St Peter & St Paul's Church, Chaldon, Surrey
Visited November 2019
This little church south of Croydon is tucked away in the village of Chaldon in the Surrey Downs. I walked to it from Coulsdon, via Happy Valley, which is a lovely circular walk of about 6 miles. The churchyard itself is nothing spectacular - some older graves, but mostly Victorian and 20th century. What sets this place apart is the pre-Norman church, mentioned in the Domesday Book, and the 12th century Doom painting it contains. The church has of course been extended and amended over the years - you can see that just by looking at the outside - and has a wealth of history.
The Doom painting on the west wall is possibly the earliest known English wall painting, dating from around 1200, and depicts 'Purgatory and Hell' and 'The Ladder of Salvation of the Human Soul'. It was whitewashed over at some point in the past, and rediscovered in 1869. It's been conserved over the years, and incredibly the church is still free to visit and open every day. If this was in a city it would almost certainly be ticketed! I can't recommend a visit highly enough, and if doing it as part of a walk the churchyard makes a lovely lunch stop too.
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