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Whats On

A glimpse into the past

By: Kathryn Tye

Published: 00:00, 04 July 2013

Little Kits Coty

Some of the county’s oldest landmarks feature on the latest walk organised by Geoff Rambler. In partnership with What’s On, he is leading a series of rambles around Kent. This one takes in ancient burial tombs in the Medway Valley.

Megaliths in the Medway Valley are once again the focus of this month’s What’s On walk led by Geoff Rambler.

Geoff Ettridge, aka Geoff Rambler

The Medway Megaliths are huge stones that were moved between 2500-1700 BC and were part of neolithic, chambered long barrows, which were ancient burial tombs.

Following the last walk around the Coldrum Stones on the other side of the River Medway near West Malling, Geoff will take the group around Kit’s Coty House, Little Kit’s Coty House and the Upper White Horse Stone on its east side of the river at Blue Bell Hill.

Chapeldown Vineyards has also given permission for the walk to take in the lesser-known Coffin Stone.

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The rectangular stone is on the firm’s private land and now well hidden by the vines.

The four and a half mile ramble will also pass the site of a Neolithic long house that was discovered during the building of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Geoff will offer information on the archeology of these sites and well as local mythologies and reflect on the societies that built these monuments.

Kits Coty

He said: “The trip out into the vineyard will give us a chance to consider viniculture – which may have returned to these slopes after an absence of 2,000 years.

“Undoubtedly the Romans would have planted vines near the Eccles Roman Villa that English Heritage believes could have been one of the most important villas in Britain.”

The walk starts at the car park/picnic area in Common Lane, Blue Bell Hill Village, near Chatham, at 10am on Saturday, July 6.

It is free but there will be a collection for the Kent Air Ambulance at the end.

For more information or any last minute changes, visit www.geofframbler.co.uk

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