Today marks the three hundred and seventieth anniversary of a major battle during the Second English Civil War.

The Battle of Maidstone on June 1, 1648, was one of the bloodiest episodes in the county town's history.

Lord General Fairfax, leading a 4,000 strong professional Parliamentarian Army defeated 2,000 Royalists under the Earl of Norwich after a running battle up Gabriel's Hill and along Week Street to St Faith's churchyard where the Royalists made their final stand.

Three hundred Royalists were slain, and 1,400 taken prisoner. The roundheads lost 80 men - who mostly fell in Gabriel's Hill.

On the evening of June 1, Fairfax had drawn up his forces outside the town and was planning an attack in the morning.

But a series of heavy skirmishes broke out between the two sides, and despite heavy rain, Fairfax decided to launch a general assault

The Royalists had erected barricades in the town and had cannon behind them, but the Parliamentarians, shouting their watchword "Truth" would not be stopped and over-ran the guns.

The Royalists, who were described as "cavaliers, citizens, seamen and watermen" held them back in Week Street for an hour with disciplined musket fire, but were again eventually forced back, finally surrendering in the early hours of the next morning.

The captured soldiers were held prisoner in All Saints Church for a while, but were eventually released and allowed to return to their homes.

The battle was re-enacted by Sealed Knot actors in 2008 while a plaque commemorating the conflict was unveiled last year in Brenchley Gardens.