Kits Coty A History - Notes

Kits Coty From the West

So, here we are Kits Coty. 

Or Kits Coty House to give the site it’s official title. Over the last 46 years I have been up here probably nearly 100 times. What is it? Who built it and Why is it here? Are just a few of the questions that have puzzled me over the years….

In a nutshell it’s the remains of a Neolithic Chambered Tomb, built between 3500-2800 BC during the Neolithic or New Stone age so it’s about 5000- 5500 years old. So what does that mean?

Well about 10,000 years ago Britain was still attached to mainland Europe – albeit just as a funky little peninsula on the western edge roughly where Dover and Folkestone are today extending up to the Norfolk Coast. Herds of reindeer and mammoth would migrate back and forth looking for grazing land and better climes, in their wake our ancestors followed them leading a nomadic hunter- gatherer lifestyle. For centuries, even millennia they pursued this route forging ancient trackways on a natural route through the Downs that still exist today from the Kent coast to Avebury in Wiltshire, the most famous now known as the Pilgrims Way following the murder and canonisation of Thomas a Becket in 1170 and the ensuing pilgrimages of the medieval period, but hey the pagans were there first!

At some point in the period between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age these Nomadic ancestors discovered their ability to domesticate cattle, pigs and sheep - I’m guessing the domestication of mammoths didn’t work out too well and also started to experiment successfully with growing crops. With the beginning of more than seasonal settlements and the growth of farming, these ancient

Bone Offerings

settlers began to put more importance on the burial of their loved ones and the rituals and customs around them. Ancestor veneration and worship has its roots around this time, early temples and cults of the dead began to appear in mainland Europe, with people praying to their ancestors for their help and interventions with the Gods and Goddesses and the forces of nature, just the same as we do today, urging Mum or Grandad to help us with something tricky.

Megaliths – literally meaning ‘Big Stones’ began to be constructed for the community to collectively house the remains of their dead – usually specially selected body parts – the skull and femur and grave goods such as combs or beads maybe for the afterworld. These tombs were built on prominent hills and slopes, acting as border and territory markers high above the dense forests below - here at Kits Coty the Anderida Forest stretched beneath to the coast as far as New Romney and Dungeness, full of wild boar, wolves and bears.

About 8000 years ago it’s believed a huge

Kits Coty From the North

tsunami swept south from modern day Norway over the low-lying land, swamping the flatter coastal areas and cut Britain off forever, marooning an estimated population of 5000 which no doubt shaped the increase in settlement and the farming lifestyle. With the lifestyle changes that were evolving in Europe the settlers had brought their new death and burials customs with them and across the Medway valley a swathe of megaliths and chambered tombs and long barrows began to be constructed over the coming millennia.

Kits Coty is part of this group known as the Medway Megaliths. These standing stone constructions have all been made using local stones made of crystalline sandstone – a mixture of sand and silica, like most of them across the UK. These post glacial capstones were strewn liberally over the hills and valleys of Southern England and are also known as Sarsen stones, a derivative of Saracen which most likely came about in the Medieval period as a reference to Saracens, Muslims, Moors and all things Pagan and unholy by God fearing Christians.

Kits Coty House as it is known was built around 5500 years ago, approximately 500 years after the nearby Coldrum Stones – 6 miles west as the crow flies, bigger and better – maybe and earlier examples of keeping up with the Jones!

Ancient Trackways

Built around the same time as the settlement at Skara Brae on Orkney and about 500 years before Stonehenge in the form that we know it. What we see at Kits Coty are the three Orthostats approximately 3m tall and the capstone a huge 4m by 2.7 m thought to be the Eastern entrance to a huge chambered long barrow. Local legend has it that on a wild winter night 3 local witches who lived on nearby Bluebell Hill raised the 3 stones up but had to summon the help of another of their coven to raise the massive capstone – or may be the stone age ancestors used logs, pivots and hard graft like their peers! Legend also has it that if you place something on the cap stone on a full moon and walk round it widdershins (anti-clockwise ) that it will disappear…

Built from local stones the site was covered with an earth mound to preserve it, so it was at least the height of the remaining stones and is believed to have been 15 m and estimated to be between 55m and 70 long extending westward into the Meadow. When I first read that I doubted the measurements, even checking that I hadn’t confused it with a measurement in feet, it seemed too big. 

My brother very wisely suggested that I checked other barrows by way of comparison and I was astonished to discover that West Kennet Long barrow in Wiltshire, which was built around the same time is 100m long and when excavated around 50 separate human remains were identified and Wayland’s Smithy in Oxfordshire again a contemporary is a very similar size.

