St Nicholas Chaldon Herring

This is an interesting and attractive church in a delightful little village. The unusual name is probably derived from the old English 'Calvedon', which means ,the hill where calves are pastured, and the C12 manorial family 'Harang' whose family crest includes herrings. This family also gave their name to Herrison, Langton Herring and Winterborne Herringston.Originally, there was also a church at Chaldon Boys, but its closeness persuaded the Bishop to amalgamate the two parishes under one Curate in 1446. The exact C12 origins of the present building appear to be obscure, however it is certain that the north wall and tower belong to the C14, although the tower was not completed until the C15. As usual, the Victorians could not resist a major rebuild and G.R.Crickmay of Weymouth was retained to design and oversee the work in 1878. It is to his great credit that the alterations were done with such sensitivity that it was possible to incorporate the genuine medieval windows and arches in the final structure.

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