- Coldrum Stones
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The Coldrum Stones are the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Trottiscliffe in the English county of Kent.
View looking west at the chamber from below.
The monument has been greatly affected by 19th century treasure hunters and chalk extraction but the kerb of 31 peristaliths largely survives, meaning that it is often mistaken for a stone circle. It measures 27m in length and 16.5 in width and is oriented east-west.
When the barrow itself was excavated in 1910, the remains of twenty two people were found in the central chamber, including the skull of one which had been placed on a raised shelf. Many of the long bones appeared deliberately broken and some have been diagnosed with rheumatism. Further investigations took place in 1922, 1923 and 1926 which found a flint 'saw' and several pieces of pottery including a Saxon sherd.
Despite the depredations of time and more recent vandalism, the site is the best preserved of Kent's Medway megaliths. Unlike the other nearby tombs it shares some characteristics of Danish dysser.
Every Mayday (May 1st) dawn the Hartley Morris Men visit the stones to "sing up the sun". This consists of performing a number of dances within the stones on top of the barrow, followed by a song (usually performed at the base of the stones)
View looking east of Coldrum with the peristalith in the foreground and the chamber to the rear.External links
Categories:- Archaeological sites in Kent
- Stone Age sites in Kent
- Tonbridge and Malling
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