Blue Bell Hill

Blue Bell Hill rises between Maidstone and Rochester, overlooking the River Medway. Part of the North Downs, it is a chalk hill that was quarried for centuries. Settlements on its slopes include the village of Blue Bell Hill and the suburb of Walderslade. The hill carries the North Downs Way along its crest and the Pilgrims’ Way at its foot. A modern crematorium now crowns the summit, while the A229 dual carriageway climbs its side. The hill shelters rare wildlife on its 5-hectare nature reserve managed by Kent Wildlife Trust. It belongs to the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and holds Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Archaeologists found a Neolithic long house on its slopes before High Speed 1 was tunneled beneath. Remains of a Roman building with human bones and burnt wood were unearthed near Kit’s Coty. A transmitting station and the Lower Bell pub stand on the hilltop today. Visitors walk the North Downs Way and picnic beside the Pilgrims’ Way. The Medway megaliths, including Kit’s Coty House and Countless Stones, mark the prehistoric past. Fragments of a lost dolmen recall chamber tombs once scattered across the hill. Views stretch over the Medway valley and across the North Downs. The Lower Bell pub offers a place to rest after exploring the slopes.