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The earliest evidence of occupation in the area is the Roman material discovered in the excavations at Becket's Barn in 1974. Middle Saxon pottery was found in the same excavations.
Pagham is the subject of a transaction dated c. 680 in which Caedwalla gave the area to Bishop Wilfred, the missionary to the South Saxons, although the charter recording this transaction is probably not as early as the seventh century.
A church in Pagham is first mentioned in Domesday Book. It was considered that this referred to the chapel of St. Andrew whose ruins are in the grounds of `Little Welbourne' west of the church, Although this isn't conclusive as, The 1976 church excavations showed fairly conclusively that the Domesday church and probably at least one earlier church were on the site of the present parish church of St. Thomas a'beckett.
The Current church was built about 1206.
The name Pagham derives from the saxon name meaning Pæcga's settlement was an important Saxon Port in the 13th century. It was one of the foremost ports in England, sending wool to Europe. Following a huge storm in 1341 a large area of the Parish was devastated by the sea. The hamlet of Charlton was engulfed and disappeared. The harbour silted up and during the 14th century, Pagham’s wealth diminished. In 1401 Pagham was omitted from the List of South Coast harbours. and faded into obscurity.
The Parish contains a number of ancient buildings. Opposite the Church is the Old Cottage, built at the same time as the current Church in 1206. Becket’s Barn in the Church Farm Holiday Centre is the restored Tithe barn of a large Rectory first mentioned in 1299 in a dispute over the appointment of a Rector of Pagham. The Vicarage at the end of Church Lane is fist mentioned in 1626 and
overlooks the Harbour.
In parts 1200 years old Barton Manor is reputedly the oldest continuously occupied manor house in England.
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2004 Pagham Parish Council.
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Roman Occupation 
