The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

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Coldrum (Long Barrow) — Fieldnotes

Coldrums

Visited 21/09/2001. Continuing backon the M20 towards Sevenoaks we still had time to search out the Coldrums. it is rather weird burning down a busy motorway in search of our megalithic past - but if its good enough for Julian its good enough for me!

The road maps are all abit confusing but somewhere at junction 2A you pull off to Trottiscliffe - if you pass under the M20 you are going the right way...It seems a lot further than you think. You pass through the village and down past the church. you then wind on a bit and then come to a line of houses, inbetween which points the sign to The Coldrums.

Park in the car park (why would someone want to drop sweet wrappers here?) and follow the track down and to the right. the whole walk is about 3-4 minutes and the surrounding hills on this late summer evening were starting to glow with the suns dimming light. you reach a wider track and then continue along this (to the right) for a short way until the NT sign points you in!

Again, the stones are surrounded by a fence, but it is clear that this has not stopped revellers/devotees/nutters form gaining access. The stones that remain standing have a weary but defiant appearance and those that have slid down from the entrance form a formidable shambles. The site has a proud atmosphere.

Kit's Coty (Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech) — Fieldnotes

Kits Coty

Even though this is near to Little Kits Coty, we still found ourselves a bit disoriented! You need to travel on up the hill back to the layby (described in Little Kits Coty, 4); about halfway, the road is joined on the left from Burham/Eccles. At the meeting of the roads, in the corner, there is a track. This track continues on the other side of the road - the Pilgrims Way. There is no sign for KC. Proceed up the wooded track, which is quite steep, and pass into the field on your left. Look up the hill (to your right!) and there it is on the crest. The Pilgrims Way continues up the hill/track.

As is told elsewhere, KC is surrounded by railings, but this has not stopped some graffiti artist. However, the vandalism is fading and I felt that the site was so much more than this silly incident. The view across the valley is impressive, with the recumbent(?) hill - Holly Hill (Holy Hill? etc) drawing your eye. There is unfortunately light industry doing its non-bit for the environment and the geography, although the remaining hills have no clear or specific strong features.

The stones are wonderful and very noble in their stance, quite heavily cup-marked. Again there was a cool serenity around and the adventure of finding this site was part of the buzz.

The Countless Stones (Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech) — Fieldnotes

Little Kits Coty

Visited on 21/09/2001. LKC is clearly signposted on the road from Aylesford to Bells Hill on the right hand side. Even so we overshot, but found a layby/pull-in about 200m further up the hill on the left. We returned on foot which was abit hairy as there is little pavement and much traffic. the site is set within a large field and is accessed via a iron railing fenced, grassed walkway. As you look across from the site (North) there is a line of humming pylons. the road is busy enough to be distracting. LKC still has an ambience, and it was good to be there. The stones lie in disarray with the cupmarks full of recent rain. It is amazing really that this is still here...
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