Inspiration for a dramatic Dickensian scene

• Late 13th-century church with carved font and beautiful arcades
• Some of the oldest medieval furniture in England

Charles Dickens used the churchyard of St James as his inspiration in the opening chapter of Great Expectations, where the hero Pip meets Magwitch the convict. Here, you can find what have become known as ‘Pip’s Graves’ – the forlorn gravestones of 13 babies that Dickens describes in the chapter. The site – on the Hoo Peninsula – is dramatically bleak in winter, recalling the opening scene in David Lean’s 1946 film of the book.

Inside, the church is light and spacious. There is a 500-year-old timber door that still swings on its ancient hinges – even though it now leads to a blocked north doorway! Another quirky feature is the 19th-century vestry – its walls are lined from top to bottom with thousands of cockle shells.