The pretty Essex village filled with chocolate-box cottages that people struggle to pronounce

Asheldham village
-Credit:Google Maps


If you venture out into the pretty surroundings of the Dengie peninsula, you'll find many scenic spots. The Maldon district is peppered with small villages with rich history, and lots of cosy pubs to keep warm in during the winter months.

Many parts of the area are steeped in history, with the Dengie having many tiny little villages worth visiting from Bradwell-on-Sea, Steeple, Tillingham and Althorne. There is one such village which has a unique name, which many often will struggle to pronounce.

Asheldham (A-shel-d-ham) is located 14km to the south east of Maldon, with less than 150 full time residents living there. At the time of the 2011 Census, there were 142 registers residents living in the village.

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The gorgeous, chocolate-box cottages are spread around Hall Road and Southminster Road, with the Asheldham Quarry and a few small lakes close by. There is also a small fishery, and a former church which was made redundant in 1973 and converted into a youth church and residential centre.

It is now simply called the "Asheldham Centre" and has a chancel, nave and tower dating from the 1300s, and it is a Grade II listed building. Additionally, Asheldham has the Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary, which is home to hundreds of rescued animals. However, the owners have recently raised concerns it could shut down.

The village also has its fair share of history; archeological excavations into Romano-British field systems, Anglo-Saxon graves and medieval buildings have taken place in the village in previous decades.

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Additionally, a Royal Navy minesweeper ship was named after the village in the 1950s. HMS Asheldham was one of 93 ships of the Ham class of inshore minesweepers of the 20th century and launched on September 9, 1953.

The Ham class minesweepers were designed and built to operate in shallow waters, mainly rivers and estuaries. Asheldham served as part of the 232nd Mine Sweeper Squadron at Harwich from 1954 to 1956, after which it was placed into reserve.