The apparently not so dubious estimate

Kits Coty From the East

for Kits Coty is gleaned from the knowledge of a huge stone that lay at the western end of the barrow known as The General’s Tombstone. This huge stone was getting in the way of ploughing and was blown up in 1867 using dynamite by a local farmer! Sadly, this has been the fate of Kits Coty and many other barrows over time, the fields tilled and ploughed the fallen stones broken and dispersed into the landscape.   The barrows were considered pagan - unchristian, and unholy during the medieval period between the 5^th and 15^th centuries and the sites were ransacked for their stones for building.  Most sites fell slowly into disrepair and the stones were spread over the wider area through centuries of farming. Though some are now completely gone, the remains of others are still safely nestled in the Kent downs. 

Kits Coty is part of a larger group now as the Medway Megaliths that stretch across the slopes of the Medway valley:

On the southern slopes of the land surrounding Kits Coty the remains of a Neolithic Longhouse were discovered but no excavations or further archaeological digs have been carried out.

Little Kits Coty House

Just down the track way from Kits Coty and down the Rochester Road is Little Kit’s Coty House, now a collapsed jumble of Sarsen stones that was once another long barrow on an open site managed by English heritage. Known locally as the Countless Stones or the Devil’s Stones as they are so difficult to count, the problem being that they all over lap each other. As children, we would mark them with chalk to keep track and still they would vary between 17 and 21! The Devil told me there were 20…..

The Tottington Stone

Hidden in a field a few hundred metres to the west of Little Kits Coty lies The Coffin Stone, in a private field but handily on a public footpath several collapsed stones are believed to be another tomb and 2 skulls were found there during early 19^th century excavations.

A little further down the Rochester Road, the casual wider dispersal of the stones can be seen at the nearby Great Tottington Farm.  Classified as a Standing Menhir, the Tottington Stone is a single standing stone. This lonely sentential stands alone in the farm driveway, it’s original site unknown.

Across the fields and near the busy A229 – lies another solitary Menhir - the (Upper) White Horse Stone also known in folklore as The King Making Stone. It was once not so far from The Lower White Horse Stone and Smythe’s Megalith both casualties of 18^th Century agriculture, sadly now ploughed out of existence by enthusiastic farmers. Also on these slopes were allegedly the remains of a Roman Villa and maybe even a temple.

Coldrum Long Barrow

The atmospheric Coldrum Long Barrow at Trottiscliffe (Locally pronounced as Trosley) is 6 Miles almost due west as the crow flies, hidden in the hills just below the ancient trackways and now signposted Pilgrim’s Way footpath predates Kits Coty by about 500 years.  Open to the public on a National Trust managed site this is just over half the size of its later counterpart but was excavated and its reconstruction in its present form is not thought to be entirely accurate.  No fewer than 22 bodies were found there and testing has shown them to be a familial group, with one in particular – a young woman to be elaborately buried with much finery – maybe a tribal leader or priestess?  The name Coldrum I have been told on very good authority, is derived from a Cornish word meaning ‘enchanted place’ – anyone who visits could hardly fail to feel the beauty of this place complete with its own cloutie or wishing tree, festooned with ribbons, rags and prayers all year round.

Chestnuts Long Barrow

Chestnuts Long Barrow a mere mile away at Addington is on a privately-owned site, managed by English Heritage sadly closed for viewing at the moment due to the owner Joan being elderly and frail.  The lovely Joan once gave fine tours, merrily handing out dowsing tools and telling with relish the tale of when a local band used the site for an album cover shoot in the 70’s and painted the stones bright green for effect! For the record Joan’s father who owned the site then, made the record company strip the paint back off. Huge stones remain many still standing but sadly here too most have been ploughed away at the far end of the site. The dowsing here is simply amazing, not something I had experienced before I visited a few years ago.

Just over the road are the remains of Addington Long Barrow which also owned by the fabulous Joan. A road now runs through them dissecting the once proud barrow, the result of zealous ploughing over the years. Who knows what else was originally there or what stones may remain with their secret history?

So, what’s in a name? The Jury is still

Offerings at Kits Coty

out on why the stones have such a curious name, but there are several interesting explanations. One of the most popular translations is that Kits Coty mean ‘Tomb in The Forest’ possibly derived from the Ancient British word Kaiton or Keiton meaning forest and is pretty self-explanatory.

