Thurrock
Encyclopedia
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
.
just to the east of London
. With over 18 miles (29 km) of riverfront it covers an area of 64 square miles (166 km²), with more than half defined as Green Belt
. With Greater London
to the west and the river to the south, the county of Essex abuts the Borough to the north and east, and across the river lies Kent
.
. Elections
are held 3 out of every 4 years with the last election in 2010
seeing no party win a majority on the council.
Thurrock is covered by two parliamentary constituencies. Thurrock
includes most of the borough while South Basildon and East Thurrock
includes some wards in the east of the borough. Both seats were Conservative gains from Labour at the 2010 general election.
The Council is led by Cllr John Kent (Lab) who took over from Cllr Garry Hague in May 2010. This changed the administration from Conservative to Labour, the first time in 6 years. The Mayor is Cllr Charles Curtis.
covers 70% of the borough. There are 494 acres (199.9 ha) of land available for industrial use. There are seven conservation area
s, 19 scheduled ancient monument
s and 239 listed buildings.
The borough contains ten sites of special scientific interest:
Despite much of the borough being protected Green Belt land, Thurrock provides localised opportunities for further industrial and commercial development. The borough forms part of the Thames Gateway
regeneration area, a corridor of opportunity that has been identified by central government as the area with greatest development and commercial potential in the country. A Thurrock Development Corporation
was recently imposed and took over much of the borough's planning functions in 2005. Much of the population and commercial activity is centred along the riverfront. This includes many large and important industrial sites, including two large oil refineries, manufacturing industries, a container port, cruise liner terminal, distribution warehousing and one of Britain's largest refuse disposal sites at the appropriately named settlement of Mucking. Thurrock is also home to the Lakeside Shopping Centre
.
. Live shows are held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet
. Open space includes Chafford Gorges Nature Park, Langdon Hills Country Park and Grove House Wood, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust
. Museums and historic buildings include Coalhouse Fort
at East Tilbury
, Tilbury Fort
in Tilbury
, Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre, High House, Purfleet, Thurrock Museum and Walton Hall Farm Museum.
Next to Lakeside Shopping Centre
is Arena Essex, a motor sports complex, where speedway, banger and stock car racing takes place.
. The Thurrock initiative includes an annual competition and sponsorship of roundabouts. Award winners include Woodside Primary School which has received silver and gold awards for its wildlife garden.
and Anglo-Saxons
Thurrock has numerous archaeological sites including the major excavation at Mucking
.
Horndon-on-the-Hill
was the site of an 11th century mint
as well as the 15th century woolmarket which gives an indication of the area's wealth in the 15th century. The narrowing of the river where Tilbury now stands meant it was important in the defence of London
, and Henry VIII
built three blockhouses, two on the Tilbury side and another on the Gravesend side of the river, following the end of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
.
Later, in 1588 Elizabeth I
addressed her troops not far from the Tilbury blockhouse as the Spanish Armada
sailed up the English Channel
. Between 1670 and 1682, the Tilbury blockhouse was substantially rebuilt in to a much larger fortification (Tilbury Fort
) and Coalhouse Fort was built further down river, close to the second blockhouse. The importance of the forts in defending the country continued through Napoleonic times and into the two world wars. The land where Tilbury Town now stands was farmland and marsh grazing until the building of the docks in the 1890s. Thurrock includes the Bata village, built for workers of the shoe company in 1933. Eight homes and the factory are listed.
Historically, the area was renowned for mineral extraction, including clay, aggregates and notably the digging of huge amounts of chalk from the West Thurrock area for use in the now defunct cement industries. When chalk extraction ceased one of the disused pits was redeveloped as Lakeside Shopping Centre. A number of former pits have been used to form the Chafford Gorges Nature Reserve, managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
The present-day borough of Thurrock was created in 1974 from the former area of Thurrock Urban District
. The Local Government Act 1972
left the boundaries mostly untouched, although part of it, in Basildon
New Town, was ceded to the Basildon district
and the district gained borough status.
