Guess the Place

[pete.mason]

yes, one of the fringe villages or suburbs

[John Walker]

Maidstone?

[pete.mason]

No go West

[Diapason]

Was the infamous hospital St Augustines, Chartham?

[pete.mason]

No sir! but a rather (in)famous one nearby

[John Walker]

Was it a hospital previously?

[pete.mason]

Not a pub for a change, original building has been demolished and a des res built in its place. Where & what was it?

[MartinR]

An interesting and ancient church.  The bells though are something else.  The top three are relatively new 1997/8, but the back three are the ones of interest.  4 and 6 were cast by John Wilnar of Borden in 1634 but the gem in the number 5.  That one was cast by Thomas de Weston in 1348.  Yes, that's not a misprint it is 672 years old and still in use.  It could have been heard by Geoffrey Chaucer's pilgrims!  The Ringing World article (link below) points out that the bell's first job would have been tolling for the victims of the Black Death in 1349, alarmingly prescient today.

My first memory of Chalk was as inexperienced trainee ringer.  As we came down the stair the tower captain drew my attention to the list of bells and their dates.  Where else would a trainee be trusted with an instrument of this age?  Would you sit your grade 1 exams with a Strad?

• Details of the bells: http://kent.lovesguide.com/tower.php?id=240
• English heritage entry for the church: https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1089044
• Write-up in The Ringing World: http://kent.lovesguide.com/articles/chalk1976-11-12.pdf

[CAT]

Sorry John Walker, but Pete has it. It was indeed St Mary’s Church at Chalk. The pic is dated about 1775-1800, though little has changed apart from the roof of the unusual west tower porch.


Over to you Pete

[castle261]

What I like about this - is you get to know  - all those little villages - that you did not know existed.

[pete.mason]

St Mary's Chalk

[John Walker]

Dartford area?

[CAT]

You're to far east Pete


This church is positioned between a large waterway to the north and a major road route to the south. Immediately to the south is a main road between two of Kent's principal town/city.

[CAT]

You're to far east Pete.


This church is situated between a large waterway to the north and a major road route to the south. Its location is just north of a main road linking two of Kent's principal town/city

[pete.mason]

North Downs, East of Ashford?