History

Pagham-on-Sea is a small historic town in East Sussex, not to be confused with Pagham, West Sussex.

There has been a settlement on the site of the present town since pre-Roman times, as evidenced by the long barrows in Barrow Field, ancient burial tombs around 4000 years old.

There is evidence of a Roman ironworks, which was destroyed by a meteorite strike according to medieval sources and supported by some archaeological evidence. This legend is in connection with the martyrdom of three local Romano-British saints.

There was a small monastery here in the medieval period, destroyed in the Reformation. Henry VIII gifted the lands to a young nobleman from Lincolnshire, Sir John Sauvant, including the woods held by the abbot, and all the surrounding farmlands. Sir John tore down the original manor house attached to the lands for its secular lord, and rebuilt it on the site of the monastery, incorporating many of the monastery’s features into his new manor house. To this day, Belle Bois, or Fairwood House, still has the thirteenth century crypt beneath it, incorporated into the cellar complex.

The Sauvant family remained at Fairwood House until the 1960s, when the last remaining Sauvant died without issue. It is rumoured that they dabbled in the occult, and fell foul of something dark and disturbing in the early/mid-20thC.

The house fell into disrepair, until it was bought at auction in 2017 by a private buyer who restored into a private family home.

Pagham-on-Sea has a colourful town history that includes the burning of 5 Protestant martyrs in 1556, wreckers, smugglers, and duels. Much of this can be explored in the Museum & Containment Facility.

Town History FAQs

What the Hell Happened to the (Hyper-Fertile) Soil (this edited edition of journal scraps will probably not enlighten you)

Are there any fairy legends? (yes, here’s one!)

Is there any demonology lore? (some, but this article is possibly more useful)

Visit Pagham-on-Sea

History

Town History FAQs

Explore the Town’s Recent History: