Chalk is a village and since 1935 a former civil parish which adjoins the east of Gravesend, in the Gravesham district, in the county of Kent, England. As is intuitive, its name comes from the Saxon word cealc meaning a chalkstone.
One layer of the chalk carries flints, stones embedded in the chalk, and these were used in building and in providing the means of fire for muskets. The stone is often cut to provide a flat edge as a craft known as flint-knapping. The trade was worked in Chalk from the 17th century onwards. Gun-flints were produced here in large quantities until the early 19th century.
Current issues relating to the immediate environment around Chalk include a proposed new Lower Thames Crossing across the nearby estuary marshes, confirmed in 2017.
History
thumb|East Court Farm
Chalk was known to people as early as the 8th century, as a witanagemot (a Saxon meeting) held here is mentioned in the Domesday Book. An Iron Age settlement was discovered near St. Mary's Church during the laying of a gas pipeline. A large Roman villa was discovered here in 1961. Of the farms in the parish, Filborough is the oldest, having historical mention as early as AD 1220. At one time it was owned by Henry VIII. Two of its manor houses were called West Court and East Court.
Chalk's major claim to fame is its connection with Charles Dickens. Here he spent his honeymoon with his new bride, Catherine Hogarth; and it was here that he wrote the early instalments of Pickwick Papers. He also used the old forge in the village as a model for Joe Gargery's cottage in Great Expectations. The building still stands as a historically listed building
.
In 1931 the parish had a population of 563. On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Gravesend and became part of the Municipal Borough: until then it had been a somewhat remote village. It is now in the unparished area of Gravesend. In the main street was one of the tollgates for toll road opened between Northfleet and Strood; it remained until 1871. In 1921 the new Gravesend-Rochester road was built which left the former main village street to the north. The village inn, the White Hart now stands on the main road (now converted and part of the Harvester Restaurant group); and the school closed to be replaced by the village hall.
Also within the parish was the one-time Gravesend Airport, opened as the Gravesend School of Flying in 1932,