited in parallel slated sheds carried on stone columns, extending all the way to Earl Street. However, the scheme was not entirely satisfactory, so further amendments were made in 1835 which included a new corn exchange designed by local architect John Whichcord.  The stalls were never all occupied, so the market contract away from Earl Street and a concert hall (now the Hazlitt Theatre) was erected in 1869 utilising the old stone columns in new arcading.  In 1900 some of the stalls at the High Street end were converted to a fire station which lasted until 1967.

Livestock Market

The livestock markets were also banned from the streets in 1824, moving first to Penenden Heath and Fairmeadow and eventually to Lockmeadow in 1879. The livestock market moved from Lockmeadow to the Detling Aerodrome site in the late 1990s when the site was redeveloped to create the Lockmeadow Entertainment Complex. However a Market Hall was retained on the site to house the town’s regular weekly market, which continues to this day operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the year.