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<< Our Photo Pages >> Coffin Stone - Standing Stone (Menhir) in England in Kent

Submitted by bec-zog on Saturday, 22 May 2004  Page Views: 18197

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Coffin Stone
Country: England County: Kent Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Maidstone  Nearest Village: Aylesford
Map Ref: TQ74016059  Landranger Map Number: 178
Latitude: 51.317806N  Longitude: 0.495659E
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
 3 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.
 4 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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SolarMegalith visited on 1st Jul 2008 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 4

Twistytwirly visited - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 4

TheCaptain have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2 Ambience: 3 Access: 4

Coffin Stone
Coffin Stone submitted by thecaptain : There are a couple of very large sarsens lying flat to the surface, with a couple more (not so large) sarsens piled on top of them. It looked to me like it is used by the farmers to dump anything that prevents easy ploughing of the fields around. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The Coffin Stone was thought to be the remains of a ruined Neolithic burial chamber, however excavations in 2012 showed this was less likely, and it could instead have been a standing stone. More details in the comments below. This 4.4m x 2.4 m Sarsen another large stone and two smaller sarsens, lie in a field near to the "Countless stones" "Kits Coty" & other associated sites. Excavation in 1836 found two skulls and bone fragments. Near to the site at the Tottington spring-head more scattered sarsens are located.

The following was extracted from the now defunct site "Kent in Kaos"
The Coffin Stone lies in a field about 400m to the northwest of the countless stones.

It is a large rectangular stone, with dimensions of approximately 4.4m x 2.8m x 0.5m, and lies flat like a tombstone. In 1836 farmers lifted it and found two human skulls underneath. It is thought that the stone marks the chamber of a long-barrow, as the outline of a mound can still be seen.

Nearby lie two much smaller stones and in 1980 the farmer placed another sarsen on top of the Coffin Stone.
This is one of the Medway Megaliths.
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Coffin Stone
Coffin Stone submitted by thecaptain : Whatever this site is, or was, it is obviously in a varying state, as there are now more stones here than in the previous pictures on the portal. (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Coffin Stone
Coffin Stone submitted by bec-zog : Coffin Stone; Aylesford , Kent TQ 739,605. Ruined Neolithic burial chamber This 4.4m x 2.4 m Sarsen another large stone and two smaller sarsens, lie in a field near to the"Countless stones" "Kits Coty" & other associated sites. Excavation in 1836 found two skulls and bone fragments. Near to the site @ the Tottington spring-head more scattered sarsens are located. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Coffin Stone
Coffin Stone submitted by bec-zog : Coffin Stone; Aylesford , Kent TQ 739605. Ruined Neolithic burial chamber This 4.4m x 2.4 m Sarsen another large stone and two smaller sarsens, lie in a field near to the"Countless stones" "Kits Coty" & other associated sites. Excavation in 1836 found two skulls and bone fragments. Near to the site @ the Tottington spring-head more scattered sarsen are located. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Coffin stone, Cragg Vale
Coffin stone, Cragg Vale submitted by paulw : Coffin stone, Cragg Vale (Vote or comment on this photo)

Coffin Stone (Glenluce)
Coffin Stone (Glenluce) submitted by markj99 : Coffin Stone (Glenluce) viewed from S. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Coffin Stone (Glenluce)
Coffin Stone (Glenluce) submitted by markj99 : Coffin Stone (Glenluce) viewed from W.

Coffin Stone (Glenluce)
Coffin Stone (Glenluce) submitted by markj99 : Approaching Coffin Stone (Glenluce) from W.

Coffin Stone
Coffin Stone submitted by SolarMegalith : Remains of this Neolithic tomb lie on the private field, but there is a footpath left for the visitors. While I was visiting this site I noticed a skull of the rabbit lying on a capstone (if you look carefully you can see it on the photo) - a modern offering ? ;) (photo taken on July 2008).

Coffin Stone
Coffin Stone submitted by enkidu41 : A 14'6" x 8' sarsen stone under which were found 2 skulls, suggesting it may have been the remains of a tomb chamber. TQ 740606

