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<< 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:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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The Devil's stone (Kent)
The Devil's stone (Kent) submitted by HOLYWELL : The Devil's footprint or rather shoe print on a strange standing stone in Newington in Kent. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Standing Stone (Menhir) in Kent

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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The Devil's stone (Kent)
The Devil's stone (Kent) submitted by rhpb : The standing stone is now located in the church car park, tucked against the church wall in the near corner. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Devil's stone (Kent)
The Devil's stone (Kent) submitted by rhpb : The broken stone is opposite the church's west door, half on th efloor and half in the wall. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Devil's stone (Kent)
The Devil's stone (Kent) submitted by rhpb : The broken stone is opposite the church's west door. Half on the floor, and half in the wall. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TQ8665 : St. Mary the Virgin, Newington by Chris Whippet
by Chris Whippet
©2013(licence)
TQ8665 : Kiln Oast, Church Lane, Newington, Kent by Oast House Archive
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TQ8665 : The war memorial in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, Newington by Marathon
by Marathon
©2015(licence)
TQ8665 : Two Kiln Oast, Newington by Richard Dorrell
by Richard Dorrell
©2007(licence)
TQ8665 : Benchmark on the porch of St Mary's Church by Luke Shaw
by Luke Shaw
©2020(licence)

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"The Devil's stone (Kent)" | Login/Create an Account | 5 News and Comments
  
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Re: The Devil's stone (Kent) by rhpb on Tuesday, 11 July 2023
(User Info | Send a Message)
Located at
51°21'22.8"N 0°40'21.6"E
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Newington, 'Blessing the Cherry Orchards' by Anonymous on Thursday, 27 April 2023
the stone has been moved to outside the church wall, in the corner of the car park to the left of the church. The broken stone is opposite the Church's West door.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Newington, 'The Devil's Stone -- and its partner by marknewell on Saturday, 21 June 2014
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In the 1960s I was a reporter on the staff of the East Kent Gazette in Sittingbourne. We were all new (I was from Chatham) and I was interested in local history more than anyone else. As a result I was handed a letter from the US -- from someone enquiring as to the existence of the Devil's Stone in Newington. I found the stone where it has rested for centuries outside the Church. A little more digging found its partner -- buried in the wall around the schoolyard a short distance away. This stone is bigger -- and displays a massive footprint complete with indentations from claws. Doubtless a dinosaur -- and I do hope it is still there. The legend as reported here is complete enough -- except to add that there was supposedly a curse on both stones and that anyone who moved them would die. The village council had ordered the second stone with the claw moved and covered in cement many years before. There were four men on the council -- and all died within a year or so of the stone being moved. Mark Newell
[ Reply to This ]

Newington, 'Blessing the Cherry Orchards' by coldrum on Tuesday, 29 April 2008
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May
Newington, Kent, England : 'Blessing the Cherry Orchards', date varies, generally until the end of the month.

http://www.newingtonpc.kentparishes.gov.uk/

http://www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/Newington-Swale/home.aspx

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