Maidstone Transport its trolley buses its train stations and its utility vehicles

Maidstone was one of the last towns in England using a trolley bus system for part of its transport and to my mind, especially now we live in the age of green everything, it was very shortsighted to dismantle the system.

The trolleys themselves would travel from Barming in Maidstone via the town centre and then on to either Loose (The Kings Arms) or to Shepway.

I cannot remember if the buses went to Parkwood as well.

The town transport system benefits from three railway stations, Maidstone East, which is at the top of Week Street and the South side of the Medway.

Maidstone West is on the north side of Maidstone bridge and stands at the bottom of Tonbridge Road, and lastly the Barracks station.

The Barracks station is on the same line as Maidstone West and stands on the north side of the river Medway.

N. Morley

The trolley buses were interesting. They did go up through Shepway via Plains Avenue, Oxford Road(where we lived) and up Westmoreland Road, where they turned to come back. I have an idea also they did come down Sutton Road and joined Loose Road at The Wheatsheaf, where the Conductor would get out a long pole and transfer the contact-arms from the Sutton Road Cables to the the Loose Road Cables.

Thank You Mr. Morley Thought that someone would be old enough to remember. Hee Hee

Utility vehicles were quite weird looking creations.

click here for utility vehicles

Our first car. Hillman and Morris

The best four wheels in the west. Chirpy, chirpy, cheep, cheep

Colin Mason

Maidstone I remember it well: I must correct you on the route the trolley buses took. They did't go along Plains Ave. or Oxford Rd. they were diesel bus routes. The trolley routes were Barming to Nottingham Ave. later through Parkwood and Barming to Loose regards colin

Dennis Acott

Maidstone I remember it well: Yes, the trolley buses went from Barming. There was a terminus at the Fountain, as per your picture, and the other one was a bit further out on Tonbridge Road at the Bull. From one Barming location they travelled to Loose and from the other to Nottingham Avenue and, later, to Park Wood. They both travelled the same route, down Tonbridge Road, Broadway, High Street, Gabriels Hill, Stone Street and Loose Road until the Wheatsheaf, where the change occurred. As I remeber it, the petrol/diesel buses went from Hackney Road to Oxford Road and from Allington to Penenden Heath. There was another route to Shepway (Westmoreland Road), I think it was from High Street. I lived near the depot, near the junction of Queens Road and Tonbridge Road, so I could get almost any bus home after 10pm, when they all headed for the depot. I also remember a bus went from the depot down Queens Road to London Road, for football matches at the old Athletic Ground, when Maidstone United played at home. They all had conductors then, to sell tickets and you could jump on and off because there were no doors!

John Palmer

Maidstone I remember it well: I remember catching the trolly busses after school (West Borough on Tonbridge rd) into the town centre. They accelerated very quickly and in jerking movements, which made climbing the stairs to the upper deck quite a feat. I agree with you, in these green conscious times bring 'em back. Today's kids don't know what they're missing!

Thomas Dixon

Maidstone I remember it well: ref. trolley buses,which I drove from 1959 until the end in in 1967. they did not go to shepway estate. they ran from barming via sutton rd. to Parkwood estate, returning the same way.

A man who actually drove them. Thank you

Mick Baker

Country: Australia Maidstone I remember it well: As a Railway Signalman employed at East Farleigh during the period 1949/50 I was a frequent user of the Maidstone Trolley Bus service. Arriving at Maidstone West from my home in Gillingham, the only way to get to East Farleigh for the late shift was to catch a trolley going up the Tonbridge Rd and alight at the Fountain Inn and then walk a kilometre or two down the winding lane to East Farleigh. These are precious memories for me and although it was almost 60 years ago years ago, to me, it is as though it were yesterday. I know all us "Oldies" say it but it was a very different world in those days and the living pace was far less frantic. That area of Kent had a lovely pace. Nice to revisit again even from afar.

phillip wood

Maidstone I remember it well: trains the barracks station was built to serve tilling and stevens,sharps toffee works the old malt house oppersite sharps and the granery by tillings

Ray Wootten

Maidstone I remember it well: I caught the Parkwood Trolleybus most days to work from Sutton Road. Ive still got an old bus ticket! Recently saw an old trolley bus at the Sandtoft Trolleybus museum near Doncaster. Those were the days,hassle free unless the pole left the wire near the loose turn and had to be put back on again.

kevin hemsley

Maidstone I remember it well: I remember taking the trolley bus from maidstone town centre to Tovil just after the war I would have been about eight years old,my grandad was farm bailiff at Bydews farm in Tovil.We used to go at hop picking time,grandad worked in the Oast house at Bydews.I remember us running down the hill to catch the trolley bus which terminated at the Rose, public house, now sadly demolished.My Grand parents lived in a cottage next to the oast. on the farm.

Ian Pearce

Maidstone I remember it well: Hi Just a correction to N Morley.The Trolley buses only kept to the main roads "ie" Sutton Rd,eventually to Park Wood,Loose Road to Loose,Tonbridge Rd to Barming Bull,the depot was opposite the Cherry Tree in Tonbridge Rd.Shepway was covered by Diesel via Foster Clarke Estate South Park Rd (this was as far as it went when we moved to Shepway in 1947)Later it terminated at Kent Ave,then Derby rd,then Oxford rd,then it carried on the circuit that it does today.My father was a Trolley Bus driver for many years after WW2. Ian

john hakeman

Maidstone I remember it well: I will always remember overtaking the Trolley Buses on our bikes as they pulled away from the stop opposite South Boro' school going up Loose Rd but we had to be quick as they soon caught us up. I don't remember them going to Parkwood but know they only did Loose Rd. Sutton Road, through town & up the Tonbridge Rd. A a boy we preferred the diesel buses but boy how peaceful they would seem now & ultra "Green". Maidstone Council (or someone ) must have made a fortune in scrap from the overhead lines (I assume copper)& the poles. I recall the long poles used to switch over at the Wheatsheaf and sometimes they were used to relocate them when they dislodged. They jumped when starting not from bad driving as I think they were brake motors with no gears.