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West & East Tilbury Villages

The villages of West and East Tilbury are the historic heart of our community - the Saxon estate of TILABURG was divided into 2 parishes in Norman times. Both had a church built in the 12th century - St James, now closed, in West Tilbury and St Catherine's at East Tilbury. East Tilbury village once had a school and post office with the homes on either side of the road that leads down to Coalhouse Fort. West Tilbury Village also once had a thriving school - closed in 1960 - and the village still retains the traditional village character with houses surrounding the village green. The area around West Tilbury is still largely rural and much of the land is designated as common land for agriculture - still managed to this day by the West Tilbury Common Conservators. 
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The Ship pub at East Tilbury Village
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Views of West Tilbury village - the village green, church and pond.
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Low Street Station - where the current level crossing is now - opened in around 1861 to serve residents of West and East Tilbury. It had a signal box, platforms and cottages nearby for railway station workers. The station closed in 1967 as east Tilbury Station became the main station for the area. East Tilbury station had been opened initially in 1936 just a 'halt' used in the rush hour for workers at the Bata Factory and opened as a full station in 1949. 

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Queen Elizabeth at West Tilbury

With the threat of a Spanish invasion looming - the Spanish Armada was sailing up the channel - a massive army was assembled to head off the danger of Spanish Ships sailing up the Thames. The army had camped on the fields below West Tilbury village. IThe event was commemorated in 1988 with a re-enactment on the same field with actress Kate O'Mara playing Queen Elizabeth.
St Catherine's Church East Tilbury
The Blue Anchor Pub in Blue Anchor Lane. West Tilbury once had 2 pubs - The The Blue Anchor and the Kings Head. Both are now closed.

It was here that Queen Elizabeth, reviewing the troops. made her famous speech "I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too."

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