In 1871, Albert Goodwin found himself deeply connected to his hometown of Maidstone, located in the picturesque county of Kent. He frequently returned to Maidstone, not only to visit his family but also to capture the captivating vistas that stretched along the northern bank of the River Medway. This enchanting landscape prominently featured the historic Archbishop's Palace, a magnificent structure dating back to the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the stately All Saints Church, a splendid architectural marvel erected in the late fourteenth century as part of the newly established College of All Saints under Archbishop Courtenay's patronage.

During that year, Goodwin applied his artistic talents to create two distinct oil paintings from the same vantage point. The first, a smaller canvas, emphasized the exquisite details of the Archbishop's Palace, while the second, a larger composition, encompassed not only the grandeur of the palace but also the majestic presence of All Saints Church. Remarkably, in 1885, Albert Goodwin's brother, Harry, crafted a more distant panorama, offering a glimpse of the lands south of the river, which, at that time, still retained their rural character as open fields.