The village of Marden is near the centre of the county, about thirteen kilometres south of Maidstone. The village has existed since Saxon times and was recorded in the Domesday Book as Maere Denn which is derived from the Old English for a clearing by the marsh. The name became Marden by the 17th century.
Being amid a prime fruit (especially apples) growing area of the country its no surprise Marden became known for this agricultural produce. The Marden Fruit Show Society began holding an annual show for fruit growers in 1933. This fruit show is nowadays called the National Fruit Show and is still held nearby (if not in Marden itself anymore).
The parish church dedicated to St Michael and All Angels dates from the 12th century and is next to Marden railway station which dates from 1842.
