Dartford was quite a hot spot for religious activity during the reformation in England in the 16th Century. Under the orders of Mary Tudor a great many Protestants were sentenced to death by burning in the town and they were exhibited in their final hours on top of East Hill before they were killed in an horrific manner. This monument marks the spot where many of these people died during these dark days and gives tribute to a new found religious tolerance that developed shortly after these events in England.