The Ship stands to this day in the centre of Main Road and is believed to have first been built at some point in the post-medieval period of the 1600s.
At the time, the road went by the name of Hare Street and it was neighbours with another pub called The Unicorn.
According to the pub, with the help of an Essex-based library historian Simon Donoghue, it was likely to have been built on a rectangular plan, though its anatomy has somewhat changed after undergoing extensions.
Works at the pub since its creation have uncovered more of its charm and character on more than one occasion.
The Ship’s website states that a large brick fireplace was found behind panelling in a bar in 1894, and in 1950, structural changes revealed another fireplace.
Original structural timbers discovered after plaster linings were removed remain one of the key focal points of The Ship.
Despite changes and partial re-building of the site due to the discovery of dry rot in the 1950s, the pub claims to have remained “largely in its original form”.
The pub describes itself as “a genuine treasure” that “still retains its picture postcard appearance”.
Its website reads: “A detailed history of the place is actually unknown and undocumented.
“We have relied upon the local history in Romford to give us some clues and some background albeit slightly sketchy.
“In our opinion the lack of information actually adds to the character of the building and the mysteries of the stories it holds.”
READ MORE: New Superloop bus would connect east London areas that have no train station
A 1916 picture retained by Havering Libraries captured the pub standing side by side with The Unicorn as two soldiers made their way on foot towards Romford, with road users travelling on horse-led carts.
The Ship sat back from the road, with large windows reading ‘whisky’ and a doorway adorned by smart potted trees.
A man can be seen appearing to clean one of the windows.
