Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery

St. Faiths Street
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 1LH


This exceptionally fine regional museum housed in Chillington Manor, a delightful Elizabethan manor house, boasts a rich and impressive variety of historical objects, fine art and natural history. Fine and decorative arts include European and British paintings, ceramics, glass, furniture, costumes and textiles from the 17th to 20th Centuries. An extensive archaeological collection contrasts artefacts from the Pre-historic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval periods, and an Egyptian collection including our own Mummy. The Japanese collection of Edo period ceramics, lacquer, metalwork and prints is one of the finest outside London.

The Natural History Galleries exhibit fascinating displays of British birds, bees and plants, butterflies and moths, fish, shells, nature conservation, skeletons and fossils including a whale, a mammoth and Maidstone's very own Dinosaur - the Iguanodon. The museum's Ethnography gallery is entitled 'Julius Brenchley - Gentleman Explorer' and contains the ethnographical collections of Maidstone's famous 19th century explorer and benefactor.

In Maidstone Museum's new Earth Heritage Gallery you will find ice age elephants and tigers. You can now meet the Sheppey Shark (50 million years old) from when Maidstone was a tropical sea. Re-acquaint yourself with your old friend Gasosaurus, and the flying reptile, Pterosaur. Meet our new dinosaurs, Velociraptor and nodosaur from the 'Jurassic' period. Find the bones of the Iguanodon and look for fossils under your feet. Come and join in our dinosaur and treasure hunts.

 

Opening Times
(2007 times)
Monday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.15pm, Sunday 11.00am - 4.00pm.

Closed 25th, 26th December & 1st January.

Admission Charges
(2007 prices)
Free.

Directions
By car from London leave M20 junction 6. From Folkestone leave M20 junction 8 and join A20 at Hollingbourne or leave at junction 7. Maidstone operates a Park and Ride scheme from various points around the town.
By train South Eastern Trains operated by Connex. From London Victoria to Maidstone East, journey time 1hr.
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Nearby Attractions
Museum of Kent Life - Cobtree (1 Mile)*
Discover the history and traditions of a unique part of Britain at this award - winning Museum. Set in a beautiful site next to the River Medway.
Boughton Monchelsea Place (4 Miles)*
Boughton Monchelsea Place is a lovely Elizabethan Manor House, dating from 1567.
Leeds Castle (5 Miles)*
Set in 500 acres of beautiful parkland, a visit to Leeds Castle is full of discovery.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Nearby Hotels
Stone Court Hotel (< 1 Mile)*
A unique Grade II listed hotel dating from the 16th Century, it still retains its Tudor charm with a large stone fireplace and wooden beams. The original owners were wealthy landowners, who were related to Queen Elizabeth I.
Marriott Tudor Park Hotel and Country Club Golf Package (3 Miles)*
Designed by Donald Steel and set in over 200 acres of ancient deer parkland, the 18 hole course incorporates many natural features and is cleverly designed around long and narrow fairways with each hole exhibiting its own special challenges.
Marriott Tudor Park Hotel and Country Club (3 Miles)*
Set in over 200 acres of ancient deer parkland, the ideal location dedicated to providing comfort, relaxation and leisure. Take the chance to play a round on the 18 hole Championship Golf Course.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Nearby Self Catering
QL Apartments (1 Mile)*
QL self catering/serviced apartments are close to the town centre of Maidstone. We are only a fourty five minute train journey from London Victoria station. Maidstone is located in the heart of Kent.
Little Dodges (9 Miles)*
Spacious ground floor accommodation enjoying panoramic views of surrounding countryside. Converted from old shire horse stable and beamed throughout.
Hollambys Holiday Cottages (18 Miles)*
Hollambys is a small farm in the picturesque Weald of Kent, an area of outstanding natural beauty on the border of Kent and East Sussex in the South of England.
Your property could be here
Advertising your self catering property or holiday cottage on AboutBritain.com will get you noticed by thousands of potential guests every day.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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