Another suggestion is that Cit Coit meaning ‘Battle of The Wood’ This refers to the local history of the area.  This allegedly refers to the Battle of the Medway in 43 AD between the Iron Age Tribes and early Roman invaders who were initially repelled.  One of the most likely places for this is Aylesford then recorded as Aegelsforda as the river was shallowest here and a ford existed. Whether the battle would have traversed a whole mile and a half uphill and been fought there is another matter. 

Cloutie Tree at
Coldrum Long Barrow

The word Kit has also been suggested as a derivative of Catigern and Coty meaning House which also have major local historical relevance. Catigern was the son of Vortigern a 5^th Century High King of Britain supposedly responsible for killing the father of Uther Pendragon father of the once and future King Arthur.  Following the retreat of the Romans in the 5^th century, England was a volatile land fighting each other as well as the Northern Tribes. Vortigern hired Hengist and Horsa, two brothers who were Jutes/Angles/Saxons from the continent to keep the wild Picts and Gaels at bay. Defeated, these Northern tribes fell North to eventually create the Kingdom of Scotland.

The Brothers were given The Kentish Isle of Thanet as their reward. Clearly this wasn’t enough and in the mid-5^th century they revolted and in an attack known as the Night or Treachery of The Long Knives they killed many of the important chieftains of the day on a camp at Salisbury Plain before retreating to Kent. Vortigern’s sons Catigern and Vortimer followed them to Kent to revenge the deed. In a battle supposedly fought over the area of Aylesford both Horsa and Catigern were killed, with legend suggesting that Catigern was buried in a then 3500 -4000-year-old tomb. Personally, I find it unlikely, though it may give some credence to the local naming of the

Old Graffiti On Kits Coty

White Horse Stone as the King Making Stone, certainly from this point Hengist the surviving mercenary brother became the King of the Kingdom of Kent known as the Regnum Cantuariorium according to scribes and scholars of the day.

A final idea is the remote possibility that the name Kit derives from the welsh names Ket or Ked which may be linked to Keridwen/Ceridwen an Early Celtic Goddess – notably a Crone who lived in a cave/underground. It’s farfetched but it certainly fits and who’s to say that the sons of Vortigern didn’t bring their ways with them? That said the tomb predates this so Tomb in The Woods has to have the best odds.

I like the last suggestion best though! Many offerings are left at the stones throughout the year, whether that is a new ‘ancient custom’ or the result of generations of folklore, we will probably never know.                                                                                                       

Claire Kehily 2017

Solstice Dawnings

Happy, Happy Summer Solstice Everyone! 

Summer Sunwheel

Blessings of love to you all!
What a wonderful week I have had celebrating and spending time with some of my favourite people doing things I love.
When I last wrote, Summer Camp beckoned - an annual treat at the nearby Kits Coty Glamping Site a few minutes walking from the remains of our local long barrow that I love so much. Arriving on what felt like the hottest day ever, I was greeted like an old friend by the lovely Steve, the very same first person I had spoken to last year. Expertly setting up my home for the nest two nights, all was going well until a brief electric pump disaster where my batteries somehow got wedged in, then it wouldn't turn off and was getting hotter and hotter before we finally managed to prise them out with a kitchen knife (don't try this at home Girls and Boys) which left me with a half inflated mattress and a surrounding aura of chaos... 'I'm here everyone!' 

Sunset Over Camp

Next to arrive was my beautiful friend Remi who was the other person to come straight up to me last year when I knew no one. Hot on the tale of my minor pump incident we launched straight into her major 'tent gate' - different tent, no instructions and 'stupid' poles in the wrong place - not what you need when it's super hot but we got there, her tent finally up, another pump borrowed that didn't go nuts, a fully inflated mattress and a cheeky trip to the local shop for some ahem liquid refreshment for later. Bring on the Solstice!

Everyone took a part in creating the beautiful sun wheel, weaving flowers into the greenery with whispered prayers to the Goddess and the Gods and tied on little scrolls that held our requests safe before it was cast onto the fire at the end of our sundown ritual. Tent dramas forgotten, as the wind started to pick up we all chatted round the fire, new friendships being forged, tales and experiences being told and shared as well as discussing the activities for the next day. A wonderful and eclectic list of topics that babbled and flowed around my delighted ears included healing, ghosts, angels, children, the countryside and of course sex!

