Tillingham is a small village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

with 1,015 inhabitants in 2001, increasing to 1,058 at the 2011 Census. Located from

Burnham-on-Crouch Burnham-on-Crouch is a town and civil parish in the Maldon District of Essex, in the East of England; it lies on the north bank of the River Crouch. It is one of Britain's leading places for yachting. The civil parish extends east of the town ...

and from Bradwell-on-Sea, on the Dengie Peninsula which is a

Maldon District Maldon District is a local government district in Essex, England. The district is managed by ''Maldon District Council'', which is based in Maldon, the largest town in the district. The district also includes the town of Burnham-on-Crouch and ...

part of the

ceremonial county Ceremonial counties, formally known as ''counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'', are areas of England to which lord-lieutenant, lord-lieutenants are appointed. A lord-lieutenant is the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarch's repres ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. It is one of the villages that make up the ancient Dengie Hundred, which is bounded by the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

, River Blackwater and

River Crouch The River Crouch is a small river that flows entirely through the England, English county of Essex. The distance of the Navigability, Navigation between Holliwell Point which is north of Foulness Island and Battlesbridge is 17.5 Miles, i.e. 15. ...

. The village has strong links with

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

in London. The Corporation of the Cathedral Church of St Paul owns three arable farms, domestic properties and a significant amount of surrounding land. The Village Sign in Tillingham

Tillingham village is clustered around the main street with a historic centre that has been designated as a conservation area.Maldon District Council Conservation Areas
The conservation area in Tillingham was designated on 15 July 1969, since which there have been no revisions to the boundaries. It covers the historic settlement, which at the time of designation comprised the majority of the village. The conservation area centres on the parish church of St. Nicholas and The Square stretching along the linear pattern of North Street and South Street. Short lengths of side roads off The Square and North and South Streets are also included: these are Brook Road, Bradwell Road, Marsh Road, Vicarage Lane, Casey Lane, Chapel Lane and Marlborough Avenue.

Governance

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

in the same name exists. This ward includes Bradwell-on-Sea and had a total population at the 2011 Census of 2,182.

Demography Census 2021

Climate

Cultural Reference

Tillingham is mentioned on page 174 of the

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

novel ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897, and serialised in '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US in 1897. The full novel was ...

''. It is the place where the narrator's brother arrives at the coast following his escape from London during the Martian invasion. The full novel was first published in hardcover in 1898 by

William Heinemann William Henry Heinemann (18 May 1863 – 5 October 1920) was an English publisher of Jewish descent and the founder of the Heinemann publishing house in London. Early life On 18 May 1863, William Heinemann was born in Surbiton, Surrey, Englan ...

. ''The War of the Worlds'' is one of the earliest stories to detail a conflict between humankind and an extraterrestrial race. Less well known is the story of “The Ranter’s Monster”, a tale of a young pregnant Tillingham girl called Mary Adams accused of giving birth to the devil. Claiming to be the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

, she was locked up by order of the vicar, later giving birth to a severely deformed stillborn child, the monster named in the title of the story. So the story goes, she broke out in boils and nasty scabs and died a few days later.

Facilities & Services

There are two schools; Tillingham Pre-School and St Nicholas C of E primary school, a fire station, medical centre,

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

, Londis convenience shop, hairdressers, care home, village hall, Tillingham West Field recreation ground, car park, sports clubs, 18 allotment plots, mobile library, an

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( , an abbreviation of its original name, "Air Bed and Breakfast") is an American company operating an online marketplace for short-and-long-term homestays, experiences and services in various countries and regions. It acts as a ...

facility and an annual flower show. There are two chapels, the Peculiar People's chapel and the Congregational Chapel, a 14th-century parish church of St Nicholas, and two pubs; "The Fox and Hounds"What Pub
/ref> and "The Cap and Feathers"
/ref> which won the

CAMRA The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, which promotes real ale, real cider, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. History The organisation was founde ...

national pub of the year award in 1998 and the most improved pub of the year award in 2023. Some say the weather boarded grade II listed pub is haunted. The Cap and Feathers stands on some of the oldest ecclesiastical property in the land. As a place of hostelry its history can be traced back to the Twelfth Century when if was a pilgrim's lodging house. In the sixteenth century it became the village inn. There is a network of well maintained footpaths which meander through surrounding farmland and along the sea wall. The popular ‘ St Peters Way’ footpath passes through Tillingham.

