Bearsted is an ancient village and civil parish in mid-Kent, three miles (4.7 km) to the east of Maidstone. The original village site was on the north bank of the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway, and at the foot of the North Downs.

Despite being part of a growing urban conurbation on the outskirts of Maidstone, the centre of Bearsted retains a traditional village look with 18th and 19th Century (and older) properties surrounding a village green, flanked by two pubs. The parish of Bearsted has a population of around 10,000