Coffin Stone
Coffin Stone submitted by bec-zog : Coffin Stone; Aylesford , Kent TQ 739,605. Ruined Neolithic burial chamber This 4.4m x 2.4 m Sarsen another large stone and two smaller sarsens, lie in a field near to the "Countless stones" "Kits Coty" & other associated sites. Excavation in 1836 found two skulls and bone fragments. Near to the site @ the Tottington spring-head more scattered sarsens are located. (1 comment)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 155m NW 317° Pilgrims Way 4 Ancient Trackway (TQ739607)
 218m SSW 198° Great Tottington Farm Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ73956038)
 399m SSE 156° Tottington Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (TQ7418660231)
 451m ESE 117° Little Kit's Coty* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (TQ74426040)
 544m ENE 63° Kit's Coty.* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (TQ7448660856)
 810m N 360° Pilgrim Spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ73986140)
 845m SSE 147° Cossington Spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ745599)
 1.1km ESE 123° Aylesford Megalith Long Barrow (TQ750600)
 1.2km ESE 110° Lower White Horse Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (TQ75126022)
 1.2km NW 314° Haly Garden (Burham) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ731614)
 1.3km ESE 107° White Horse Stone Neolithic Longhouse Ancient Village or Settlement (TQ7525060250)
 1.3km E 96° Smythe's Megalith Chambered Tomb (TQ753605)
 1.4km ESE 103° White Horse Stone* Chambered Tomb (TQ75356032)
 1.4km N 2° Blue Bell Hill Sarsons Burial Chamber or Dolmen (TQ740620)
 1.8km E 101° White Horse Spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ758603)
 2.3km ENE 61° Stones off Impton Lane* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ7601561793)
 2.7km NE 53° Walderslade Wood Sarsons* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ761623)
 2.9km NW 309° Burham causewayed enclosure* Causewayed Enclosure (TQ71666238)
 3.3km WNW 296° Battle of the Medway Stone* Modern Stone Circle etc (TQ710619)
 4.0km ENE 68° Lordswood Sarsen Stones (Buxton/Iona Close)* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ7762262215)
 4.1km ENE 66° Lordswood Sarsen Stones* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ7771162358)
 4.2km NNW 340° Wouldham Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TQ72456445)
 4.2km WSW 248° Larkfield Cairnfield (Maidstone) Cairn (TQ70155891)
 4.4km NNW 335° Pilgrims Way 3 Ancient Trackway (TQ720645)
 4.5km E 97° Grange Farm Dene Hole Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (TQ785602)
View more nearby sites and additional images

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"Coffin Stone" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Excavations of the Coffin Stone site 2012 by Andy B on Thursday, 21 March 2019
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Excavations of the Coffin Stone site in 2012 have shown that this single massive sarsen slab was moved into its present position in the post-medieval period (c.AD1450-1600), and is not a fallen chamber orthostat as previously believed. It is possible that it once stood upright as a monolith close to its present position.

More in PAST 72, page 2
http://www.prehistoricsociety.org/files/PAST_72_LowRespdf.pdf
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Re: Coffin Stone by TheCaptain on Monday, 03 June 2013
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Just about seen here in streetview

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Re: Coffin Stone by coldrum on Monday, 07 November 2011
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From Exploring Kent's Past:

"The Coffin Stones. A little north of Tottington Spring Head, by the side of a lane, there exists today a huge monolith, called the "CoffinStone" but in Fergusson's time it had a companion whose dimensions could be ascertained by probing. In 1836 a considerable quantity of human bones were found near these stones, including at least two skulls; Beale Poste speaks of a sackful of bones being removed. This circumstance, together with the name which has become attached to the stone, strongly suggests a destroyed megalithic structure, but that isall that can be said. It should be noted that the name may be associable with the nearby chapel site.

There are several sarsens both visible and buried in the adjoining fields.

The Coffin Stone is a fine rectangular stone, measuring about 4.40m by2.80m by at least 50cm, which now lies flat in the grass. Human remains were found under the stone in 1836. The outline of a mound can be seen, suggesting that the stone marks the chamber of a long barrow. Two much smaller stones exist nearby and another medium sizedsarsen was placed on top of the Coffin Stone by the farmer in 1980. "

http://extranet7.kent.gov.uk/ExploringKentsPast/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MKE2489
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Re: Coffin Stone by coldrum on Wednesday, 23 July 2008
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Pastscape entry:

"A large, recumbent, rectangular sarsen megalith measuring circa 4.4 metres by 2.8 metres, and at least 50 centimetres thick. Other smaller sarsens are known from the general vicinity and one has recently been placed on top of the Coffin Stone itself. The reported outline of a plough-reduced mound would appear to support the suggestion that the stone represents part of the chamber of a Neolithic chambered tomb, perhaps similar in form to the nearby Kit's Coty House (TQ 76 SW 4). Human remains were reportedly found close by in the 1830s".

https://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=416434
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Re: Coffin Stone by TheCaptain on Wednesday, 01 September 2004
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The Coffin Stone, Chambered Tomb ?, TQ740605
Visited Monday, 23 August 2004

In the field on the opposite side of the road to the Countless Stones can be seen a patch of unploughed land with some large stones present. At the time I didn’t realise this was what is listed as The Coffin Stone. The field had been recently harvested, so I thought I would go and investigate, so walked round the edge of the field to get a closer look. There were clearly several stones here, so crossed the field to get closer. There is a patch of unploughed land about 20m by 4m and amongst the jumble of bits and pieces here are a couple of very large sarsens lying flat to the surface, with a couple more (not so large) sarsens piled on top of them. It looked to me like it was probably an ancient site of some sort, but now is used by the farmers to dump anything that prevents easy ploughing of the fields around. Whatever this site is, or was, it is obviously now in a varying state, as there are now more stones here than in the previous pictures on the portal.
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Re: Coffin Stone by bec-zog on Saturday, 06 December 2003
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There is another buried sarsen about 20m from the main Coffin stone(s), the top of which can be seen when there is no field crop. It has been damaged by by ploughing.
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