St Mary the Virgin Church, Thurnham

Thurnham is a village and civil parish which lies at the foot of the North Downs 3 miles (4.8 km) north east of Maidstone in the Borough of Maidstone and ceremonial county of Kent in England. It had a population of 1,085 in 2001 including Weavering, which increased to 1,205 following the 2011 Census.There have been several archaeological finds in the area: an Anglo-Saxon burial ground was discovered within the grounds of Thurnham Friars in 1913, a 7th-century gold cross was found in 1967 and the remains of a Roman house were excavated in 1933. The remains of Thurnham Castle are just north of the village. Two miles further north are the fragmentary remains of Binbury Castle, a medieval fortified manor house beside a medieval motte. St Mary's church (a Norman building) and Milgate House are Grade I listed buildings. The railway station at Bearsted, opened on 1 July 1884, was originally named Bearsted and Thurnham. Residents of the village joined forces with the neighbouring village of Bearsted, in voicing their objections to the proposed Kent International Gateway development.

The Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Kent, England. They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover, including a small section of the London Borough of Bromley. The AONB also includes the Greensand Ridge, a prominent sandstone escarpment which lies south of the chalk escarpment of the North Downs. It was first designated as an AONB in July 1968 and covers 878 square km (326 square miles). The AONB's highest point is Toy's Hill, at 250m above sea level, and its boundaries include three main rivers: the Darent, Medway and Stour.To the west, Surrey Hills AONB adjoins the Kent Downs AONB, and includes a continuation of the North Downs chalk ridge which runs through the Kent Downs, stretching from Farnham to the English Channel and reappearing within the Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale in France. High Weald AONB lies to the south east, separated by a distance of just over 2km at Bough Beech Reservoir. As part of the management of the AONB, Village Design Statements have been adopted by 14 per cent of villages within its boundaries, going on to form part of Supplementary Planning Guidance, recognising the character of the historic landscape and distinctiveness of settlements.

Thurnham Castle or Godard's Castle is situated to the north of the village of Thurnham which is 3 miles north-east of Maidstone, Kent (grid reference TQ 808 582). It is a 12th-century flint-built castle constructed by Robert of Thurnham in the reign of Henry II on a hill on the edge of the North Downs. One side of the bailey wall still stands 10 foot high and originally it enclosed an area of about a quarter of an acre. In the 12th century, the site belonged to the de Say family and then the Thurnhams. The site has been acquired by Kent County Council and included in the White Horse Wood and Country Park Project. Much of the site has been cleared of undergrowth and public access has been provided.

Detling Hill is a hill forming part of the North Downs in Kent, north-east of Maidstone, and is situated in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The typical southern escarpment of the North Downs is found here, and produces dramatic views over the Low Weald. The North Downs Way passes along the hill just south of the summit. The area around the summit has recently become the White Horse Wood, where over 20,000 trees (oak, ash, silver birch, wild cherry and crab apple) have been planted, and five hectares have been seeded to create an area of open grassland. The trig point has been made the centrepiece of a view-finder; the highest point is a few hundred metres away to the north-west. Nearby are located the remains of the medieval Thurnham Castle, as well as traces of an Iron Age settlement. The name, taken from the village of Detling that sit at the foot of the hill, derives from Old English and means "hill at the settlement of the family of a man called Dyttel".

White Horse Wood is a recently created English country park near Thurnham to the north of Maidstone, Kent. Located within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the park is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest.

The Kent Showground, formerly (and still colloquially) known as the Kent County Showground is an area of land in Detling, Kent, England, north of the county town of Maidstone. Stretching along the north side of the A249 from the top of Detling Hill on land that formerly comprised RAF Detling, it is home to the Kent County Agricultural Society which hosts the venue's best-known event, the Kent County Show, each July. However the venue also hosts many other fairs, conferences and events throughout the year. The site covers over 200 acres (0.81 km2) and has been an event site for over 50 years.

The Kent County Show is an event hosted annually by the Kent County Agricultural Society at their Kent Showground headquarters at Detling near Maidstone in Kent, England. The event is primarily an agricultural show, showcasing the produce of Kent farmers such as soft fruit, alongside a livestock show and various other attractions such as demonstrations of traditional skills like blacksmithery and displays from the Royal Artillery. First held from 19 to 21 June 1923, the Show remains a shop window for rural Kent life, attracting around 80,000 visitors each year.

Jade's Crossing is a footbridge in Detling, Kent, England. The footbridge crosses the A249, a major road which runs between Maidstone and Sheerness. The crossing is named after Jade Hobbs, who was killed attempting to cross the road in December 2000 aged eight. Her mother, Caroline, subsequently campaigned for the crossing to be built, and won a Special Award at the 2003 Pride of Britain Awards for her efforts.

Bearsted railway station serves Bearsted in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern. It is 42 miles 59 chains (68.8 km) down the line from London Victoria via Herne Hill.Inside the station building are staffed and self-service ticket sales and a café. A new footbridge was built on the opposite side of the station from the original in 2011.

Detling is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Maidstone in Kent, England. The parish is located on the slope of the North Downs, 4 miles (6.4 km) north east of Maidstone, and on the Pilgrims' Way.

Bearsted ( BAIR-sted, traditionally BUR-) is a village and civil parish with railway station in mid-Kent, England, two miles (3.2 km) east of Maidstone town centre.

Royal Air Force Detling, or more simply RAF Detling, is a former Royal Air Force station situated 600 feet (180 m) above sea level, located near Detling, a village about 4 miles (6.4 km) miles north-east of Maidstone, Kent. It was a station of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in the First World War and the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The airfield suffered several raids by the Luftwaffe, especially during the period of the Battle of Britain.