[[TQ 57047009] Site of St. Margaret's Chapel (1) [NR]

The Chapel of St. Margaret, Helle, about a mile south-east of Darenth Church, was mentioned in 1292 but only part of the tower was standing in Hasted's time (3).

The chapel was united to the parish church of Darenth in 1557.(2)

The site of the chapel is marked by a slight rise of ground within a field at present under crops.(4)

Aerial photographs taken June 20th 2003 show a complex of cropmarks around and to the north of the chapel site. The location marked by the Ordnance Survey is surrounded by a near-square ditched enclosure measuring up to 31 metres across. The northern side of this enclosure appears to represent the southern side of a large polygonal enclosure measuring at least 115 metres north-south by 75 metres east-west. The southern and eastern sides are marked by a substantial ditch more than 3 metres across in places. The north-west facing side is marked by a more regular, straighter and narrower ditch. At present, there is no clear cropmark evidence for a ditch linking this northwest side with the square enclosure to the south. Within the polygonal enclosure is a small rectangular feature circa 7.5 metres by 5. The southeast-facing side of the polygonal enclosure features an entrance gap not too far from the square enclosure (ie site of the chapel). Within the polygonal enclosure are cropmarks that appear to represent small pits or graves. There are some that seem to occur in parallel lines across the enclosure in a near east-west direction, which would make it probable that, if graves, they are orientated north-south. There are other, similar features, which appear to follow a less formal arrangement. (5)

An alternative location for the actual post-conquest medieval chapel has also been postulated, based on surface finds of building materials and the depiction of the chapel on Hastead's original 18th century map and descriptions. This is further to the north-west and equates rougly to TQ 5657 7028. This alternative location corresponds to a large square cropmark and a depression on the ground, which the author suggests may represent an area of robbing out of the masonry. The unpublished manuscript by a local amateur archaeologist appears to suggest that the known archaeological evidence around the "traditional" site marked on the Ordnance Survey maps may be from a pre-conquest early medieval chapel or church. The author of the paper has found surface finds of Roman and medieval material in the area of the Ordnance Survey siting. The medieval chapel is likely to have incorporated Roman building materials, based on the 18th century antiquarian descriptions and was said to be reminiscent of a Roman building in Hasted's account. The manuscript of the modern paper moreover speculates that the tower may have had Roman origins due to the proximity of the known Roman villa site further north-west. (6)

Charter of Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1197 mentions the Chapel of Helles.
“Against this Archbishop Hubert has given to the monks of St. Andrew's Church, Rochester in exchange for the manor of Lambeth, the manor of Darenth with its church, and the Chapel of Helles with all the liberties and free customs and all other things pertaining to that manor but saving to the Archbishop and his successors all spiritual rights in the church until he or they shall give it out of true liberality to the Bishop of Rochester.
This possibly places the date of the chapel into the 12th century, a century earlier than previously thought. (7)

<1> O.S. 6" 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE47834.

<2> Arch. Cant. 29, 1911, 231 (A. Hussey). (OS Card Reference). SKE36996.

<3> "Hist. of Kent" 1, 1778, 251, 247 (illust.) (E. Hasted). (OS Card Reference). SKE32644.

<4> F1 ASP 22-JUL-60 (OS Card Reference). SKE42234.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 57 SE 34 - July, 1960 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3072.