Maplescombe Church Stone

Situated in a long, dry Kentish valley which runs upwards in a Southerly direction towards the escarpment of the Chalk [...] one may see the forlorn wreckage of Maplescombe church. This church, which had a semi-circular apse, still partially remaining, has been in ruins for three centuries. My attention was first called to the spot by Mr Benjamin Harrison, of Ightham, an archaeologist whose knowledge of his native district is unsurpassed. On visiting the ruins in 1904, I found a large, partially sunken sarsen stone (3'.0" x 2'.0" x 1'.6") occupying what appeared to be the site of the ancient altar. A few smaller sarsens were also discernible, and other specimens, Mr Harrison states, have been carried off, at various times, by hop-pickers, to build hearths in the fields.