Beautiful Lilac and Purple Poppies

On the menu after the 4.40 am Sunrise ritual were solstice craft activities, an open healing tent, meditation, hopefully sleep at some point and a walk up to the stones complete with a talk by yours truly. I'd rehearsed it so well that even the cats knew it to be honest but that didn't stop me worrying I can tell you!
After just 4 hours sleep, yawning and bleary eyed we gathered the following morning to watch the sun come up and welcome the longest day in with a simple ritual. I found a couple of quiet moments to ground myself, to call in my Goddess and generally ask for a bit of help with my talk which was getting ever nearer. Heading off to the stones before it got too hot, it was 24 degrees at 10 o'clock, that's pretty damn tropical in Kent, surrounded by children running and jumping through the flower filled meadow and adults already wiping their faces and huffing and puffing! 
On the way up I spotted this beautiful

An Offering To The Ancestors

poppy all lilacs and purples and when we arrived there was a solitary red poppy proudly standing amongst the stones. Feeling a sudden rush of inspiration and confidence flow through me, I started on my tale of this ancient tomb - the how, when, why and who with a bit of folklore and legend thrown in. No one actually keeled over with boredom so it must have been ok, even if we did have to hide in the track way in the blissful dark shade and peep out at the object of our interest! 
I've included  this link - the full notes I typed up on Kits Coty and also posted it as another the walkingwithmygoddess post - I know the lovely Neene at work was asking bless her. It will help you sleep if nothing else....
Before we left for the lower stones further down the track, I asked the children to give the remainder of the unused flowers from the sunwheel to the ancestors as an offering, a link between the past, the present and the future which felt important and also natural.
Back at the camp and after several thanks

Ribbons On The Wishing Tree

and compliments for my  talk and my history knowledge, which left me ridiculously buzzing, some of us thankfully indulged in a group meditation which left more than one of us snoozing and snoring (well it had been an early start) I managed to wake myself up with a snort at the end - stay Classy! 
Sat in the craft area blending our incenses, making woollen sunwheels and weaving prayers and magick into ribbons to hang in the wishing tree that we started last year and the owners loved so much they have kept and added to, mine was pink, blue and white and represented love and healing for the world, talk turned to the healing tent and who was happy to offer what. I sat listening in awe of the abundance of peoples skills and all this fabulousness around me, asked what healing I did, I confessed my sorry state of nothing, laughing that words and writing were more my style. The fabulous Carmel who I had been regaling of my paranormal adventures earlier, looked up at me and said I bet you could, laughing I said it would probably be dangerous, when Remi joined in and agreed, both of them agreeing that with all the energy coming

The Crystals I Used

from me when I work with my medium friend on a paranormal investigations and in general they both reckoned I could. Carmel then suggested that she do a healing treatment on me with crystals showing me what to do and then I have 'a go' on her. 
It must have been the sun or the lack of sleep that made me say yes. Either way a few hours later I found myself standing over the very brave Carmel, who I had joked should sign a disclaimer in case I put her in hospital, sweating through heat, stress and concentration grounding myself, calling on my ancestors to help me work with Carmel, thinking if I'm honest that it had disaster written all over it. Doing as I had been shown, I scanned her body with my hands, with amazement I felt a huge difference over her knees,  all I can describe it as is a hot

Green Aventurine
For Heart Rhythms

ripple and rummaging in the bowl of crystals found pretty red ones that I liked the look of and placed them on her knees. Feeling bolder I did the same elsewhere on her until I felt I had done, taking a photo for reference. Removing the crystals, we went back to the communal area with Carmel's crystal bible, me awaiting a 'yep you were right, I'm worse than when we started' I was amazed when she calmly said that I had identified nearly all the parts of her body that she had trouble with. Beginners luck surely. Looking up the various stones that I placed  on her, it soon became clear that they all had a relevance even if the physical benefits can work on several parts of the body,  this green aventurine I had 'randomly' placed near her heart - well guess which someone happens to have a heart murmur. Wow just wow, don't worry I'm not planning to set up shop tomorrow as a sudden crystal healing guru but definitely something else to look into. 
If I lived to be 150 I'm never going to explore everything around me.
An awesome camp was topped off with another fabulous evening round the fire, full of love and laughter, everything and anything discussed, new words created, new meanings for some too and so many you-had-to-be-there in jokes to make us giggle for years, new friendships well and truly forged. What a beautiful way to celebrate.

