Located in Berkeley County, South Carolina, Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site is a ghost town. The nearest town is Moncks Corner, about 13.6 km (8.5 mi) away (Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site lies SSE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Strawberry Chapel is a parochial chapel of ease in the lower part of St. John's, Berkeley Parish in Berkeley County, South Carolina that was built in 1725. It is on Strawberry Chapel Road between South Carolina State Highway 8-44 and the West Branch of the Cooper River. Bordering Strawberry's property is the South Carolina State owned historic site of the "Town of Childsbury." It was a planned community that was settled in 1707. The town no longer exists. They were named to the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 1972. Strawberry Chapel, graveyard and lands are private property and only open to the public on special occasions and annual church services.From the Wikipedia article “Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:12 AM | 61° ENE | 8:32 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 118° ESE | 5:17 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 58m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 6:00 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 4:38 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:51 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 9:00 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 77 | 78 | 82 | 93 | 100 | 102 | 101 | 101 | 96 | 95 | 82 | 79 |
| Low °F | 17 | 21 | 25 | 35 | 47 | 59 | 65 | 61 | 53 | 38 | 27 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 5.6 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site?
What time is golden hour at Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site?
How far is Strawberry Chapel and Childsbury Town Site from Moncks Corner?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.