The stones are roughly split into two main groups those the other side of the river and those on my side. Unfortunately the Coldrum Stones, which seem to be the better preserved stones, are the wrong side of the river for me to find today. So I set out to find Kit's Coty House, The Countess Stones and The White Horse Stone.
I started as I always do with a quick blast around Cuckoo Wood, again I took a slight detour and found more singletrack with good potential - I am seriously finding that wood to be a wood that keeps on giving.
I also found lots of wild snowdrops which meant it was time to photograph the P7. This was to be the only reason I took my GoPro out today, and I must admit it was a bit tricky to not try filming some (bad) runs at times.
This would become a bit of a recurring theme during this ride, however being freed up from the constraints of Strava and in no particular rush to get anywhere meant that I could spend my time photographing everything in sight.
Once I had finishing bobbing about Cuckoo I started the climb up to Bluebell hill. This time I did not initially climb up to the top of the hill instead dropping off halfway in order to find Kit's Coty House.
Found it!
A running theme.
Trying a different perspective.
Shame the view wasn't great behind the Coty.
The back of the Coty.
You can just make out some 100 year old graffiti.
Making the most of the GoPro's fisheye lens!
Apart from having to spin the wheels up a hill for 10 minutes Kit's Coty House was nice and easy to find - just required walking the bike down a steep flight of steps to get down to the bridleway.
However my attempts to find the Countess Stones came to naught. Basically I took a wrong turning, ended up in a private field and panicked. Not something I would recommend. Having looked at the map and worked out where in relation to Kit's Coty House I should have gone I feel confident that I can find the next Megalith next time I head out (see always a silver lining).
Feeling slightly frustrated at not being able to find the Countess Stones and not wanting to go to the White Horse Stone just yet I took a bit of a detour to something I knew the location of. This is not a Megalith but a Bronze Age Burial Mound (barrow).
The first step to the burial mound was a panicky ride off private land and back to something resembling a public right of way. Fortunately I found a road and quickly a track way I recognized from ultra marathon training runs a year ago (time flies!). I then pointed the P7 upwards and slogged up to the top of Bluebell Hill (again).
From the picnic site on Bluebell Hill I followed the trail down past Wouldham Common and towards Shoulder of Mutton Wood.
Here I found the barrow and repeated the trend of photographing the P7 in all its glory.
P7 standing proud/propped up by a well placed tree stump.
Odd to think no one knows who was buried here or why.
Always cool finding trails and history on your doorstep.
On the way back up to Bluebell hill I stopped for a much needed banana break having been out and about for the best part of two hours by now.
Happy because I have eaten.
Looking good.
In the summer this is a spectacular view of the Medway valley, honest!
I then hammered my way up and over Bluebell hill. Then I tried to be clever and wind my way down the hill via a woodland, however the woodland ran away from where I needed to be and it was muddy.
Like the Somme muddy. That thick, sticky, strength sapping mud.
So I retraced my steps swallowed some pride and rolled the bike down a road until I reached the cross roads with Pilgrims Way.
When I used to do a lot of trail running I ran along Pilgrims Way in order to get up to the top of the Downs. I have no idea how I haven never spotted the White Horse Stone before. It is ridiculously easy to spot from the main track. The shame is this has meant that people have drawn on it quite a bit and it does not look as impressive as it should do. Bare in mind this is a Neolithic stone (4,000-2,500 BCE!), possibly a marker for something much bigger which has since been lost - like the nearby Smythe's Megalith which was in a field that I have run along many times (who knew?).
Modern world (ish) meats Neolithic.
How I never spotted this giant stone before is a mystery to me as much as why this stone is here in the first place.
With the final megalith found and the rain beginning to fall I decided to end my Megalith adventure and head home for a hot shower and a cuppa.
I will head back out and try to find some of the other stones that I haven't managed to see or have missed. There is also lots of castle ruins etc to try and find and explore.
All part of having an adventure on the bike and not just falling off down hill or trying to go as fast as possible on roads.
So far its a change that is most agreeable.
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