Holly Barrow at Dode

26/02/2026

✨Wedding Showcase at the Lost Village of Dode✨
If your perfect wedding location is one steeped in magic, memory, and meaning, then we invite you to join us at Dode for our wedding showcase on the 12th of April!
It’s a rare chance to explore this most enchanting of venues, meet our devoted team, and be inspired by a handpicked selection of trusted local suppliers who can help bring your wedding vision to life.

💫 Meet our suppliers:





Wilde Flowers
Kent Professional Makeup
Ramona the Harpist
And of course our celebrant Paul

…and more delightful surprises on the day!

🕰️ Viewings are completely free and by appointment only:
Choose from four sessions:

10:00am – 11:00am
11:00am – 12:00pm
12:00pm – 1:00pm
1:00pm – 2:00pm

Spaces are limited to ensure a personal and unhurried experience, so please do book your FREE slot in advance at:
https://www.dodevillage.com/events/wedding-showcase-at-the-lost-village-of-dode/

23/02/2026

22/02/2026

For those who have been struggling with the darker evenings, remember that lighter days are coming.

Everybody is different, but spring and summer can be a welcome sight for lots of people.

cruse.org.uk

31/01/2026

Imbolc marks the early stirring of spring — the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
A time when the light grows stronger, snowdrops and crocuses appear, and the earth quietly wakes beneath the cold.

This Sunday, we invite you to join us at The Lost Village of Dode as we fill the church and Holly Barrow with candlelight, honouring the returning sun and the inspiration of the season ahead.

Together, we’ll sow our “seeds of intention” for the seasons ahead and immerse ourselves in the beauty of Kent’s awakening nature.

21/12/2025

Today we enter the Winter Solstice with Yule, symbolising hope, community warmth and renewal of the suns strength. If you’d like to take some time, especially at this time of the year, for remembrance and reflection join me at the Lost Village of Dode, one of our most special days open to all where you can enjoy peace and tranquility.

27/10/2025

03/08/2025

13/07/2025

🌦 A Day in the Life at The Lost Village of Dode 🌿

Today has been a true tapestry of emotion and purpose—a day stitched together with love, memory, and quiet reflection.

The morning began with the gentle buzz of anticipation as we welcomed not one, but two couples for their wedding planning meetings. The old church echoed with excited voices as timelines were discussed, final touches chosen, and dreams began to take their truest shape. These moments—quiet but full of meaning—are the roots from which unforgettable days will bloom.

Later, we welcomed a new couple for a wedding viewing. As they stepped into our timeless sanctuary, we saw that familiar flicker—the realisation that this place, this land steeped in history, could become their forever beginning.

And as the sun dipped lower, the hush of Holly Barrow at Dode settled around us. Beneath the gentle embrace of the earth and sky, we gathered for a private interment. A sacred farewell. A resting place chosen with care and love. Here, in this circle of peace, memory and legacy entwine like ivy through old stone—eternal and undisturbed.

From the joy of beginnings to the reverence of endings, today reminded us of the full circle of life that unfolds here at Dode.

A place not just for weddings—but for remembrance, for family, for the soul. 💚

29/06/2025

A reminder that the Barrow will be open for public viewings today between 12-4
All are welcome 🙏🏻

25/06/2025

🌿 This Sunday 29th June 12-4pm 🌿

A gentle reminder…

Holly Barrow Columbarium will be open for quiet visits and conversation this Sunday 29th June, from 12–4pm.

If you’ve ever wondered what it means to truly return to nature, to rest in a place where the earth holds you close and the wildflowers bloom above you… come and see what makes Holly Barrow so special.

Whether you’ve previously enquired, are making plans for the future, or are simply curious — all are welcome to explore the Barrow at your own pace.

✨ Our celebrant, Paul, will also be on hand throughout the day to answer questions and offer insight into the ceremonies we can provide at Dode & Holly Barrow.

🕊️ To help us prepare, please email 📧 becky@dodevillage.com
if you would like to come along.

A place for love.
A place for memory.
A place for peace.

We look forward to welcoming you,

With warmth,

20/06/2025

One of the first things that we noticed once our beautiful Holly Barrow was completed, was the totally unexpected, yet extremely welcome echo that existed in the end chamber which is the natural focal point of the columbarium and the obvious location of the chapel.

Similar phenomena have been noted in some of the original long barrows which are of course some 5,000 years old and many academics believe that these ancient structures were designed and built with this in mind.

This may be true, but ours was an accident!
The chapel furnishings are deliberately sparse and the first thing to be installed was an altar, supported by a relatively heavy, sandstone base. As soon as the altar was constructed we noticed a slight but noticeable change, the soft stonework was absorbing the sound and the sharpness and clarity of the echo was subtly, yet noticeably reduced.

Over the years, in the church, I have introduced a number of things that weren’t quite right. The building has ‘told me’ and they have been removed, so I couldn’t ignore this obvious error and at the end of last year I commissioned the brilliant and talented blacksmith, Rhys, at to make a new altar out of some granite that I had purchased.

I hope you agree, that the result is beautiful, the clean, sharp lines of the granite combined with Rhys’s delicate foliage immediately draw the eye to the focal point of the chapel and l can report that the hoped for clarity of the echo has been restored for eternity!

Job done!

Bright Litha Blessings - Doug.