Lost in the North Downs

Last Friday, the 13th September myself and Mrs C went to our friends wedding at a secret location somewhere in Kent. Our invitation informed us that we were to meet at 1:30 p.m. at the Premier Inn just off the A2 trunk road near Gravesend. We duly arrived in plenty of time and joined the other guests on a minibus which drove us for several miles down tree lined country lanes, getting narrower and narrower until we arrived at the venue. Nestled in a hidden valley in the heart of the North Downs was a small Norman church, all that remains of the the Lost village of Dode.

The church is 900 years old, built in the reign of William Rufus the son of William the Conqueror sometime between the years 1087 and 1100 to serve the parishioners of the village of Dode (Dowde in Old English). However nobody has worshipped at this church for more than 650 years when it was de-consecrated by the Bishop of Rochester. The reason that he carried out such a radical act was simply because there was no longer a congregation to worship here.

In 1349 the villagers were struck down by the Black Death which was ravaging Europe at the time. Brought to England in ships with unwanted stowaways, black rats carrying fleas that were infected with the plague. There was no cure for the disease and every body in the village died hideous deaths, apart from one seven year old girl. All alone, she took refuge in the church where she eventually passed away. To this day her ghost known as the 'Dode child' still haunts the church and grounds (apparently). The only spirits that I saw came out of a bottle, although on some of my photographs you can clearly see orbs; they are probably only dust motes thrown up from the straw covered floor. But who knows!

The village fell into ruin and eventually disappeared leaving nothing but the abandoned church, which over the centuries also fell into disrepair. It remained this way until ninety years ago when the ruins were purchased by a local Antiquarian who restored the building to it's former glory. These days it is very much a silent place of reflection and meditation welcoming people of all faiths and beliefs. The church is used for holding civil marriage ceremonies, christenings and the renewing of vows, while in the grounds 'wiccan' child naming and hand fasting ceremonies are held.

Dode, however is far older than the church itself, which is built on a substantial man made mound known as Holly hill, a corruption of Holy hill. It is approached by a narrow roadway which in ancient times was known as Wrangling lane indicating that the mound may have been a moot or meeting place, possibly going back thousands of years into the mists of time. Archaeological evidence shows that the site was occupied in the Roman period and then by the Saxons prior to the conquest and building of the Norman church. This is truly a mysterious and magical place. Oh, and by the way, the wedding was really great as well.