It was given administrative independence from Essex County Council on 1 April 1998 by The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996. It remains part of Essex for ceremonial
purposes such as Lord-Lieutenancy.
was displayed in Thurrock. He had been convicted of piracy and hanged on May 23, 1701, at 'Execution Dock
', Wapping
. His body was gibbet
ed — left to hang in an iron cage over the Thames at Tilbury Point — as a warning to future would-be pirates for twenty years. Some sources give the location that his body was exhibited as Tilbury Ness, but this may be an alternative name for the same place. There is some uncertainty as to whether his body was displayed at what is now called Coalhouse Point or at a site a few hundred yards up stream, close to the present Tilbury Docks.
. The Van den Berghs and Jurgens margarine factory, which manufactured Stork margarine, was forced to stop production for many months. Since the output of this factory constituted one third of the country's ration allocation, this led to a severe strain on the supply of margarine in the UK. Most schools in Thurrock were closed, either as a direct result of the flooding or in order to use them to help the relief effort. More than 1300 people in Tilbury
and other low lying areas were evacuated to schools on the higher ground. Chadwell St Mary Primary school was used as the main welfare centre for the homeless. By the 15th February, most schools had returned to normal. The last to resume were the Landsdowne school in Tilbury and the newly opened Woodside Primary School - then called Tyrell Heath School. On Friday February 13, the flooded areas were visited by the young Queen Elizabeth II Despite severe loss of life in nearby Canvey Island
, only one person in Thurrock died as a result of the floods.
were used in the making of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral
. Thurrock can also be seen in 28 Days Later
. Scenes from the films Alfie
(2004), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
were shot at Tilbury docks. The opening scenes from Batman Begins
(2005) were shot at Coalhouse Fort in East Tilbury. Some filming also took place for the film Essex Boys
in and around the Bata estate at East Tilbury. The State Cinema
where Eddie met Roger in the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit
can be found in Grays.
There are a number of examples of Art Deco architecture in Thurrock. The baggage hall at Tilbury was opened in 1930. It has an art deco interior, designed by Sir Edwin Cooper and is a grade II listed building. The State cinema is also a listed building and dates from 1938. It is one of the few surviving examples of thirties cinema architecture. It has the original cinema organ which can still be played, however, the building is disused and faces dereliction. Building of the Bata estate in East Tilbury was begun in 1933 and it is now a conservation area. Chadwell St Mary has one of the few examples of a "Sunspan" house designed by the architect Wells Coates
. Although built in the 1950s the Woodside Primary school's architecture has been described as the slightly earlier "Ocean Liner Style" of Art Deco. The building features a number of bricked curves and circular windows while the wrought iron banisters on the stairs are deliberately set to lean out at an angle.
, Chafford Hundred Campus,Gable Hall School , Gateway Academy, Grays Convent High School, William Edwards School & Sports College, Grays School Media Arts College, Deneholm Primary, Little Thurrock Primary, Quarry Hill Infant and Junior, St Thomas Of Canterbury Catholic Primary, Stifford Clays Infant and Junior, Stifford Primary, Thameside Infant and Junior School, Tudor Court Primary School, Warren Primary School, Chafford Hundred Primary School, Woodside Primary School (which was opened in 1952 as Tyrell's Infant and Junior Schools, the names being changed to avoid confusion with the neighbouring Torell's Secondary School; the schools were later amalgamated into one primary school) and Treetops School.
The local sixth form college is Palmer's College
, whilst other colleges in Thurrock include South Essex College (Thurrock Campus) and Thurrock Adult Community College, and recently the Stanford and Corringham Sixth Form Center was opened, as a joint Sixth Form College between Gable Hall School, Hassenbrook Specialist Technology College and St-Clere's School.
, Hassenbrooks Specialist Technology College, Herringham Primary School, Landsdowne Primary School, Manor Infant School, Manor Junior School, St Mary's RC Primary School, Woodside Primary School and The Gateway Academy.
Senior members of the schools councils also sit on the cluster's student council.
Woodside Primary is linked with a school in Nepal
, through the charity Gorkha Learning for Life, which was founded by a member of school staff.
make Thurrock an important international trade centre. There is a grass airstrip south of Bulphan village. A ferry for passengers on foot connects Tilbury with Gravesend on the southern bank of the River Thames.
