Smythe's Megalith
Encyclopedia
Smythe's Megalith or the Warren Farm Chamber is the name given to a now lost Neolithic
tomb on Blue Bell Hill
north of Maidstone
in the English
county of Kent
. The site was probably one of the Medway megaliths
, it was around 300 metres NNE of the White Horse Stone
on the edge of Westfield Wood.
It was rediscovered in 1823 by farm workers. A local antiquarian
, Clement Smythe, recorded the find as follows:
"In the summer of 1823 a British Tomb or Druid
ical Monument was discovered in the parish of Aylesford on the Warren Farm belong to Geo. Fowle."
Smythe visited the site and his excavations uncovered four irregular shaped stones similar to those at Kit's Coty House
. At a depth of around 1.2m Smythe found human bones which he recorded as being orienated east-west and lying on a flat stone. A local doctor examined the remains and concluded they belonged to two individuals. A small unglazed urn fragment, now lost, was also found. The stones were then removed.
In 1955, two further large stones were struck by a plough, in the same field. The smaller stone was removed, but the larger was left, said to be on a low east-west aligned mound. Whether they were connected with the original find is uncertain as the area is now fully under plough and nothing can be seen on the ground.
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
tomb on Blue Bell Hill
Blue Bell Hill
Blue Bell Hill is a chalk hill between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent. It overlooks the River Medway and is part of the North Downs. Settlements on the hill include Walderslade; and Blue Bell Hill and Kit's Coty villages...
north of Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The site was probably one of the Medway megaliths
Medway megaliths
The Medway megaliths or Medway tombs are names given to a group of Neolithic chambered long barrows and other megaliths located in the lower valley of the River Medway in the English county of Kent...
, it was around 300 metres NNE of the White Horse Stone
White Horse Stone
The Upper and Lower White Horse Stones are names given to two sarsen megaliths on Blue Bell Hill near Aylesford in the English county of Kent. They are generally considered to be fragmentary examples of the Neolithic chamber tomb group known as the Medway megaliths...
on the edge of Westfield Wood.
It was rediscovered in 1823 by farm workers. A local antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, Clement Smythe, recorded the find as follows:
"In the summer of 1823 a British Tomb or Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
ical Monument was discovered in the parish of Aylesford on the Warren Farm belong to Geo. Fowle."
Smythe visited the site and his excavations uncovered four irregular shaped stones similar to those at Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House or Kit's Coty is the name of the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow on Blue Bell Hill near Aylesford in the English county of Kent. It is one of the Medway megaliths....
. At a depth of around 1.2m Smythe found human bones which he recorded as being orienated east-west and lying on a flat stone. A local doctor examined the remains and concluded they belonged to two individuals. A small unglazed urn fragment, now lost, was also found. The stones were then removed.
In 1955, two further large stones were struck by a plough, in the same field. The smaller stone was removed, but the larger was left, said to be on a low east-west aligned mound. Whether they were connected with the original find is uncertain as the area is now fully under plough and nothing can be seen on the ground.