Grays
Encyclopedia
Grays is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock
in Essex
and one of the Thurrock's traditional (Church of England) parishes. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the east of London
on the north bank of the River Thames
.
residential development is built on a Victorian landfill site.
, a descendant of the Norman knight Anchetil de Greye
, who was granted the manor of Grays Thurrock 1195 by Richard I.
Local sites of interest include the Thameside Theatre, the Thurrock History Museum, Grays Beach and the now-disused State Cinema
(which was used as a location in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
and for sections of Jamiroquai
's video of "Deeper Underground
" for the film Godzilla
).
From the top of the Derby Road Bridge in Grays you can look down to Thurrock Yacht Club, Grays Beach children's playground and the River Thames
where you can occasionally see large ships travelling up and down.
As well as Thurrock Yacht Club, Grays Beach is the site of the local landmark The Gull, a lightship built in 1860, which has lain on the foreshore for decades and is now in a serious state of dilapidation.
. London Road is the main road which links Grays town centre with Lakeside Shopping Centre
and Purfleet
.
The local railway station is Grays railway station
, which is served by c2c
and runs between Fenchurch Street station in the City of London
to the west and Shoeburyness
to the east.
Also Grays bus station at Grays railway station
is a hub for most bus services in Thurrock. The bus services are operated by Ensignbus
, First Essex
, Arriva Southend
, Imperial Buses
and Regal Busways
.
, who play non-League football
and have won the FA Trophy
on two occasions.
Lakeside Hammers speedway team (formerly Arena Essex Hammers) races nearby, next to the Lakeside Shopping Centre
.
Thurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and one of the Thurrock's traditional (Church of England) parishes. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the east of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on the north bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
History
Parts of Grays and Chafford Hundred are set within three Victorian chalk pits; the largest two being the Lion Gorge, and the Warren Gorge. Another area of the Chafford HundredChafford Hundred
Chafford Hundred is a recent UK housing brownfield just outside Greater London between Grays and South Ockendon in the Borough of Thurrock. It is immediately adjacent to Lakeside Shopping Centre and West Thurrock...
residential development is built on a Victorian landfill site.
Origin of the name
Thurrock is a Saxon name meaning "the bottom of a ship". The element "Grays" comes from Henry de GraiHenry de Grey
Sir Henry de Grey of Grays Thurrock, Essex , was a favourite courtier of King John of England.-Family:Sir Henry was the son of Richard de Grey and probably a great-grandson of Anchetil de Greye of Rotherfield Greys in Oxfordshire...
, a descendant of the Norman knight Anchetil de Greye
Anchetil de Greye
Anchetil de Greye was a vassal of William the Conqueror, whom he accompanied in the Norman conquest of England.-Life:Anchetil de Greye is specifically named in the Domesday Book of 1086...
, who was granted the manor of Grays Thurrock 1195 by Richard I.
Geography
Nearest places:- AveleyAveleyAveley is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock. It is a suburban development located 16.3 miles east of Charing Cross in London and within the eastern bounds of the M25 motorway.-Location:Aveley is roughly bounded to the north...
- Chadwell St MaryChadwell St MaryChadwell-St-Mary is a dispersed settlement in the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England. It is one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock and former civil parish. It is a few miles east of the town of Grays and is located north of the modern town of Tilbury which was part of the parish...
- Chafford HundredChafford HundredChafford Hundred is a recent UK housing brownfield just outside Greater London between Grays and South Ockendon in the Borough of Thurrock. It is immediately adjacent to Lakeside Shopping Centre and West Thurrock...
- North Stifford
- OrsettOrsettOrsett is a village and ecclesiastical parish located within Thurrock unitary district in Essex, England, situated around 5 km north-east of Grays...
- PurfleetPurfleetPurfleet is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England. It is situated south of the A13 road on the River Thames and within the easterly bounds of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater London boundary. It was within the traditional Church of England parish of West Thurrock...
- South OckendonSouth OckendonSouth Ockendon is settlement and Church of England parish in the Thurrock borough and unitary district in Essex in the East of England, United Kingdom.-History:...
- South Stifford
- TilburyTilburyTilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...
- West ThurrockWest ThurrockWest Thurrock is a traditional Church of England parish and town in Thurrock, Essex, England, located 17.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross, London.-Location:...
- BasildonBasildonBasildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
Landmarks
State Cinema
The State Cinema is a Grade II* Listed building in Grays, Essex. It opened in 1938 as one of the most modern cinemas of its type at the time with seating for 2200 people...
(which was used as a location in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
and for sections of Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
's video of "Deeper Underground
Deeper Underground
"Deeper Underground" is the first single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized, despite the track only appearing as a hidden track on the release. It was included on the soundtrack of the American film Godzilla, and was released as the lead single from it...
" for the film Godzilla
Godzilla (1998 film)
Godzilla is a 1998 science fiction monster disaster film film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a loose remake of the 1954 giant monster classic Godzilla. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The film relates a tale of a nuclear incident...
).
From the top of the Derby Road Bridge in Grays you can look down to Thurrock Yacht Club, Grays Beach children's playground and the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
where you can occasionally see large ships travelling up and down.
