Chiddingstone, St Mary's Church 1891
Photo ref: 29400
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Photo ref: 29400
Photo of Chiddingstone, St Mary's Church  1891

More about this scene

The fine 14th-century church of St Mary, built of local sandstone, has a Perpendicular tower with dumpy crocketed pinnacles and full-length aisles of the same width as the nave and chancel. It was extensively rebuilt and restored by Sir Bartholomew Burghersh after a lightning strike and fire in 1624, when its Jacobean porch, pulpit and font were added. The latter, with its unusual cover, cost £3. 10s.

A Selection of Memories from Chiddingstone

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Chiddingstone

Sparked a Memory for you?

If this has sparked a memory, why not share it here?

I was born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, but then lived in one of the cottages, I think which was called Scragg's Farm in Cowden, Kent. My parent's, Frank and Beatrice, are of Italian heritage and worked as housekeeper and groundskeeper on the beautiful property. I don't have any specific memory because we soon immigrated to Canada in 1965. I did visit Cowden briefly in 1986 and sat with Mrs. (? so sorry cannot ...see more
Around 1950 there was a boarding school established in the castle. A great feature for me were the routine supervised strolls around the local countryside including trips to the sugar white sandstone quarry,  the subterranean hideaway of Dick Turpin and his horse, hidden in a copse located in a nearby meadow, the chiddingstone itself with metal handcuffs where wayward wives would be left outside ...see more