Rail transport in the borough is provided by c2c
with stations at:
Bus services within the Thurrock urban area are mostly provided by Ensignbus.
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
with borough status in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
ceremonial county of 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...
. It is part of the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway
Thames Gateway
The Thames Gateway is an area of land stretching east from inner east London on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. The area, which includes much brownfield land, has been designated a national priority for urban regeneration, taking advantage of the development opportunities...
redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council
Thurrock Council
Thurrock Council is the local authority for the borough of Thurrock in Essex, England. Since 1997, Thurrock has been a unitary authority, combining the functions of a non-metropolitan county with that of a non-metropolitan district....
.
The borough
It lies on the River ThamesRiver 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,...
just 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...
. With over 18 miles (29 km) of riverfront it covers an area of 64 square miles (166 km²), with more than half defined as Green Belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
. With Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
to the west and the river to the south, the county of Essex abuts the Borough to the north and east, and across the river lies Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Politics
The local authority is Thurrock CouncilThurrock Council
Thurrock Council is the local authority for the borough of Thurrock in Essex, England. Since 1997, Thurrock has been a unitary authority, combining the functions of a non-metropolitan county with that of a non-metropolitan district....
. Elections
Thurrock local elections
One third of Thurrock Council in Essex, England is elected each year, followed by one year without an election. Since the unitary authority was first elected in 1997, the council has consisted of 49 councillors elected from 20 wards.-Political control:...
are held 3 out of every 4 years with the last election in 2010
Thurrock Council election, 2010
The result of the Thurrock Council election, 2010 was that Thurrock Council stay under no overall control. The Conservative party gained two seats from Labour while Labour gained one seat from the Conservatives. Of the 16 wards contested, eight were won by the Conservatives and eight by Labour...
seeing no party win a majority on the council.
Thurrock is covered by two parliamentary constituencies. Thurrock
Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency)
Thurrock is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
includes most of the borough while South Basildon and East Thurrock
South Basildon and East Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency)
South Basildon and East Thurrock is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
includes some wards in the east of the borough. Both seats were Conservative gains from Labour at the 2010 general election.
The Council is led by Cllr John Kent (Lab) who took over from Cllr Garry Hague in May 2010. This changed the administration from Conservative to Labour, the first time in 6 years. The Mayor is Cllr Charles Curtis.
Land use
Thurrock has a population of 300,000 people living in 90,500 homes. The Metropolitan Green BeltMetropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
covers 70% of the borough. There are 494 acres (199.9 ha) of land available for industrial use. There are seven conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
s, 19 scheduled ancient monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
s and 239 listed buildings.
The borough contains ten sites of special scientific interest:
- Globe Pit, Grays
- Grays Chalk Pit
- Lion Pit, Grays
- Purfleet Chalk Pits
- West Thurrock Lagoon and Marshes
- Inner Thames Marshes
- Vange and Fobbing Marshes
- Basildon Meadows
- Mucking Flats and Marshes
- Hangman's Wood and Deneholes
Despite much of the borough being protected Green Belt land, Thurrock provides localised opportunities for further industrial and commercial development. The borough forms part of the Thames Gateway
Thames Gateway
The Thames Gateway is an area of land stretching east from inner east London on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. The area, which includes much brownfield land, has been designated a national priority for urban regeneration, taking advantage of the development opportunities...
regeneration area, a corridor of opportunity that has been identified by central government as the area with greatest development and commercial potential in the country. A Thurrock Development Corporation
Thurrock Development Corporation
Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government. It is an Urban Development Corporation set up by the Government of the United Kingdom covering the entire the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock...
was recently imposed and took over much of the borough's planning functions in 2005. Much of the population and commercial activity is centred along the riverfront. This includes many large and important industrial sites, including two large oil refineries, manufacturing industries, a container port, cruise liner terminal, distribution warehousing and one of Britain's largest refuse disposal sites at the appropriately named settlement of Mucking. Thurrock is also home 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...
