A Brief History of St Margaret’s Church, Tilbury Juxta Clare

St Margaret’s Church has stood at the heart of Tilbury Juxta Clare for more than 500 years. The parish itself appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the present church was built in the 15th century, making it one of the most intact medieval churches in rural Essex.

The building is a beautiful example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, with flint‑rubble walls, limestone dressings, and a striking red‑brick west tower added in the early 1500s. Much of the original timber roof structure survives, along with medieval window tracery and the simple, peaceful layout typical of small English parish churches of the period.

St Margaret’s has served its community continuously for centuries. Parish registers date back to 1561, recording generations of baptisms, marriages, and burials. Unlike many churches that were heavily altered in the Victorian era, St Margaret’s remains largely unchanged, offering a rare glimpse into the medieval religious life of East Anglia.

Today, the church stands as a quiet landmark at the start of our Museum Walk — a reminder that long before Ridgewell became home to the 381st Bomb Group, this landscape held centuries of local history, faith, and community.