There are 105 Grade II* listed buildings in Maidstone. The Borough of Maidstone is a local government district in the English county of Kent. The district covers a largely rural area of 152 square miles (394 km2) between the North Downs and the Weald with the town of Maidstone, the county town of Kent, in the north-west. The district has a population of approximately 171,800 in 2019.[1]
In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance; Grade II* structures are those considered to be "particularly important buildings of more than special interest".[2] Listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Once listed, severe restrictions are imposed on the modifications allowed to a building's structure or its fittings. In England, buildings are given listed building status by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, acting on the recommendation of Historic England.[3]
More than half of the Grade II* buildings in Maidstone are medieval-era houses, many of which are examples of Wealden hall houses. Religious buildings include a number of parish churches, the Master's House at the College of All Saints and Corpus Christi Hall in Maidstone and St Andrew's Chapel in Boxley. Agricultural or industrial building types include the barn and granary at Buston Manor in Hunton and Hayle Mill in Tovil. The most recent buildings included in the list are the early 19th-century Mote House and former Royal Insurance Offices in Maidstone and the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Cenotaph erected in 1921.