Pawlett village is believed to have Roman origins, dating back to the 2nd century AD.
It is almost certain that the foundations of the Church date back to Saxon times and in 879AD the Danes sailed up the River Parrett and fought King Alfred close to the village.
Pawlett (Pavelet) and Stretcholt (Stretchill) were mentioned in the Domesday Book, and in the 12th century the Pawlett Hams, running west of the village, were known as being the richest 2,000 acres in England.
The Norman Church was built in the 13th century (and partially restored in the 17th). The village also futher expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries with the draining of the Somerset Levels with a tower windmill recorded on the Hams until the 1880s.
Moving forward to more recent times, during the Second World War defences were constructed around Pawlett as a part of British anti-invasion preparations of World War II, mainly comprising of a number of pillboxes. It was the site of an experimental research station into anti-barrage balloon warfare.
A Bristol Blenheim bomber crashed in the village during the war and the remains were excavated in 2007.