Have a Blessed Week x x

Early Solstice Shenanigans

Well that's come round quick again,

Litha Sun

I can't believe that Litha - Summer Solstice is nearly here again. 
As we take time to honour the longest day, we see the Goddess ripe and fertile as the land is abundant with crops and flowers, before She becomes the Mother at harvest. The sun is high and strong in the sky, particularly so these last couple of weeks! After my walking exertions of the last few months I planned a few more chilled out activities to celebrate midsummer.
Rounding up my oldest friend Lu - I hasten to add that I mean longevity of friendship not that she is ancient, just to clarify - I persuaded her that she really did want to go camping for the night at small Solstice event at Eastbourne. East bourne - I just can't seem to stay away at the moment, no walking though this week!

Looking Glorious Ladies!

Rounding up enough gear for a small army not just two crazy pagan hippy friends away for a night, we pitched up our tents on a blindingly hot Saturday morning and joined in the celebrations. After a simple but beautiful opening ceremony played out by two of the Drummers where the Holly King and The Oak King duelled and played out their yearly battle, we held a simple ritual welcoming the sun and the longest day. Lots of drumming and morris dancing ensued as well as these glorious ladies - Rasheeka Belly Dance shaking and swinging their hips and generally celebrating all things Goddessy!
I did kind of worry that Lu who after we had watched the fabulous drumming previously at Beltain and again earlier in the day had suggested that we start a drumming group might suddenly decide we should start belly dancing too, but thankfully and mercifully not. Shhhh - No one remind her!
Browsing round the stalls, a beautiful young lady

Summer Goddess

asked me if I wanted my face painted, usually I would say no, for some unknown reason I said go on then. 
First victim of the day apparently! When asked what I wanted, I suggested something Goddessy and said I was feeling corn and poppies. With relish she started work and with assurances that she wasn't going to give me  a 'spiderman' I let her do her thing. 
I was amazed with what she did, she enjoyed the free rein of being creative and said that she had really felt channelled when doing it. I would never have picked red, the glitter or the boldness of it, but I was so delighted  - especially with the golden goddess symbol on my forehead that I left my glasses off and spent the rest of the day walking round in a myopic haze so as not to spoil it! Fabulous!
And yes I did remember to take it off before I went to bed so I didn't wake up looking like I'd been to an all night rave with half of it in the pillow!

Sun Setting On The Day

Listening to music and watching fire dancing while the sun set, we enjoyed the rest of the evening chatting, chilling, enjoying a few cold ciders and enjoying the atmosphere.
After a surprisingly good nights sleep, amazing what you can achieve with an inflatable mattress, eye mask and ear plugs, we slowly packed up and decided to go and see the sea at nearby Pevensey Bay for a little while before heading home.

Back in time for Father's Day, I went to spend some time with my lovely Dad. A wonderful, warm, funny and hard working family man who is at his happiest pottering in the garden, walking his dog or spending time with his family - never far from home. He has to be one of the kindest and biggest hearted people I know - never a bad word to say about anybody. He also had the sense to fall in love with and marry a strong wonderful woman and gave the precious gift of a loving and happy childhood to me and to my children. Thank You Pops x x 
Due to work commitments, we didn't see

A Mum-Dad Pressie

the kids until yesterday and were blessed to have the whole tribe round for an evening, the kids spoiling Dad - as they call my himself, who has more than earned his Step Dad stripes over the last 12 years and Grandad with presents. We had an evening full of fun, laughter, plenty of food and a variety of ice creams, watching Dan and Sophie daring each other to get in and 'swim' in the by then cold Paddling pool  - it is a big one in case you have visions of two grown adults in a 3 feet round one!  Memories made and stored to treasure.
My daughter pulled me aside and gave me this lovely candle, when I asked her what that was for she told me it was for being her dad before Dad joined our lives. That was choke making I can assure you! Bless her heart. Exactly the Goddess colours for Litha and smells of the sea which connects with Goddess imagery and symbolism for Litha - which she didn't know! Perfect.
So, I'm just finishing practising and tweaking my 'notes' for a talk I'm giving tomorrow on some local standing stones, not nervous at all (much!) and then I'm packing the car up and going camping for Solstice a few miles away at a local glamping site - good old fashioned tent for me though, which I'll share with you next time.

Wishing You All Solstice/Litha Blessings of Love, Abundance and Fertility.

Have a Blessed Week x x x 

A Marathon Post

OMG It's Real!!

