St Nicholas Church

Unlike most churches, the altar is to the north and the tower to the south, giving the 13th century church a north/south axis, not an east/west one. Two 'Childtern strip parishes' make up the parish, Great and Little Kimble with Marsh and Clanking. Long, narrow strip parishes were established in Saxon times, running at right angles to the hills. This was done so each parish had all types of land that would provide 1) flints for building from the hilltops, 2) timber and firewood from the soodland scarp slopes, 3) cropland from the marl at the foot of hills, 4) fresh water from the spring line, 5) and pastureland from the Gault clay of the Vale of Aylesbury.