.
Attractions
There are two multiplex cinemas attached to the Lakeside Shopping Centre, and the Thameside Theatre in GraysGrays
Grays is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex and one of the Thurrock's traditional parishes...
. Live shows are held at the Circus Tavern in 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...
. Open space includes Chafford Gorges Nature Park, Langdon Hills Country Park and Grove House Wood, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust
Essex Wildlife Trust
The Essex Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Essex and part of Greater London , England. It is headquartered at Abbotts Hall Farm, Colchester....
. Museums and historic buildings include Coalhouse Fort
Coalhouse Fort
Coalhouse Fort is a large casemated fort in East Tilbury, near the modern town of Tilbury, in Thurrock, Essex, downstream from Tilbury Fort. It contains a museum of memorabilia from World War I and II.-History of the fort:...
at East Tilbury
East Tilbury
East Tilbury is a village in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock.-History:In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland...
, Tilbury Fort
Tilbury Fort
Tilbury Fort is on the north, Essex, bank of the River Thames in England and was built to defend London from attack from the sea, particularly during the Spanish Armada and the Anglo-Dutch Wars...
in Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury 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...
, Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre, High House, Purfleet, Thurrock Museum and Walton Hall Farm Museum.
Next to 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...
is Arena Essex, a motor sports complex, where speedway, banger and stock car racing takes place.
Thurrock in Bloom
Thurrock in Bloom is a voluntary group that works in partnership with Thurrock Council and co-sponsors such as Sandown Nursery and Elm Horticulture to promote floral displays. It is part of a more general "in bloom" initiative organised by the Royal Horticultural SocietyRoyal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
. The Thurrock initiative includes an annual competition and sponsorship of roundabouts. Award winners include Woodside Primary School which has received silver and gold awards for its wildlife garden.
History
Mammoths once grazed in the Thurrock area and archaeologists recently unearthed the remains of a jungle cat. Man has been in the area since prehistoric times and the land has been farmed by the RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
Thurrock has numerous archaeological sites including the major excavation at Mucking
Mucking excavation
The Mucking excavation was a major archeological dig that covered an area of near Mucking, in southern Essex, England. The excavations took place between 1965 and 1978, prior to gravel extraction. At the time it was the largest excavation in Europe and it was the first opportunity to excavate a...
.
Horndon-on-the-Hill
Horndon-on-the-Hill is a village and Church of England parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock. It is about a mile northwest of Stanford le Hope and about two miles northeast of Orsett - from 1894, it was part of the Orsett Rural District....
was the site of an 11th century mint
Horndon mint
The Horndon mint was an Anglo-Saxon mint established at Horndon-on-the-Hill in Thurrock, Essex. It is known from a single coin of the reign of Edward the Confessor....
as well as the 15th century woolmarket which gives an indication of the area's wealth in the 15th century. The narrowing of the river where Tilbury now stands meant it was important in the defence 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...
, and Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
built three blockhouses, two on the Tilbury side and another on the Gravesend side of the river, following the end of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
.
Later, in 1588 Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
addressed her troops not far from the Tilbury blockhouse as the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
sailed up the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. Between 1670 and 1682, the Tilbury blockhouse was substantially rebuilt in to a much larger fortification (Tilbury Fort
Tilbury Fort
Tilbury Fort is on the north, Essex, bank of the River Thames in England and was built to defend London from attack from the sea, particularly during the Spanish Armada and the Anglo-Dutch Wars...
) and Coalhouse Fort was built further down river, close to the second blockhouse. The importance of the forts in defending the country continued through Napoleonic times and into the two world wars. The land where Tilbury Town now stands was farmland and marsh grazing until the building of the docks in the 1890s. Thurrock includes the Bata village, built for workers of the shoe company in 1933. Eight homes and the factory are listed.
