As summer’s warmth begins to soften into the golden glow of late August, we invite you to gather with us once more in the ancient heart of Dode for a very special evening.
On Sunday 31st August at 7pm, our resident storyteller and custodian, Keeper Doug, will lead a candlelit talk through the layers of history, mystery, and myth that surround The Lost Village.
Believed to have been built around 1100 AD by Bishop Gundulf, a master-builder of Norman England and architect of the Tower of London, Dode is a place steeped in sacred history. Tolkien himself—Oxford scholar and author of The Lord of the Rings—was well-versed in Gundulf’s legacy. Could it be that the name Gandalf owes something to our own village’s quiet guardian of stone?
And there is more. Much more.
Tales of plague.
A village lost.
A child who lingers still, glimpsed in mist and moonlight.
The inexplicable. The magical. The deeply moving.
This is not just a talk. It is an experience of place and spirit.
🌿 Details & Booking
📅 Sunday 31st August 2025
🕖 7:00pm – 8:30pm
📍 The Lost Village of Dode, Great Buckland, Gravesend, DA13 0XF
🎟️ Tickets are £5.00, with all proceeds donated to our chosen charity for the year, St Benedict’s Church.
Places are limited, and advance booking is essential.