Church of St Nicholas

There is a Grade II* listed church on The Square dedicated to St Nicholas. St Nicolas Church Tillingham

The Parish church, which is of Norman origin, is at the heart of the conservation area, with the manorial hall to the North. Stows Farmhouse (grade II* listed) thought to be a vicarage is outside the conservation area boundary. The church has a 14th-century tower with later battlements. Much of the rest of the church is 13th and 14th century, with a Norman north doorway and font. Inside, a Victorian

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

and rood with Christ on the Cross separates the nave from the chancel, and notably defies the tradition of traditional timber-framed buildings of Essex. It has a king-post roof with ridge pole, not common until the nineteenth century in Essex. This building’s exceptional quality and rare detailing shows its link with the major local land owners, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the work of a church carpenter rather than a craftsman from Essex or East Anglia. The church has very strong links with

in London. The Corporation of the Cathedral Church of St Paul in London owns three arable farms and domestic properties in Tillingham, known as the Prebends of Ealdland,Ealdland
at epns nottingham.ac.uk: Retrieved 1 October 2023 ReculverlandReculverland
at epns nottingham.ac.uk: Retrieved 1 October 2023 and Weldland.;Wildland
at epns nottingham.ac.uk: Retrieved 1 October 2023 it has been in their control since c.720 AD, and they still retain the right to appoint the local vicar in the village. St Paul’s had a significant land holding across the Dengie Peninsula and the south coast of Essex through the Middle Ages. This brought great wealth through sheep farming and later arable crops. Links go back to, at least, the middle of the 15th Century, and the Cathedral remains the patron of the Parish Church. In the churchyard are two Commonwealth War Graves from World War One: William Bowtle, Stoker 1st Class, who served on the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

's HMS P.60, who died on 4 January 1918 age 24. Also buried is Private Henry Sandford, who died on 31 July 1917 aged 18. The Peculiar People, who opened their Chapel in 1867, were renamed in the 1950s the Union of Evangelical Churches. Their chapel in Tillingham closed down around 2005.Union of Evangelical Churches
/ref>

Tillingham Marshes

Tillingham Marshes form part of a natural defensive barrier against the encroaching sea on the east coast of Essex; a long dyke separates fields on one side with the raw salt marsh on the other, whose stretches help to ease tidal action. It is owned by St. Paul's Cathedral, who were given the land in 604AD by the King of

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

The marshes came under threat from plans by power firm nPower to develop a large wind farm on the peninsula. The plan was eventually dropped in 2005 when St. Paul's decided not to allow it to proceed, having been opposed by local residents and those concerned with the wildlife in the area. St Peters Way

Tillingham To Dengie National Nature Reserve

Explore this 9.9 miles (15.9 km) loop trail. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 3h 16m to complete. This trail is great for birding and

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, and it is unlikely that one will encounter many other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. This is a lovely circular route on the Dengie Peninsula, leading one along the coast and the Dengie National Nature Reserve, visiting the Chapel of Saint-Peter-on-the-Wall on the way. This trail starts in Tillingham and leads one across the farmland to Bradwell on Sea before continuing to the Chapel of St-Peter-on-the-Wall on the edge of the Dengie National Nature Reserve. The Chapel of Saint-Peter-on-the-Wall dates back to around 654. This simple church is a Grade I listed building and is considered one of the oldest churches in England. It was founded on the wall of the Roman fort “Othona”. After exploring the site, continue along the edge of the Dengie National Nature Reserve, which covers 3,105 hectares of

saltmarsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It ...

and tidal

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...

. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a haven for birdlife, so make sure to keep an eye out for wildfowl and waders. Continue along the coastline before heading across the farmland to return to Tillingham.

The West Field

The West Field on Vicarage Lane, is a large, well equipped site with easy access near the centre of the village. In 2004 the site received the Essex Playing Field Association Best Kept Playing Field Award and in 2005 won first prize for the Best Kept Children's Play Ground. The Recreation Ground owned and maintained by Tillingham Village Council. It is also used by Tillingham Hotspur Football Club, Tillingham Tigers Football Club, Tillingham Cricket Club, Tillingham

Bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which players try to roll their ball (called a bowl) closest to a smaller ball (known as a "jack" or sometimes a "kitty"). The bowls are shaped (biased), so that they follow a curve ...

Club and the annual Tillingham Flower Show. The Sports Pavilion building is owned by the Cricket and Football Clubs. Tillingham Bowls Club lease the Bowls Club area. The children's play area is found towards the north-west corner. The multi track area consists of a small ‘figure of eight’ tarmac circuit with three ramps. The circuit is ideal for learning to ride a bike, children scootering, roller skating, skateboarding and then to the more adventurous BMX bike skills! This is a free facility. The multi use games area was built in 2014, at the request of young people who live in the village. It was created with grant funding and a considerable amount of volunteer labour. The public West Field Car Park is located off the north-east corner of the West Field, behind St Nicholas Primary School and opposite St Nicholas Church.

Sports & Social Clubs

Tillingham has several sports clubs which include: * Cap & Feathers

Pool Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

Team * Fox and Hounds Pool Team * Tillingham Bowls Club * Tillingham Cricket Club * Tillingham

Darts Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, projectiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dartboard. Point ...

Team * Tillingham Hotspur Football Club, which also run 2 veterans teams that plays in the Essex Veterans League. * Tillingham Tigers Youth Football Club

Mobile Library

To supplement the libraries at Burnham on Crouch and Southminster, Essex Libraries offer a mobile library service in Tillingham. The mobile library visits the village square once every three weeks.

Tillingham Flower Show

Tillingham has an annual flower show, held in the West Field. The show kicks off with a procession through the village, starting from the top of Manor Road in

Dengie Dengie is a scattered village and civil parish in the Maldon district of Essex, England, with a population of 119 at the 2011 census. It is about 4 km NE of the nearest town (and railway station), Southminster, on the slightly higher ground ...

. The procession includes Tillingham fire crew with their fire engine, vintage cars, tractors, dancers, Tillingham Tigers FC, fancy dress and floats. On the field, there is plenty for everyone! Highlights include a Dog Show, dog scurry, dance performances, Tillingham Tigers penalty shoot out, the Tillingham Stocks, donkey rides, tug of war, arts, crafts, and two tents bursting with horticultural and handicraft entries. Visitors can indulge in a Pimms and Prosecco tent, enjoy drinks from a horsebox bar, and savour tasty treats from an ice cream van, barbecue and Hog Roast. A Best Dressed House and Scarecrow competition will also takes place over the weekend.

Grade II Listed Buildings

* Blackbirds Bradwell Road * The Cap and Feathers Public House, South Street Tillingham * Chancel Mead * The Fox and Hounds Public House, The Square Tilllingham * L Plan Outbuilding Range to South of the Cap and Feathers Public House * Latchkey Cottage * Little Savages, Bradwell Road Little Savages - geograph

* Little Seas * The Manse Brook Road Weather-boarded cottage at Tillingham - geograph

* Merchants House * The Olde House North Street Tillingham The Olde House Tillingham Essex