Historically, the area was renowned for mineral extraction, including clay, aggregates and notably the digging of huge amounts of chalk from the West Thurrock area for use in the now defunct cement industries. When chalk extraction ceased one of the disused pits was redeveloped as Lakeside Shopping Centre. A number of former pits have been used to form the Chafford Gorges Nature Reserve, managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
The present-day borough of Thurrock was created in 1974 from the former area of Thurrock Urban District
Thurrock Urban District
Thurrock was a local government district and civil parish in south Essex, England from 1936 to 1974.The parish and urban district was formed from the former area of the following civil parishes which had been abolished in 1936:...
. The Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
left the boundaries mostly untouched, although part of it, in Basildon
Basildon
Basildon 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...
New Town, was ceded to the Basildon district
Basildon (district)
Basildon is a local government district in south Essex in the East of England, centred around the town of Basildon. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District and the part of Thurrock Urban District that was within the...
and the district gained borough status.
It was given administrative independence from Essex County Council on 1 April 1998 by The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996. It remains part of Essex for ceremonial
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
purposes such as Lord-Lieutenancy.
Captain Kidd
The body of Captain KiddWilliam Kidd
William "Captain" Kidd was a Scottish sailor remembered for his trial and execution for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean. Some modern historians deem his piratical reputation unjust, as there is evidence that Kidd acted only as a privateer...
was displayed in Thurrock. He had been convicted of piracy and hanged on May 23, 1701, at 'Execution Dock
Execution Dock
Execution Dock was used for more than 400 years in London to execute pirates, smugglers and mutineers that had been sentenced to death by Admiralty courts. The "dock", which consisted of a scaffold for hanging, was located near the shoreline of the River Thames at Wapping...
', Wapping
Wapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
. His body was gibbet
Gibbet
A gibbet is a gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. In earlier times, up to the late 17th century, live gibbeting also took place, in which the criminal was placed alive in a metal cage...
ed — left to hang in an iron cage over the Thames at Tilbury Point — as a warning to future would-be pirates for twenty years. Some sources give the location that his body was exhibited as Tilbury Ness, but this may be an alternative name for the same place. There is some uncertainty as to whether his body was displayed at what is now called Coalhouse Point or at a site a few hundred yards up stream, close to the present Tilbury Docks.
1953 Floods
On 31 January 1953, the low lying areas of Thurrock were innundated by the North Sea flood of 1953North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
. The Van den Berghs and Jurgens margarine factory, which manufactured Stork margarine, was forced to stop production for many months. Since the output of this factory constituted one third of the country's ration allocation, this led to a severe strain on the supply of margarine in the UK. Most schools in Thurrock were closed, either as a direct result of the flooding or in order to use them to help the relief effort. More than 1300 people in Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury 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...
and other low lying areas were evacuated to schools on the higher ground. Chadwell St Mary Primary school was used as the main welfare centre for the homeless. By the 15th February, most schools had returned to normal. The last to resume were the Landsdowne school in Tilbury and the newly opened Woodside Primary School - then called Tyrell Heath School. On Friday February 13, the flooded areas were visited by the young Queen Elizabeth II Despite severe loss of life in nearby Canvey Island
Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...
, only one person in Thurrock died as a result of the floods.
Heritage Plaques
In 2002, a partnership between Thurrock Council, Thurrock Heritage Forum and the Thurrock Local History Society began an initiative to place heritage plaques marking the famous people, events and organisations associated with Thurrock. By September 2010 there were plaques to:- Joseph ConradJoseph ConradJoseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist.Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English, although he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties...
- Alice Diehl
- DraculaDraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
's connection to Purfleet - The arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury on 21 June 1948.
- The training ship Exmouth
- The KynochKynochKynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.-History:Kynoch was established in Witton in Birmingham in 1862 by Scottish entrepreneur George Kynoch when he opened a percussion cap factory in Witton. In 1895 he built an...
factory in the CorringhamCorringham, EssexCorringham is a small English town within the unitary authority of Thurrock and one of the traditional parishes. It is situated in the east of the borough of Thurrock and has over time come to be considered an area within the larger neighbouring town of Stanford-Le-Hope. The parish church...
marshes - The shooting down of ZeppelinZeppelinA Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
L15 at 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...
in 1916 - Philip Vincent
- Alfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist...
and his house 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:... - Arthur Young
- The establishment of the town of 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...
in 1912
Culture and film
Thurrock has been the scene of several major films. St Clement's Church and street scenes at West ThurrockWest Thurrock
West 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:...
were used in the making of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
. Thurrock can also be seen in 28 Days Later
28 Days Later
28 Days Later is an acclaimed 2002 British horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, and the film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston...
