Paglesham: Five reasons to visit historic Essex village

Tucked away in the Essex countryside, Paglesham is divided into two parts, the Church End and the East End. A mere seven miles from the bustling city of Southend by road, the unique village boasts a fascinating history of smuggling and boat-building. 

From the 1,000-year-old Saint Peter's Church and two pubs that have existed since the 17th century, to the mudflats thought to be the last resting place of Charles Darwin’s HMS Beagle, Paglesham is full of incredible stories.

Here are five places and reasons to visit Paglesham:

Shuttlewood's Boatyard

Shuttlewood's Boatyard - Shipyard manager John Evans keeps 'a nautical eye' over the conversion of retired Thames barges into plush houseboats. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

Shuttlewood's Boatyard juts out into the tidal River Roach off the East End of the village. It has evolved over the last 129 years, from a Victorian boatbuilder to a modern developer of high-end houseboats.

Established by JW and FW Shuttlewood in 1895, the company started out building traditional oyster smacks for fishing.

Today, it takes retired Thames lighter cargo vessels and gives them a new lease of life as static homes for waterside living.

Sadly, the original Victorian boatshed, which was no longer in use, was destroyed by storms in January.

St Peter's Church

Rich history - Saint Peter's Church in Paglesham is the final resting place of legendary smuggler William Blyth. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

Back in the aptly named Church End stands an extraordinary 1000-year-old St Peter's Church. While it may appear a bog standard parish place of worship at first glance, it was once run by "the King of the Smugglers".

Due to its prime location on the River Roach, leading into the River Crouch and eventually the English Channel, Paglesham was a hotspot for both legal and illegal trade in the 18th century. The economy boomed from its legitimate oyster-fishing industry, and from smuggling contraband out of Europe.

One character who played a crucial role in the village’s history is William “Hard Apple” Blyth, a notorious smuggler of contraband from Europe, who was also the village grocer and a warden at the church.

When Blyth lay on his deathbed in 1830, he asked a friend to read a chapter from the Bible, and the Lord's Prayer. Then, the old captain said, “I am ready to launch”, and died.

Blyth’s final resting place is in the north churchyard, where he is buried alongside his wife and two sons. Their graves can still be found today.

Punch Bowl pub

Husband and wife Robbie and Sally Beaumont have described their three-year renovation of the Punch Bowl as 'a labour of love'. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

After a six-year closure and a "loving restoration", the Punch Bowl in Church End reopened its doors in January.

During the renovation, several “relics” were found which are currently displayed on the pub’s walls.

They include a newspaper extract from 1911, hand-drawn Victorian wallpaper, telegram receipts from 1896 and a receipt for a pair of shoes from 1906.

The building previously housed a sail loft and was first recorded as a pub in 1829. It is the second iteration of a pub called “the Punch Bowl”, as Paglesham's original one burned down.

HMS Beagle

Darwin's vessel - a recreation of the HMS Beagle. (Image: Archive)

The ship which famously carried naturalist Charles Darwin as a 22-year-old, on his trip around the world to research "the Origin of Species", is reputed to be buried under the Paglesham mudflats.

After it was decommissioned in 1845, HMS Beagle was refitted as a static coastguard watch vessel. It was based at Paglesham, in a bid by HM Customs and Excise to curb smuggling on the Essex coast.

However, it is believed the ship was eventually abandoned and left to rot at what has come to be known as Beagle Point - half a kilometre into the marshland from Church End.

Plough and Sail pub

Community favourite - the Plough and Sail pub. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

Owned by the Oliver family since 1965, the village pub is renowned for its exceptional menu. It also has links to celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

Located close to the River Roach, the Plough and Sail has has been a fixture in Paglesham for more than 300 years.

Back then, it quenched the thirsts of the hard-working oyster smacks crews. Today, it caters to the people of Rochford, along with visitors on walks along the peaceful countryside.

But it's not just Paglesham that boasts its own fascinating history. South Essex is full of little-known villages which each tell an incredible story - including Ashingdon, Great Wakering and Hullbridge.