* Pump (Approximately 3 Metres South of Sports Pavilion) * Pump (Opposite and Approximately 20 Metres South West of Brook Cottage) * Quinneys * Rose Cottage and Attached Former Butchers Shop * Shop Formerly a Butchers Shop and Adjoining Number 19 to the North * Stow Cottage * Stows Farmhouse * Telephone Kiosk, The Square * Thatched Cottage * Tillingham Post Office and House, South Street * Village Pump, on Green Approximately 30 Metres West of Fox and Hounds Public House * 1, 2, 7, 9, 16, 18, 52 and 54 The Square * 13 and 25 North Street * 1–5, 7, 9 and 12 South Street * 3 Vicarage Lane

Grade II* Listed Buildings

* Church of St Nicholas, 18 The Square Tillingham CM0 7SU

Transport

The distance between London and Tillingham by road is 57 miles (93 km). The journey takes approximately 1h 14m by car using the A13. The nearest railway stations are at Southminster and

which offer frequent services to

South Woodham Ferrers South Woodham Ferrers is a town and civil parish in the City of Chelmsford in Essex, England. It is approximately east of London and south-east of Chelmsford, and had a population of 16,453 at the 2011 Census, a decrease from 16,629 at the ...

Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...

and London Liverpool Street, the quickest trains are 1hr 15m. Local buses, the most frequent service is the Dengie route D4 which operates to Southminster and

. Fords Coaches operate the fortnightly service 3 into

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...

. Three airports are within easy reach of Tillingham.

London Southend Airport London Southend Airport is an international airport situated on the outskirts of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England, approximately from the Charing Cross#Official use as central point, centre of London. The airport straddles the boundaries b ...

is 28 miles away, approximately 45m by car.

London Stansted Airport Stansted Airport is an international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Uttlesford, Essex, northeast of Central London. As London's Airports of London, third-bu ...

is 40 miles by road, journey time just over an hour.

London City Airport London City Airport is an international airport in London, England. It is located in the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham, Borough of Newham, about east of the City of London and east of Canary Wharf. These are the two centres ...

is by road distance 50 miles. The journey time by car is approximately 1h 10m and 1h 25m by train from Southminster Railway Station.

Tillingham Private Airstrip

Tillingham Private Airstrip is at Stowes Farm. This civil-use airstrip was first used in 1984 and is still in use today. This airport has no

ICAO airport code The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-letter code designating aerodromes around the world. These codes, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization and published quarterly in ICAO Document 7910: ''Location Indic ...

, it uses GB-0433 as a reference. There is a public footpath which runs north to south through the farm and then adjacent to the runway. The runway is also visible from Tillingham Road immediately to the south. Coordinates: 51°41'34"N - 0°52'25"E

Notable People

Protestant resident Thomas Causton who was burnt at the stake was born in Tillingham. The Obelisk in

Rayleigh Rayleigh may refer to: Science *Rayleigh scattering *Rayleigh–Jeans law *Rayleigh waves *Rayleigh (unit), a unit of photon flux named after the 4th Baron Rayleigh *Rayl, rayl or Rayleigh, two units of specific acoustic impedance and characte ...

High Street says ''Near this spot suffered for the truth Thomas Causton 26 March 1555. Mary Adams, a Tillingham girl, was accused of giving birth to the ‘Devil’. Major Baker, who “suffered for the King at the

Siege of Colchester The siege of Colchester occurred in the summer of 1648 when the Second English Civil War reignited in several areas of Britain. Colchester found itself in the thick of the unrest when a Cavalier, Royalist army on its way through East Angli ...

” in 1648, founded four

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...

s in the village. The village lost 23 men during the

Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and another 4 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

References

External links

*Tillingham Village Counci
WebsiteTillingham Conservation Area
Review and Character Appraisal * * Maldon District Counci
Website
*St Nicholas Church Tillingha
Website Tillingham
Survey of English Place-Names, Nottingham University *Tillingham Cricket Clu
Website
{{authority control Villages in Essex Maldon District