Local Amenities

The Parish of Loose is situated approximately two miles south of the County Town of Maidstone, Kent.

The A229 runs from Maidstone through North Loose, over Loose Viaduct towards Linton and the South. The historic viaduct structure was built in 1830 showcasing Thomas Telford’s engineering work and has 50 foot spans between tall piers.

Where is Loose?

Public buses also follow this route (Arriva buses 5, 59 and 89) and stop at several key places along the main road.

Since May 2024, the Parish boundary has expanded, bringing both North Loose and the Old Loose Parish together, extending the boundary from the Linton Crossroads to the Wheatsheaf Junction along the A229.

The parish of Loose sits almost entirely inside the Maidstone borough ward of Loose and Linton and is under Kent County Council.

Loose Valley:

Old Loose Village sits within the Loose Valley Conservation Area which was formally designated by Maidstone Borough Council on 21 June 2000. Offering beautiful walks around the village, Loose Valley is a great starting place for any rambler, historian or even those with four paws!

Created by Phil Riches, the Scenic Green Trail Walker's Guide takes you on a wonderful journey through Loose and the surrounding areas. For more information about the walk, please download the document below for more information:

The Scenic Green Trail Walker's Guide 2026

Loose Stream runs through the valley in an east-west direction. Rising in Langley (approximately 5 miles away), the stream meanders through Loose and ends in Tovil. Interestingly, the stream runs both overground, home to a diverse range of wildlife, but also through a series of underground tunnels. Loose Parish Council assists volunteers who maintain the river and create nature banks for the best interests of the wildlife, particularly young ducklings.

The All Saints’ Church spire can be seen rising above the valley, a landmark in the village both today and in medieval times when it was built. With a regular church service, the church is also home to various community groups in the Loose area, and to the Commonwealth Graves and War Memorial, both further along Church Street.

Situated alongside the stream, the Chequers Public House and Restaurant has been a large part of community life since the sixteenth century. Starting life as a coaching inn, the Chequers has served patrons for hundreds of years, and while the clientele has changed over time, its historic features have remained the same.

On the other side of the stream, Brooks Field watches over the village and provides seating so that you can do the same. As a public amenity space owned and maintained by Loose Parish Council, projects such as a wildflower meadow have been in place to enhance its natural beauty. The memorial woods for local resident Roy Hood also reside in the field. Click the button below to learn more:

Roy Hood's Memorial Wood

Amenities:

Providing a perfect fitness challenge, the steep incline of Old Loose Hill leads to the village Post Office, estate agents and coffee shop. The Post Office also provides essentials such as drink and food, whilst the coffee shop provides baked goods and freshly made teas and coffees. At the other end of the village, close to Linton Crossroads, the Shell Garage provides essentials and fuels to travellers and locals.

Opposite Loose Primary School, the Walnut Tree Pub, a hairdressers and beauty salon, and funeral home occupy a small parade of shops. The Walnut Tree Pub has been a landmark throughout the village for over 175 years and hosts the bar and gives their support for the Loose Fete and Fun Dog Show for several years.

Further along the A229, Boughton Parade provides a variety of shops and businesses, including hairdressers, estate-agents, food take-away, newsagents, launderette, supermarket, funeral services and health-based services (pharmacy, GP surgery, podiatry and Physiotherapy). The busy parade meets a vast range of needs with parking for all services behind the parade of shops. This area is also known as the Swan Junction on account of the local public house and former coaching inn.

Just past the Wheatsheaf Junction sits the Wheatsheaf Parade of shops, home to individual businesses including a florist, fish and chip shop, newsagents, flooring specialist and pet husbandry. Kwik Fit brings an end to the parade of shops.

Loose Village Green, owned and maintained by Loose Parish Council, sits at the top of Old Loose Hill and is home to the oak tree planted in 1897 in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Loose Area History Society provide further information “The oak tree replaced Loose’s original ‘Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Oak’, which died soon after it was planted in 1897. The slip-road shaded by the tree was part of a public transport terminus for trams from 1907 to 1930, trolleybuses (1930 – 1967) and motor buses until the 1990s.” (Loose Village - history trail, 2013).

McAlpine Trust Allotments are situated opposite the Village Green and are managed by a charity trust, with the Loose Gardeners’ Society responsible for day-to-day upkeep. For more information about the allotments, how to get one, or to hear more about their open days, please email: logarso1884@hotmail.co.uk.

At the northern end of the parish, Maidstone Borough Council manages both areas of allotments on Mayfair Avenue and Carlton Gardens. Like McAlpine, the allotments are run by residents in and around Loose and showcase a wonderful variety of fruits, vegetables and floral and fauna.

Find out more here in Loose Area History Society's Walk Around Loose PDF

King George V Playing Field is located along Walnut Tree Lane and is home to the Loose Parish Pavilion.

As a wonderful recreational space with play equipment and sports surface, the playing field hosts the Loose Fete and Fun Dog Show each year and, along with the Pavilion, is maintained by Loose Parish Council. Meetings of the Parish Council are held in the Pavilion, and the hall is available to hire through the Office Team:

The YMCA, situated on Melrose Close, offers a variety of different activities for all ages and abilities inside and out on their 3G pitches and court spaces. From roller skating to Zumba, to football, the timetable for the weekly activities can be found here:

Email Loose Parish Council about Pavilion and Playing Field Hiring Enquiries

Click here to see the location on Google Maps

YMCA Timetable

Loose has many educational facilities within its boundary, including:

Three nurseries: Tiger Cubs, YMCA Preschool and the newly built Little Loose Nursery
Two primary schools: Tiger Primary School and Loose Primary School
Two secondary schools: Cornwallis Academy and New Line Learning Academy
One specialist provision Five Acre Wood

More about the education facilities can be found here:

Loose Parish Council Useful Links Page

Loose has three churches throughout the parish:

All Saints Church sits at the heart of the old village and runs regular worship sessions, and a Thursday toddler play group and Messy Church once a month. As the oldest church in Loose, All Saints is rich in history back to the 13th century.

Linton Free Church is located off the A229 and is a free church, meaning they are not associated with a particular denomination. Regular worship sessions take place each week and gatherings between other likeminded churches also regularly occur.

The Vine is situated on the Future Schools site off Boughton Lane. Throughout the week they host different ministries and activities as well as regular worship times. The Vine is also home to a local food bank and has partnerships with overseas missions.

For more information, please visit our Useful Links page for links to the churches on the Religion tab.

Loose Parish Council Useful Links Page