All this last week my thoughts have been totally dominated by my upcoming marathon hike. When my alarm went off Saturday morning, despite all my hard work I'd put into training and preparation I was thinking I need a few more weeks for this, I need more practice, what if all the practice wasn't enough? Arriving at the starting point alone to register, the nerves surfaced again when I saw lots of slim, fit looking groups of people laughing and joking, my urge was to tell the taxi driver who had picked me up from the hostel to drive on and take me to the train station. He must have sensed my fears as he proceeded to tell me what an amazing thing I was doing and shook my hand wishing me well as he got my overnight bag out of the boot. 
Deep breath, I can do this I told myself and headed inside. Originally there had been 7 people doing this, it had dropped to 3 of us, 1 whom I'd met once and one person I'd never met. A

A Flowery Message

quick scout round and nope couldn't see a familiar face. I seriously need to change my deodorant or something! 
In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, I managed to quietly ground myself and give myself a good spiritual talking to, then the compere of the warm up filtered through my thought saying something about hugging each other and a lady who was a complete stranger gave me a massive hug and invited me to walk with her and friend. Last minute selfie post and we were off. Walking along, we were about 2 miles in, the sun was shining strongly for so early in the day and the reality dawned on me of the mammoth task ahead, when someone said

Beautiful Scenery Before the Hills!

ooh look 'poppies!' Sure enough in a field full of wheat, jaunty poppies were bobbing at us in the breeze. Bright red poppies for remembrance maybe for all the people we were doing this for, those who we had lost and those still fighting. For me it took me back to my first meditation journey and walking through a sunny field as I journeyed to the Goddess. Smiling and thinking 'I've got this' I trotted along happily to the first rest stop at nearly 8 miles, managing it in a pretty good 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Feeling pretty happy, I set off again, gazing at the beautiful scenery and listening to the birds, then I saw it. The hill of doom. It was high and went on for ever. I hate hills, my body hates hills and I'm pretty sure hills hate me back. 

I'm certainly not the fittest person in the world but I'm pretty active but hills really hurt me! This one was no different. Less than a quarter of the way up, my legs were burning, my heart was pounding so much I thought it would burst out of my chest and I wanted to cry. I wanted to sit down, phone my Dad to come and get me and generally have an 'I can't do it!' hissy fit - but I didn't. Huffing and puffing like an asthmatic steam train,

Just for You Mum!

probably bright red in the face, hands on hips, back resolutely turned to the hill refusing to look at what still had to be accomplished and thinking I can't do this, silently screaming to Goddess to help me, I heard a voice. Not quite a divine visit, but maybe a divine intervention...Looking round was another red faced lady saying "this one sure is a bitch", with gritted teeth, I managed a grimacy sort of smile, without swearing and step by step we went further up this hill, she stopped when I needed to, saying how well we'd done, admiring the view below us and taking her prompts to take a few more steps from me. 20 minutes later she told me to look up, to my delight there was a plateau and then a little incline, we'd almost reached the top and there was a huge bank of daisies in front of me. My Mum's favourite, Mum, one of the main reasons I was doing this. 

Laughing slightly hysterically and thanking her I took a photo to send to my Mum, explaining to the lady why. She patted me on my arm and said "you'll be alright now" and was off. I was, she'd been sent by someone to help me up that blooming hill! Funnily enough when I tried to book my start time initially and I couldn't get in

Looks Almost Tropical!

with the group I was originally walking with and was facing starting on my own later, several people said "there'll be a reason, you're meant to help someone else along later, you'll see!" - ironically because the people dropped put from my original group there was a space for me at the earlier time and someone was there for me when I needed them.

15 miles and lunch done, I had accosted yet more lovely people to talk to, it was that kind of day where you walked for a couple of miles with strangers and then blended into another group, a lovely couple of ladies called Jenny and Maria who'd been left behind by their faster set and were struggling with blisters. We laughed and joked our way along to the Seven Sisters Country Park. Outside a very inviting pub, a fabulous and slightly tipsy lady was standing by the stile at the 19 mile marker, gin and tonic in hand, cheering us on and telling us all how fabulous we were and providing much needed smiles and support. 

The views off the lower cliffs were amazing, my walking buddies who were from St Albans were amazed at the scenery - we commented that the water looked almost tropical! The 20 mile marker was a huge psychological turning point for us all, silently thanking Goddess for getting me so far, it was nearly 3.30, 8 hours after starting, 6 miles and even a few more smaller hills didn't seem too bad.

Worse Than They Look - Trust Me!