. Scenes from the films Alfie
Alfie (2004 film)
Alfie is a 2004 British/American comedy-drama film based on the 1966 British film of the same name, starring Jude Law as the title character, originally played by Michael Caine. The film was written, directed and produced by Charles Shyer.-Plot:...
(2004), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
were shot at Tilbury docks. The opening scenes from Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
(2005) were shot at Coalhouse Fort in East Tilbury. Some filming also took place for the film Essex Boys
Essex Boys
Essex Boys is a 2000 British crime film. It was directed by Terry Winsor and stars Sean Bean, Alex Kingston, Tom Wilkinson, Charlie Creed-Miles and Holly Davidson.-Cast:* Charlie Creed-Miles: Billy Reynolds/narrator* Sean Bean: Jason Locke...
in and around the Bata estate at East Tilbury. The State Cinema
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...
where Eddie met Roger in the classic 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...
can be found in Grays.
Art Deco architecture in Thurrock
Wells Coates
Wells Wintemute Coates OBE was an architect, designer and writer. He was, for most of his life, an ex-patriate Canadian architect who is best known for his work in England...
. Although built in the 1950s the Woodside Primary school's architecture has been described as the slightly earlier "Ocean Liner Style" of Art Deco. The building features a number of bricked curves and circular windows while the wrought iron banisters on the stairs are deliberately set to lean out at an angle.
Education
Schools in Thurrock include; The Ockendon SchoolThe Ockendon School
The Ockendon Academy is a school in South Ockendon, Essex. It has a specialist status in Mathematics and Computing. In April 2009, the school became designated as a Training School....
, Chafford Hundred Campus,Gable Hall School , Gateway Academy, Grays Convent High School, William Edwards School & Sports College, Grays School Media Arts College, Deneholm Primary, Little Thurrock Primary, Quarry Hill Infant and Junior, St Thomas Of Canterbury Catholic Primary, Stifford Clays Infant and Junior, Stifford Primary, Thameside Infant and Junior School, Tudor Court Primary School, Warren Primary School, Chafford Hundred Primary School, Woodside Primary School (which was opened in 1952 as Tyrell's Infant and Junior Schools, the names being changed to avoid confusion with the neighbouring Torell's Secondary School; the schools were later amalgamated into one primary school) and Treetops School.
The local sixth form college is Palmer's College
Palmer's College
Palmer's College is a sixth form college for 16 - 19 year olds in Thurrock, Essex, England. With an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection in 2007, the College was awarded Beacon status in 2008...
, whilst other colleges in Thurrock include South Essex College (Thurrock Campus) and Thurrock Adult Community College, and recently the Stanford and Corringham Sixth Form Center was opened, as a joint Sixth Form College between Gable Hall School, Hassenbrook Specialist Technology College and St-Clere's School.
Partnerships
The Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary Excellence Cluster. brings together Chadwell St Mary Primary School, Corringham Primary School, Grays Convent High SchoolGrays Convent High School
Grays Convent High School is a girls' Roman Catholic secondary school in Grays, Essex, England.It is a voluntary-aided school which has been awarded Beacon school status and is officially a specialist Language College....
, Hassenbrooks Specialist Technology College, Herringham Primary School, Landsdowne Primary School, Manor Infant School, Manor Junior School, St Mary's RC Primary School, Woodside Primary School and The Gateway Academy.
Senior members of the schools councils also sit on the cluster's student council.
Woodside Primary is linked with a school in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, through the charity Gorkha Learning for Life, which was founded by a member of school staff.
