Lockmeadow Market

About

Maidstone Market takes place each week on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7am until 1.30pm. The market offers a fantastic variety of stalls, including fresh fruit and vegetables as well as domestic items such as linens and tools.

A FREE shuttle bus (no. 505) runs from the Mall Chequers centre every Tuesday from 9.30am. Buses run every 30 minutes with the last bus leaving the market at 1.30pm.

There is a furniture sale every Thursday with viewing starting at 8am and the bidding starting at 10am.

Generally the market takes place in the car park under the Lock Meadow Building and the smaller stalls go into the Market Hall.

When the Market Hall is not in operation then it hosts many events such as dog shows, vintage toy fairs, bird and reptile shows and craft fairs.

Markets in Maidstone are very traditional and there is a record of Maidstone Market having been run on this site for around 700 years. Until recently, a livestock market was still held in the centre of town, but this has now moved to a more rural location near the showground at Detling.

In the Domesday Book of 1086 Maidstone was a large village with a population of 250, with 5 watermills for grinding flour. This was the likely starting point of trade.

This developed in the 13th century as the town grew and, with the transport link of the River Medway and its proximity to London, it became the perfect place from which to transport fruit and vegetables to London, hence the name the 'Garden of England'.

During the Middle Ages the town hosted fairs. These were similar to markets and people would come from all over the county and London to trade goods.

With other trades in the town, such as wool dyers, stonemasons, shoemakers, tailors, blacksmiths, carpenters, coopers, butchers, brewers and bakers, Maidstone became a significant market town.

In addition to these trades Maidstone also had a substantial tanning industry. This involved people bringing skins to town and the process being undertaken. Since fresh water was needed for this industry, Maidstone's riverside location was ideal, however the tanning process was a somewhat smelly business.