Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A large monolith called The Coffin Stone once stood just north of Tottington Spring Head. It now lies flat on the grass. It is a rectangular stone measuring about 4.40m x 2.80m x .50m. In 1836 human remains were found under the stone, including at least 2 skulls and a sackful of bones. The outline of a mound suggests that the stone marked the chamber or tomb of a long barrow. Two much smaller stones stand nearby and a medium sized sarsen stone was placed on the top of The Coffin Stone by the farmer in 1980. Several sarsens were also noted in a neighbouring field.

The name may be linked with a nearby chapel (TQ 76 NW 6).

Monument Types

• HUMAN REMAINS (Unknown date)
• CHAMBERED TOMB (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• LONG BARROW (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• STANDING STONE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Associated Finds

• HUMAN REMAINS (Undated)

Full description

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[TQ 74006059] Coffin Stone [NAT] (1) Coffin Stone [NR] (2) 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 medieval chapel site - see TQ 76 NW 6]. (3) The Beale-Poste MSS (a) record that a sackful of human bones was found near the Coffin stones in 1838-9. (4) The Coffin stone is in the hedge on the left hand side of the lane. 270 feet from the yard-gate of Tottington Farm. It measures 14'2" by 2' by 6'. There are several sarsens both visible and buried in the adjoining fields. (5) Coffin Stone - a large recumbent megalith, nearby is another smaller stone and a small boulder. It appears entirely natural but in 1836 two human skulls were found under the large stone and the group may have once formed a burial chamber. (6) The Coffin Stone is accurately described by the preceding authorities: it may have once formed part of a burial chamber. 3.0m to the north is an earthfast sarsen, roughly triangular with sides measuring 2.0m, whilst propped against the SW end are two small boulders. See GP AO/59/7/1 - from south. (7) 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. (8,9,10,11) Coffin Stone, this large recumbent stone formed in the 19th century one of a pair beside which were found inhumation burials. Probably marks the site of a megalithic tomb. (12) Paul Ashbee has in recent years published several articles discussing the Medway Megaliths, including the Coffin Stone, with a particular emphasis on historical records and previous investigations, with detailed bibliographic references and numerous antiquarian illustrations and early photographs. As far as the discovery of the human remains is concerned, the earliest accounts suggest that "sackfull" of human bones and the skulls were found near rather than under the coffin stone. Ashbee suggests that the associated barrow mound was more than 300 feet long. (13-16) When visited by the MPPA in 1989, the stones were in good condition, situated on the edge of a ploughed field within an uncultivated strip of land. Any associated, buried remains can also be expected to survive reasonably well, although they may have been partly disturbed by modern ploughing. It is not possible to fully evaluate the importance of the site at present, as it has not been positively identified as an archaeological monument and may be a natural feature. Scheduling is therefore not recommended. (17)

<1> OS 6" 1910 (OS Card Reference). SKE48325.

<2> OS 6" 1939 (OS Card Reference). SKE48359.

<3> Arch Cant Vol 63 1950 p.65 (JH Evans) (OS Card Reference). SKE36419.

<4> Beale-Poste MSS (Maidstone Mus) Vol 3 Sect. 3 p.117-22 illus (OS Card Reference). SKE37612.

<5> Arch Cant Vol 62 1949 p.135 (JH Evans) (OS Card Reference). SKE36415.

<6> Custumale Roffense 1788 p.67 ff Plate III and plan (J Thorpe) (OS Card Reference). SKE39535.

<7> Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of East and West 1950 p.234 (GE Daniel) (OS Card Reference). SKE48647.

<8> F1 AC 17-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE41816.

<9> Philp, B, 1981, A survey of the Medway megaliths, KAR 64: 82 and fig 7 (Article in serial). SKE24000.

<10> Arch Cant 97 1984 233 (R Holgate) (OS Card Reference). SKE36305.

<11> SE Eng 1970 100-1 (R Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE49417.

<12> Arch of Kent 1930 83 (R Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE36922.

<13> The Bldgs of Eng West Kent and the Weald 1980 141-2 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50151.

<14> Field report for monument TQ 76 SW 7 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4167.

<15> Ashbee P., 2000, The Medway's Megalithic Long Barrows. (Article in serial). SKE53768.

<16> Ashbee. P, 1999, The Medway Megaliths in a European Context (Article in serial). SKE53767.

<17> English Heritage, English Heritage Alternative Action Report (Miscellaneous Material). SKE53762.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Neolithic Kent (Thematic Essay)