At more than 450 acres, Mote Park is one of the largest public parks in the area and home to a watersports centre (kayaking, paddle boarding and sailing), children’s playgrounds, a skate park, a 30-acre lake, rivers and grassland, sports pitches and a miniature railway, which is open to the public in summer.
Tennis courts and a multi-games pitch for netball, basketball and football can be found in Clare Park, a few minutes’ drive from the town centre. South Park, 10 minutes by car from the development, also has tennis courts, as well as a skate park, football pitches and an all weather floodlit hockey pitch – the base of Maidstone Hockey Club.
Vinters Valley Nature Reserve, two miles away, provides 90 acres of scenic landscape, trails, animal and plant habitats on the remaining gardens of a long-gone country house. It offers a peaceful retreat on the edge of Maidstone.
For golf fans, there are three clubs within 10 minutes’ drive – Bearsted, The Ridge and Leeds Castle. The latter is set within the extensive grounds of the famous castle itself. Other popular family attractions there include a maze made up of more than 2,000 yew trees, vibrant gardens, an adventure playground containing a wooden replica of the castle, and falconry displays, as well as exhibitions and tours of the medieval building.
Maidstone Leisure Centre is less then three miles from Parsonage Place and offers a great selection of sports and activities. It has five swimming pools, a gym, sports hall and courts, fitness studios and a soft play zone for youngsters. Freedom Leisure in Maidstone town centre provides a similar range of facilities, and in addition has five outdoor tennis courts and is home to Maidstone Tennis Academy.
Film fans are catered for at Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre, with a multiscreen cinema showing the latest blockbuster movies, classic and family films. Several popular restaurants, a bowling alley and a trampoline park are also located at Lockmeadow.
Live drama, comedy, music and dance are staged at the Hazlitt theatre on Earl Street. The venue also hosts a variety of classes and workshops as well as being the home of Hazlitt Youth Theatre and Maidstone Film Society.