The seven sisters, it sounds like beautiful women of mythology, that danced into the sky they are represented in the stars or the beautiful sisters that protect sailors, probably where this place gets it's name from, beautiful and kind. Nothing like the 7 chalk cliffs between us and the final stretch. In fact due to cliff erosion there are now 8 of them, beautiful to look at but not kind! When I say I swore my way over those hills, I am not joking. They look like they roll gently in this photo, short and sharp someone described them as..... bloody awful is what they were, and that's being polite. It wasn't just me and my secret hill hate, by now almost everyone was struggling and hill hating with a vengeance. Stopping to catch my breath, huffing and puffing, I drank about my 8th litre of water of the day and decided to try some of the energy gel given to us at the last stop, it tasted curiously like lucozade jelly! Steaming on I knew the last rest stop was over the hill and with the wind behind me, fully of energy gel and a bit of a push and shove from my beloved Goddess I took the hill like a pro and marched into the last rest stop.

At this last stop I was joined by a lady called Fiona - who reminded me instantly of two very lovely friends Dawn and Sally - like a composite mixture of them! A good omen indeed. Setting off for the last stretch a 'mere' 4 miles, we got chatting, hearing each other's stories, how we

Eastbourne is in Sight!

had got here, our struggles with fitness and why we were doing this. Hers was a moving story about her best friend who had lost her fight and she was doing this for her. In silently acknowledged camaraderie we inched our way up the last cliff, less steep but longer, it felt never ending to our tired legs. Turning away from the hill and focusing on what we had climbed not what was still to go, gritting our teeth and battling on over the final climb to Beachy Head.

As we reached the top we saw Eastbourne our glittering prize in front of us, we both got emotional and the last mile and a half, mercifully on the flat and then down hill, we talked about our own spiritual journeys in life. When Fiona said she'd asked her angels for help and had been sent me I started crying again! Furiously wiping tears from our faces we reached the final few hundred metres together, both of us overcome with joy and let's be honest relief that we'd actually done it! Unknown people were clapping and cheering everyone as we approached the finishing line, Fiona's son screamed "Mummy!" and ran up to her hugging her through the last few metres.  It took me 10 hours and 58 minutes - but I did it! As we crossed the line medals were placed round our necks, a glass of bubbly thrust into our hands and

I Only Went And Blooming Did it!!

I hugged this stranger, this beautiful sister who I had shared so much with over the last 2 hours. As she waved goodbye and walked to her family, I saw my phone was ringing, it was Mum who had seen my discreet purple tropical print leggings come in and turned round to see her waving at me and like a child I ran to her outstretched arms crying like a baby! Dad appeared grinning away with a thoroughly over excited dog, though that may have been because he was allowed in the food tent, Scrumpy the dog that is, not Dad!

I still can't quite believe I did it,  I had plenty of help along the way, the companionship and kindness of strangers, constant texts and messages of encouragement from my family and friends as well as plenty of signs, energy and the strength from Goddess too. So far I've raised an amazing £725 ! Someone commented on my grinning facebook post that I was a warrior which I didn't think about much at the time. When I was writing this I looked up the meaning - soldier, combatant - hmm nope, fighter, brave maybe..... 

Then I found this quote it's attributed to Sitting Bull, probably erroneously :

'For us, warriors are not what you think of as warriors. 

The warrior is not someone who fights, 

because no one has the right to take another life. 

The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. 

His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, 

those who can not provide for themselves, 

and above all, the children, the future of humanity'

I seriously doubt they are his words, but I love them and I like to think that during those hard and at times gruelling 26 and a bit miles, I carried some of the warrior energy of my Goddess with me, I think it's there all the time we just don't always realise it.

Have a Blessed Week x x 

On The Right Path

Footpath Just Off Our Lane

All I seem to have done this week is walk and work, work and walk, even walk to work and next week will be much the same, though I'm sure it will be worth it come next weekend when I complete (Goddess willing) my walking marathon! 
That said, I did manage a cheeky mid week night out with some friends from school - how wonderful to meet up with some of the people who shaped and coloured my youth, to revisit the pub we frequented to celebrate our O and A Levels, the place of many break up getting over it drinks as well being the place of many birthday celebrations and the start of several romances! 
It was both weird and lovely to see that we were still in essence the same girls that studied and partied together in our teens, borne out the photos of us that Sarah brought, proof of our super poodle style hair do's and blue eyeliner and mascara! 

Gleaned Wheat!

