The tunnel hidden beneath a church where smugglers were ‘chased …

Essex is home to a number of underground tunnels which provided a network used by smugglers looking to hide contraband stolen from ships transporting cargo along the Thames. But as well as their historical use, the tunnels have also given rise to various legends of hauntings.

One such tunnel, which runs underneath St Michael’s Church in Fobbing and leads to the banks of Fobbing Creek, has one of the more sinister stories behind it. The tunnel features heavily in tales of smuggling around Fobbing. The location on the Thames Estuary meant there was a lot of stolen contraband from cargo ships in the area.

This was particularly prevalent in Fobbing, where the various tributaries of Fobbing Creek provided an opportunity for unobserved landings. This meant the area was full of cheap and high-quality spirits from Holland and France stashed away in tunnels.

The legend around the tunnel tells of a time that smugglers were chased by the Devil himself, who wanted to claim their souls. They were pursued in the dark tunnel and luckily, before the Devil could catch them, the smugglers slammed the oak passage door behind them and escaped his clutches. There were also tales that the door bore the imprint of Satan’s claw for decades afterwards.

Along with the tunnel to the creek, another from the church leads to Corringham’s Bull Inn, which is supposed to have had sunken chambers under the yard, as well as other hiding places for contraband.

This pub connects to another local watering hole, the White Lion, which also leads to Fobbing Creek. It is clear there was a network of these tunnels which ran in a circle, meaning it was easy for smugglers to travel around the area and hide their contraband.

References

1. ^{^} The mysterious Essex road where your car rolls uphill (www.essexlive.news)
2. ^{^} The best Christmas markets across Essex including Braintree, Billericay and Chelmsford, according to Muddy Stilettos (www.essexlive.news)