Name: Kit's Coty House and Little Kit's Coty House
Rating: 5.0

Kit's Coty House and Little Kit's Coty House

Kit's Coty Megalithic Burial Chamber, Chatham Road, Blue Bell Hill, Aylesford, UK

1-99 Years

Website

Contact

Message

Description

Kit's Coty House and its neighbour, Little Kit's Coty House, are the remains of two megalithic 'dolmen' burial chambers. Kit's Coty is the larger of the two monuments, with three uprights and a massive capstone, while the smaller, Little Kit's Coty (also known as the Countless Stones), is now a jumble of sarsens.

Although the origins of their names are unknown, what is certain is that long barrows such as these were initially constructed during the early Neolithic period to act as communal burial sites. Both are located in an open field offering fantastic views across the North Downs and Medway Valley.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of Kit’s Coty House and Little Kit’s Coty House: Kit’s Coty House and Little Kit’s Coty House are the remains of two megalithic long barrows standing in open fields. The sites offer fine long views across the North Downs and Medway Valley.
Neolithic Burial Rites: The origin of the name Kit’s Coty is not known. For many years it was thought to be a corruption of Catigern, the name of a British prince slain in single combat with the Saxon Horsa in a battle at Aylesford in AD 455 at which the Britons were victorious. The monuments were therefore assumed to be a memorial to him.
Kit's Coty House: The most distinctive surviving feature of this monument is the H-shaped arrangement of three large slabs of sarsen stone (a fine-grained, crystalline sandstone) capped by a further slab, which formed the main burial chamber of the barrow.
The stones were originally buried at the eastern end of a long earthen mound, of which only traces survive.Earth and chalk for the construction of this mound was quarried from flanking ditches to the north and south and these can be seen clearly on aerial photographs of the site.
Little Kit's Coty House: Little Kit’s Coty House, also known as the Countless Stones, is a group of about 20 sarsen stones in a tight cluster. They represent the remains of a burial mound which was seriously damaged in 1690, before any reliable records were made.
A letter written at the time describes ‘13 or 14 great stones, 7 standing all covered with one large stone’. It is likely that this burial chamber was originally covered with a substantial mound, as at Kit’s Coty House.

Facilities

Parking: There is no car park at either site but it may be possible to park on the wider parts of the stretch of Old Chatham Road that runs parallel with Chatham Road near Kit's Coty House. Otherwise there is a layby on Rochester Road just west of the junction with Chatham Road (if you park here you will need to walk east to the junction with Chatham Road and turn left uphill until you are opposite the junction with Old Chatham Road).
Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome at both sites.

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: Kit's Coty Megalithic Burial Chamber, Chatham Road, Blue Bell Hill, Aylesford, UK

Post Code: ME20 7EZ

Council: Tonbridge and Mallin

County: Kent

Road Access: West of A229, 2 miles north of Maidstone. There is no parking at these sites and visitors should park with consideration for residents. We would suggest parking on Old Chatham Road or at the layby on Rochester Road just west of the junction between Rochester Road and Chatham Road. For directions of walking to them from these parking options, see the main page for the sites.
Bus Access: Arriva 101 & 142; Nu Venture 150.
Train Access: Aylesford 21⁄2 miles.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: There is no car park at either site but it may be possible to park on the wider parts of the stretch of Old Chatham Road that runs parallel with Chatham Road near Kit's Coty House. Otherwise there is a layby on Rochester Road just west of the junction with Chatham Road (if you park here you will need to walk east to the junction with Chatham Road and turn left uphill until you are opposite the junction with Old Chatham Road).