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St. JAME'S CHURCH
Cooling, Kent
Website:
www.visitchurches.org.uk
6 miles north of Rochester off B2000
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Administered by the Churches Conservation Trust
the church of St. James is situated in Main Road, Cooling.
The churchyard of this church
is believed to have been the setting for the first meeting between the convict
Magwitch and young Pip in Charles Dicken's 'Great Expectation', and the little
stone 'lozenge' gravestones are known as 'Pip's Graves'. The church dates from
the late 13th century and is impressively spacious inside. There are wonderful
carved stone seats in the chancel and a set of rather primitive wooden benches
in the nave.
As well as some impressive memorials in the walls and
floor the church is unusual in the way that the tiny 19th century vestry is
lined with thousands of cockle shells - the emblem of St James.
There is limited
parking in the lay-by on the north side of the church.
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