Ancient churches closed by Black Death open again after 650 years

Two ancient churches which were wiped out by the Black Death have opened their doors together for the first time in more than 650 years.

Sister churches Dode and Paddlesworth, located just 1.5 miles apart from each other in Kent, both had thriving congregations until the plague wreaked havoc upon them in 1359.

Dode church, whose builder reportedly inspired J.R.R Tolkien’s character Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings, was completely wiped out, and its bishop moved to nearby Paddlesworth, whose church is known as St Benedict’s.

But on Sunday (August 18), after decades of restoration work on Dode church, the two sister churches opened simultaneously – inviting visitors to walk the historic trail between the two.

Douglas Chapman, the keeper of Dode church, explained that its restoration had been a decades-long ‘labour of love’, culminating in the historic opening of both churches last weekend.

He said: ‘The churches were both always full but not overcrowded and people walked between the two in the North Downs.

‘It’s the first time the two churches have ever done anything like that.

‘As far as Dode is concerned, the local legend is that everybody died from the plague.

‘Within a few years, there was nothing left but the church.’

Mr Chapman bought Dode church around 35 years ago but spent the proceeding decade clearing out and restoring it – as well as getting rid of tenants who had converted it into a ‘drugs den’.

It hadn’t been used for official events, or as a church, since its priest was moved down the road to Paddlesworth after the plague wiped out the small settlement’s population.

Though there is supposedly a mass grave underneath or near to the church, Mr Chapman has refused to let archaeologists use it as a dig site.

‘It was a bit of a labour of love,’ he admitted.

‘It had been locked up for 600-odd years. The roof had been put back in the early 1900s.

‘It was used as a drugs den, really.

‘We made room to park the odd car, installed electricity and water…

‘The place essentially hadn’t been touched or at least hadn’t been used since 1367, when the Priest was sent to Paddlesworth because everybody in Dode was either dead or had left.

‘The churches are very similar. They are very near and were built in an almost identical way around 1100, at the end of William the Conqueror’s reign.

‘They’re only a mile and a half apart, and on a nice afternoon, you walk through beautiful countryside.’

Nowadays, Dode church hosts weddings, naming ceremonies and other similar events but is no longer used as a church and is not affiliated with one religion, but accepts ‘all religions equally’.

The ancient church is said to have first been built by Gundulf – or Gundulph – the Bishop of Rochester who also built several castles around London and Kent.

He is said to have inspired J R R Tolkien’s character Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings, and was also known for building the two towers of Colchester Castle and the White Tower of the Tower of London.

‘Tolkien was a professor of Medieval history and would have known all about Gundulf,’ Mr Chapman said.

‘The theory is that Gundulf became Gandalf. It’s a shame Tolkien isn’t around to confirm it.’

Dode Church is open to the public once every six weeks, whilst members of the public can request visits to Paddlesworth Church throughout the year.

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