Description
St Mary the Virgin - Chalk or Chalk Church has been present since 785 and was noted in the Domesday Book of 1086. The current structure dates from the 12th Century. Significant building also took place in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The font is Norman and the oldest bell was first hung in 1348. The tower, a prominent landmark for navigation in the Thames, dates from the 15th Century. The churches were admired by Charles Dickens who on more than one occasion rented a cottage in Chalk, including for his honeymoon. The forge in the village is thought to be the model for Joe Gargery’s forge in Great Expectations. The church building generally had a period of decline probably from the early 18th until the mid 20th Century. After the Second World War new bells, stained-glass windows, banners, a balcony and various modern facilities were added.
Picture Credit: © St Mary the Virgin - Chalk.