Every group has someone who takes the time to record everything, to remember who moved where, to manage to stay in touch with us all and pull us together, someone who knew it would be important one day when the rest of us were too busy living in the now, ours is our lovely Sarah, who just as importantly has a mass of natural curls, no poodle perm for her - I'm still envious of them! 
I knew I needed to get some serious practice miles under my belt for my Big Hike and was aiming for a good 16 -18 miles. In truth I was worried that I might not quite be up to scratch for the big day, a niggling inner thigh muscle was a cause for concern. Determined not to be beaten, after a deep grounding and calling in some fierce but loving warrior energy before I left, I set off from our house and headed off down the lane and through the fields, walking through the fields of Wheat and Grains, the symbols of my Goddess and of my dietary

Teston Bridge

nemesis! Right in front of me in the path was a fallen head of wheat which I attached to my rucksack and it bounced along jauntily with me and is now on my altar. This really was a good old fashioned meandering coddiwomple to be sure, at the last minute I changed direction and headed for the river, deciding I was going to head in the vague direction of a local spring and well that I had recently read about. 
I have to say all this training as well as being good for my health has given me some fantastic headspace time and a chance to build up some inner strength, several people have asked me if I get bored when roaming off on my own for hours and the answer is honestly no! Every few minutes there were friendly dog walkers, ramblers, cyclists and runners, something else I noticed too is that everyone says hello, literally everyone, none of this avoiding eye contact or any form of communication. It must be something to do with the great outdoors. 

A Very Friendly Bee

There were fortunately no surprising random cyclists with talks on neolithic monuments this week, though I had a close call applying deep freeze spray to my inner thigh muscle, if that cyclist had been 30 seconds earlier he might have seen more than he wished to I can tell you! It is the semi-fit long distance walker's friend! Walking along the old towpaths by the river and under the beautiful medieval bridges, I sat at the locks watching a boat manoeuvre through them with skill and was joined by this beautiful bee that danced gracefully through the flowers diligently collecting pollen. They didn't want to seem to leave me alone, either they were following me or thought that the tropical print on my new jazzy purple running leggings (check me out) were real! Whatever the reason, we soon parted company as I headed onwards lost in my admiration of the beautiful countryside around me, literally sometimes just standing gazing at the view of gently rolling hills

Beautiful Spring Gardens

swathed in lush greenery and listening to the bird song, either thinking 'wow' or just staring in wonder.
Looking for this elusive spring at the curiously named Pizien Well, I googled for a little clue to discover that it is now in someone's garden and the odd name may or may not mean poison, I hope not! As I strode on through a panorama of old mills and mill ponds, where wheat, corn and grains would once have been so familiar, I noticed all the little tributary springs by the road I wished I had picked a flower to add to them as a small offering, then I saw these beautiful cottage gardens, green and colourful flora bursting to life around the trickles of water, looking like something from a postcard and realised there was a beautiful permanent living offering in situ. Apparently local brides used to visit the springs on their wedding day morning to splash the water over them for fertility.
Strolling on as the day got hotter, I found a new footpath that I had never seen on any of the many times I had driven past,

My Ethereal Companion

 which led along another river through cool and leafy woodland. I realised with delight that I was being followed by a gorgeous blue dragonfly, who for whatever reason flew around me, then darted ahead of me, she would then settle and fly away when I grew nearer, in fact she probably thought I was following her! 
Stopping for a much needed rest of my legs and feet and a cold pint of cider I mused over the walk so far, the symbols and signs that had been waiting for me. No surprise wheat an ancient symbol for abundance life and fertility, as well as rebirth and resurrection, the humble bee - symbol of the home and family, hard work, life cycles and reincarnation as well as being the symbol of Demeter, the Greek counterpart of Ker, my own Goddess and of course the ever present dragonfly the symbol of transformation and spiritual growth. What an eclectic blend! 

Wateringbury Willows

Gearing myself up to do a few miles more, I set off again arranging for himself to pick me up from the train station at Paddock Wood about 6 miles away. Boots off, hot, tired and decidedly dusty in the comfort of the car I totted up the miles on the way home, and astonishingly made it a good 20 maybe 22 miles. Pretty happy with that! A few mid length walks this week after work to keep those muscles active and bring on the big one on Saturday Brighton to Eastbourne 26 miles.  Just decided to add one more photo as I took so many lovely ones and these Willows called to me, among many other magical meanings they represent strength and facing a challenge. Sounds pretty apt!
Bring on The Big Hike on Saturday!

Have A Blessed Week x x 

If anyone would like to sponsor me in my fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support I'd be very grateful for any small donation you can spare -  

You can Donate here -Thank You x x