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Monks and shepherds
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Walk of the week
Kent’s most ancient site - believed to be older than Stonehenge - is Kit’s Coty House, named after a 17th-century shepherd who used it for shelter.
Just north of Maidstone and on the North Downs Way, it is the remains of a Neolithic burial chamber comprising three stones almost 8ft tall, on which rests a 10-ton capstone. They would originally have been covered with earth. About half a mile away is a smaller burial chamber, Little Kit’s Coty. |
Kits Coty House. |
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North Downs Way. |
On the Medway, just outside nearby Aylesford, is the Friars, a Carmelite priory established in 1242 - though after the Dissolution it was in private hands until the monks returned in 1949.
A number of fine medieval buildings and interiors remain, though a less attractive shrine was built in the Fifties on the site of the excavated medieval original. Visitors are free to wander the grounds and visit some of the public buildings. There is also a working pottery on the site, selling excellent and reasonably-priced ceramics. |
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Maidstone is home to another beautiful religious building - the 14th-century Archbishop’s Palace, which was once a residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury. Maidstone’s excellent museum and art gallery are also well worth a visit. |
Archbishop's Palace. |
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