OLD KENT STONES AND BONES
THE COUNTLESS STONES
Map Ref: TQ745604
Less than a quarter of a mile or so away from Kits Coty lies its sister monument, Lower Kits Coty, that nowadays largely due to its fallen and sadly demolished state, is more commonly referred to as The Countless Stones. This pile of er...fourteen, seventeen, twenty, or even perhaps twenty one stones, are of course easily countable as they lay in their final resting place. Obviously they weren't always found lying around in a haphazard state like we view them today, for once upon a time they stood proudly upright and helped form a unique sepulchral chamber.
Although there's a low railing running around the monument, it's really only there to separate it from the surrounding field. In no way does it imprison the stones, for you can literally roam all over them. Surprisingly for an ancient site that's very hands on, they remain un-graffitied...so how come they haven't suffered at the hands of the stone chisellers of yesteryear, like its big brother six hundred yards up the road?
In common with many of our other local monuments, the field that surrounds these stones once again borders beside the Pilgrims Way...Which undoubtedly means they would've been visited by many a wearisome traveller in their day. Can we also expect The Countless Stones to have a visit from "The Circlemakers" sometime? Whenever they've paid a visit to the lower slopes of Blue Bell Hill where some of our old stones reside, I've often thought that maybe they're also acknowledging this ancient hillside for some other reason. Could it be because at one time it was Southern England's largest supplier of sarsens this side of Wiltshire? Towards the top of Blue Bell Hill above the Kits Coty monuments, and despite the latter day carve up, you can still find some small clusters of these stones.
Paying homage to Blue Bell Hill" - July 2004 © Andrew King
Looking back at Blue Bell Hill from the Burham Circles - July 2004 © William Betts
Sketches exist of what this monument looked like before it was demolished, and many have agreed that it probably wouldn't be that difficult to restore it back similarly to its original form. In 1722 Dr William Stukeley sketched the chamber and its floor-plan, and you can see his original engravings in nearby Maidstone Museum. I've included a couple of sketches below based upon his drawings that should give you some idea of how it may have once looked. I should warn you though, that Stukeley's sketches have sometimes been regarded as being somewhat fanciful.
Sketches © Graham Tucker
Its initial cause of collapse was said to be due to persons unknown digging a trench underneath it, in expectation of finding buried treasure. Apparently because the trench was left open, an elm tree sprang up...which slowly raised the stones inch by inch until it threw them to the ground! *
© G.Tucker 2005-6
End Notes
Bibliography Williams Coles Finch, In Kentish Pilgrim Land, Daniel, 1925
* Ireland, History of Kent