Brook comes from the Old English ‘brōc’ meaning a ‘brook, stream’.
Brook parish church is a Grade: I listed building, dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin.
Prior Ernulf of Christ Church, Canterbury built the church in 1075. John Kebyll cast
and hung two bells in 1460, with a third added by Joseph Hatch in 1612. Lightning
struck the tower in 1896, destroying the northwest corner, although fully restored
in 1899. A significant re-ordering took place in 1986, replicating the church in
the 12th century.
They first cleared Brook and the surrounding areas between 3,000 and 2,000 BC. After
a few seasons of cultivation, the soil eroded, and the land turned over to grazing
livestock.
