<< Our Photo Pages >> The Devil's stone (Kent) - Standing Stone (Menhir) in England in Kent
Submitted by HOLYWELL on Thursday, 21 February 2008 Page Views: 16532
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: The Devil's stone (Kent)Country: England
NOTE: This site is 3.091 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Kent Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Faversham Nearest Village: Newington
Map Ref: TQ8618865306
Latitude: 51.356313N Longitude: 0.672679E
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Originally there were two such stones, and they stood on the eastern end of Church Lane, near to Parsonage Farm. In 1931, the bank was lowered and one of the stones was broken up and consequently put into the wall on the opposite side of the road. The other stone was placed on the edge of the lower pathway and finally in 1935, to where it stands today. These facts do suggest that the stone in question were part of a burial chamber ( particularly the suggestion of a bank of earth surrounding them. ) or even a circle.
The stone is noted for a strange footmark and the origin of this comes from a strange legend. This involves the Devil, who so annoyed by the sound of the church bells, climbed the steeple with a bag over his shoulder, and rustled them away. As he jumped from the tower, he slipped, and his foot hit the stone, and the bells rolling out of the bag, and into the nearby stream. As a result the well was said to continuously bubble, also bizarrely, the stone is also said to sparkle when hit as a result.
Another version of the legend blames the church wardens, who decided to sell the great bell of the church to pay for the repair of the remaining bells. Feeling that such a move would not be warmly received by the local people, they decided to this at night. Secret plans were made and under the cover of darkness, the bell was drawn up to the roof of the bell tower in order that it could be lowered from outside. Just as they were doing this the Devil appeared, and seized it,
The church wardens, after seeing that Old Nick had gone, attempted first to remove the bell with grappling irons and ropes. At first they had great success at raising the bell to the surface, but the rope broke and the down went the bell! Again, they tried and again they failed.
In both versions, a local witch arrived, and told them that the only way in which the bell could be raised is by drawing it up by four pure white oxen. This was done, and it was almost raised to the surface until, a local urchin, who was passing, shouted out at the top of his voice, 'Look at the black spot behind that bull's ear'. The rope instantly broke, and the bell was lost forever!
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