The hamlet of Shopland is in the east of our district, within the parish of Sutton. It used to be a village in its own right, with a village church , St Mary Magdalene, but that has been lost – it was already in a poor state of repair in the 1930s, was damaged during WW2 , and demolished in 1957. However a small team of volunteers are restoring the churchyard. You can find out more on their website:
….Until September 2013, Shopland Churchyard was in an impenetrable state of disrepair. An enthusiastic group of local volunteers have worked tirelessly to restore the site as a Garden of Reflection and a Centre of Learning to ensure that local history is preserved. Our intention is to maintain the site for the many generations to come….
….The area has now been re-seeded thanks to a very generous donation from Bruce at Reads Nursery, Sutton Road. All the team offer a huge thank you for his generosity and interest in the site….
one utterly sad historical footnote:
…The Church saw it?s final service , the baptism of one Anthony Edward Carlick of 4, Slated Row (Died 3 weeks). It was conducted by Rev Williams on 6th September 1940…
Hat-tip: Rochford District Community Archive