As well as Thurrock Yacht Club, Grays Beach is the site of the local landmark The Gull, a lightship built in 1860, which has lain on the foreshore for decades and is now in a serious state of dilapidation.
Transport
Grays has good road links, being close to the A13 road and the M25 motorwayM25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
. London Road is the main road which links Grays town centre with Lakeside Shopping Centre
Lakeside Shopping Centre
The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London...
and Purfleet
Purfleet
Purfleet is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England. It is situated south of the A13 road on the River Thames and within the easterly bounds of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater London boundary. It was within the traditional Church of England parish of West Thurrock...
.
The local railway station is Grays railway station
Grays railway station
Grays railway station is a railway station located in the town of Grays in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in the East of England. Although outside London fare zones 1 to 6, the station became part of the Oyster card pay-as-you-go rail network in January 2010.-History:It was opened in...
, which is served by c2c
C2c
c2c is a British train operating company that is part of the National Express Group. It provides passenger rail services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London to east London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway...
and runs between Fenchurch Street station in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
to the west and Shoeburyness
Shoeburyness
Shoeburyness is a town in southeast Essex, England, situated at the mouth of the river Thames Estuary. It is within the borough of Southend-on-Sea, and is situated at the far east of the borough, around east of Southend town centre...
to the east.
Also Grays bus station at Grays railway station
Grays railway station
Grays railway station is a railway station located in the town of Grays in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in the East of England. Although outside London fare zones 1 to 6, the station became part of the Oyster card pay-as-you-go rail network in January 2010.-History:It was opened in...
is a hub for most bus services in Thurrock. The bus services are operated by Ensignbus
Ensignbus
Ensignbus is a Purfleet-based bus and coach dealer, open top bus tour operator and bus service operator. Ensignbus has amassed 20 ex-London vehicles of various ages and conditions in a ....
, First Essex
First Essex
First Essex Buses Limited is owned by First Group. First Essex carries around 29 million passengers each year on a network of routes serving Essex and the surrounding areas. It arose from an amalgamation of Eastern National and Thamesway Buses, whose yellow/maroon livery has only recently disappeared...
, Arriva Southend
Arriva Southend
Arriva Southend is a division of Arriva Southern Counties, a subsidiary of transport group Arriva which operates bus services in and around the Southend-on-Sea, Rochford, Rayleigh, Basildon, and Thurrock areas of Essex...
, Imperial Buses
Imperial Buses
Imperial Buses is a small bus company located in Romford, Essex who operate public transport services and private hire in Essex, Greater London and Thurrock.-Routes:...
and Regal Busways
Regal Busways
Regal Busways Ltd is a small bus operator established in 2001 and based in Essex. Their services operate through 30 local communities including Chelmsford, Epping, The Hanningfields, Canvey Island, Harlow, Ongar, Pleshey, Toot Hill, Upshire, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Cross and Wickford.-History:Regal...
.
Sports
The area's local football team are Grays AthleticGrays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
, who play non-League football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
and have won the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
on two occasions.
Lakeside Hammers speedway team (formerly Arena Essex Hammers) races nearby, next to the Lakeside Shopping Centre
Lakeside Shopping Centre
The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London...
.
Notable people
- Stuart BarnesStuart BarnesStuart Barnes is a former English rugby union footballer, and now rugby commentator for Sky Sports. Barnes played fly-half for Newport RFC, Bristol, Bath; and represented England and the British Lions at international level.-Biography:Born in Essex, Barnes was educated at Rougemont and Bassaleg...
- Russell BrandRussell BrandRussell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
- Chris CohenChris CohenChristopher 'Chris' David Cohen is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Nottingham Forest. Notionally a midfielder, able to operate equally at centre-midfield or left-midfield, he has also been employed for periods as an emergency left-back...
- Danny CratesDanny CratesDaniel "Danny" Brian Crates, is a former British athlete, who specialised in 800m sprinting. He is the Paralympic world record holder in this event, and won gold medals in a number of international competitions, including the Paralympic Games. He also plays competitive rugby and is a qualified...
- Mick JacksonMick Jackson (film director)Mick Jackson is a British television and film director, television producer and author. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for Temple Grandin .-Selected filmography:...
- Martin LittonMartin Litton (pianist)Martin Litton is a British jazz pianist born in Grays, Essex, UK, most noteworthy for his work with Kenny Ball from 1983-1985 on his British tours and for recording sessions with George Chisholm. Litton has worked with various musicians over his career, including Humphrey Lyttleton, among...
- Joe PasqualeJoe PasqualeJoseph Ellis "Joe" Pasquale is an English comedian from Grays, Essex, arguably most famous for his high-pitched voice, use of visual gags and more recently being crowned "King of the Jungle", on the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!...
- Alfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist...
who lived at the DellThe Dell (Thurrock)The Dell is a house in Grays built in concrete - one of the earliest houses in Britain to be built in this material. It was built on the instructions of Alfred Russel Wallace who lived in Grays from 1872 until 1876.-Construction:...
, College Avenue - Austin Drage, A finalist in Series 5 of The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
- Sara FlowerSara FlowerSara Elizabeth Flower was a British-born contralto singer now almost forgotten to history who became Australia's first operatic diva...
- Phil Davis