Transport
Being both on the river and close to London, Thurrock is served with good communication links. The M25 London Orbital Motorway, the railway line between Southend and London Fenchurch Street which provides direct access to Central London and, eventually, Stratford International Station, the Port of Tilbury and the nearby London City AirportLondon City Airport
London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...
make Thurrock an important international trade centre. There is a grass airstrip south of Bulphan village. A ferry for passengers on foot connects Tilbury with Gravesend on the southern bank of the River Thames.
Rail transport in the borough is provided 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...
with stations at:
- Chafford Hundred railway stationChafford Hundred railway stationChafford Hundred railway station is a National Rail station located in Chafford Hundred in the borough of Thurrock in Essex, England. The station is owned by Network Rail and is managed by the c2c train operating company...
- East Tilbury railway stationEast Tilbury railway stationEast Tilbury railway station is a railway station located in the village of East Tilbury in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in the East of England....
- Grays railway stationGrays railway stationGrays 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...
- Ockendon railway stationOckendon railway stationOckendon station is a railway station located in South Ockendon in the borough of Thurrock, England. The station is located between Upminster and Chafford Hundred and is down the line from its London terminus at Fenchurch Street. The station is located on a passing loop of a single track branch...
- Purfleet railway stationPurfleet railway stationPurfleet is a railway station located in Purfleet, Thurrock, Essex in the East of England. It is situated just north of London Road, and a level crossing is provided for traffic. The station was opened in 1854 as part of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway and is located down the line from...
- Stanford-le-Hope railway stationStanford-le-Hope railway stationStanford-le-Hope railway station is a railway station located in the town of Stanford-le-Hope in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in the East of England....
- Tilbury Town railway stationTilbury Town railway stationTilbury Town railway station is a railway station located in the town of Tilbury in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in the East of England....
- West Horndon railway stationWest Horndon railway stationWest Horndon station is a railway station located in West Horndon on the boundary between the boroughs of Brentwood and Thurrock, with the railway line forming a continuation of the boundary....
(on northern boundary)
Bus services within the Thurrock urban area are mostly provided by Ensignbus.
- Ensignbus operates routes X80 (Chafford Hundred-Bluewater)- Mon-Sat only, 20 (Lakeside-Stifford Clays)- Mon-Sat only, 22 (Grays-Aveley), 22A (Aveley-Stifford Clays)- Mon-Sat eves only, 33 (Grays-Chafford Hundred-Lakeside) - Mon Sat only, 44 (Lakeside-Grays), 66 (Lakeside-Tilbury-Chadwell St Mary) - Mon-Sat only, 73/C (Lakeside-Tilbury), 83 (Lakeside-Sockets Heath-Chadwell St Mary)- Mon-Sat only, 373 (Grays-Stanford Le Hope) - Mon-Sat only, 374 (Grays-Basildon)- Mon-Sat only. 373/4 are Thurrock Council contracted.
- Arriva has a depot at West Thurrock, but all of its work is Transport for London contracts, and its only route actually running into Thurrock is the 370 (Lakeside-Romford).
- On Sundays/public holidays, Arriva Southend depot runs routes 44 (Lakeside-Grays) and 150 (Grays-Basildon)and on Mondays-Saturdays Arriva operated the 'Basildon Direct' route 5 , from Lakeside to Southend. (5 was cut back to Basildon from 2/11).
- First operates two services, (100, 200) between Lakeside/Grays and Basildon. 200 is Mon-Sat only.
- Stagecoach (East London Bus) runs Transport for London route 372 from Lakeside to Hornchurch.
- Blue Triangle run route 575 between Epping and Lakeside via Debden , Havering Atte Bower and non-stop to Lakeside From Romford. Mon-Fri,One Return Journey.
- First London operate route 265 between Brentwood and Lakeside , Mon-Fri 4 Return Journeys (More journeys on non school days)
- Imperial Bus Company runs 269 (Grays-Brentwood). This is Mon-Sat only on Essex CC contract.
- Clintona of Brentwood operates 374 (Grays-Bulphan) - Mon-Sat only and route 11 (Aveley-Basildon) - Mon-Sat only. (Route 11 has since been replaced by Ensignbus 373/4).
- A coach service to Stansted Airport is provided by Excel Passenger Logistics. (Since withdrawn).
Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Thurrock at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.| Year | Regional gross value added | Agriculture | Industry | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,406 | 8 | 657 | 741 |
| 2000 | 1,737 | 4 | 677 | 1,056 |
| 2003 | 1,995 | 5 | 664 | 1,327 |
List of places in the borough
- 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...
- BulphanBulphanBulphan is a village in the borough of Thurrock in the East of England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock. It is pronounced 'Bull-ven' though newcomers often mispronounce it as 'Bul-fan'....
- 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...
- CorringhamCorringham, EssexCorringham is a small English town within the unitary authority of Thurrock and one of the traditional parishes. It is situated in the east of the borough of Thurrock and has over time come to be considered an area within the larger neighbouring town of Stanford-Le-Hope. The parish church...
- Coryton RefineryCoryton RefineryCoryton Refinery is an oil refinery in Essex, England, situated on the estuary of the River Thames some from the centre of London.The refinery is located between Shell Haven Creek and Hole Haven Creek, which separates Canvey Island from the mainland....
- East TilburyEast TilburyEast Tilbury is a village in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock.-History:In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland...
- FobbingFobbingFobbing is a small village in Thurrock, Essex, England and one of Thurrock's traditional parishes. It is located between Basildon and Corringham, and is also close to Stanford-le-Hope....
- GraysGraysGrays is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex and one of the Thurrock's traditional parishes...
- Horndon-on-the-HillHorndon-on-the-HillHorndon-on-the-Hill is a village and Church of England parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock. It is about a mile northwest of Stanford le Hope and about two miles northeast of Orsett - from 1894, it was part of the Orsett Rural District....
- Little ThurrockLittle ThurrockLittle Thurrock is a ward and Church of England parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock.-Location:Little Thurrock is on the north bank of the river Thames, about east of London...
- MuckingMuckingMucking is a hamlet and former Church of England parish adjoining the Thames estuary in southern Essex, England. It is located approximately 2 miles south of the town of Stanford le Hope in what is now Thurrock unitary authority.-Early history:...
- 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...
- Shell HavenShell HavenShell Haven was a port on the north bank of the Thames Estuary at the eastern end of Thurrock, Essex, England and then an oil refinery. The refinery closed in 1999 and the site was purchased by DP World who received planning consent in May 2007 for the new London Gateway deep water container port...
- 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:...
- Stanford-le-HopeStanford-le-HopeStanford-le-Hope is a town and Church of England parish situated in the county of Essex, England. The town is within the unitary authority of Thurrock and located 23.8 miles east of Charing Cross in London...
- StiffordStiffordStifford is a place in the unitary authority of Thurrock, Essex. The traditional parish of Stifford is divided by the A13 trunk road into two communities known respectively as North and South Stifford.-Origin of name:...
- 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:...
Historic buildings
- Coalhouse FortCoalhouse FortCoalhouse Fort is a large casemated fort in East Tilbury, near the modern town of Tilbury, in Thurrock, Essex, downstream from Tilbury Fort. It contains a museum of memorabilia from World War I and II.-History of the fort:...
- St Clement's ChurchSt Clement's Church, West ThurrockSt Clement's Church is a Grade I listed building in West Thurrock, Essex, England. It is the church for one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock. The building was featured in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral.-Construction:...
- The State CinemaState CinemaThe 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...
- Tilbury FortTilbury FortTilbury Fort is on the north, Essex, bank of the River Thames in England and was built to defend London from attack from the sea, particularly during the Spanish Armada and the Anglo-Dutch Wars...
- The Woolmarket, Horndon
- Palmer's CollegePalmer's CollegePalmer's College is a sixth form college for 16 - 19 year olds in Thurrock, Essex, England. With an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection in 2007, the College was awarded Beacon status in 2008...
- Orsett HallOrsett HallOrsett Hall was a 17th century grade 2 listed building in Orsett, Essex . It was set in of parkland and was the centre of the Orsett Hall agricultural estate. The house was destroyed by fire on 11 May 2007 and rebuilt in the same style and on the same footprint as the original building in 2009...