Grays (or more formally,
Grays Thurrock) is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of
ThurrockThurrock 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 borough:...
in
EssexEssex is a county in the East of England region of the United Kingdom. The county town of Essex is Chelmsford.-History:In pre-Roman Britain the territories of Suffolk and Essex were home to the Trinovantes tribe, which had grown wealthy through intensive trade with the Roman Empire, contemporary...
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 is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
on the north bank of the
River ThamesThe River Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading and Windsor....
.
The Grays and Chafford Hundred areas are set within three Victorian chalk pits; the largest two being the Lion Gorge, and the Warren Gorge.
Grays (or more formally,
Grays Thurrock) is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of
ThurrockThurrock 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 borough:...
in
EssexEssex is a county in the East of England region of the United Kingdom. The county town of Essex is Chelmsford.-History:In pre-Roman Britain the territories of Suffolk and Essex were home to the Trinovantes tribe, which had grown wealthy through intensive trade with the Roman Empire, contemporary...
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 is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
on the north bank of the
River ThamesThe River Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading and Windsor....
.
History
The Grays and Chafford Hundred areas are set within three Victorian chalk pits; the largest two being the Lion Gorge, and the Warren Gorge. The area of the
Chafford HundredChafford Hundred is a recent UK housing brownfield New Town-style Infill development 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.
Geography
Nearest places:
- Aveley
Aveley 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.In Domesday the names has various spellings -...
- Chadwell St Mary
Chadwell-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 Hundred
Chafford Hundred is a recent UK housing brownfield New Town-style Infill development 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
North Stifford is a place in the unitary authority of Thurrock.The traditional parish of Stifford is divided by the A13 trunk road into two communities known respectively as North and South Stifford. The original parish church is located within North Stifford. The church contains several...
- Orsett
Orsett is a village and Church of England parish in the South East of Essex within the borough of Thurrock in England, United Kingdom.It has historically been a primarily agricultural community situated at the southern edge of the old ice age flood plain traversed by the river Mardyke.Orsett...
- 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...
- South Ockendon
South Ockendon is a village and Church of England parish in the Thurrock borough and unitary district in Essex in the East of England, United Kingdom.-History:...
- South Stifford
South Stifford is a small residential area within the town of Grays, part of the Thurrock unitary authority . Together with North Stifford it forms the traditional parish of Stifford....
- 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...
- West Thurrock
West Thurrock is a traditional Church of England parish in Thurrock, Essex, England, located 17.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross, London.It is the location of the Lakeside Shopping Centre....
- 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...
Landmarks
Local sites of interest include the
Thameside Theatre, the
Thurrock History Museum, Grays Beach and the now-disused
State 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...
(which was used as a location in the film
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and for sections of
JamiroquaiJamiroquai are an English Alternative/acid jazz/funk/soul/disco band. 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, the Brand New Heavies, Galliano, and Corduroy...
's video of "
Deeper Underground"Deeper Underground" is the first single from the album Synkronized by the funk/acid-jazz band, Jamiroquai. It was included in the soundtrack of the movie Godzilla and was a hidden track on Synkronized...
" for the film
GodzillaGodzilla is a 1998 American science fiction film. It is a Hollywood remake of the Japanese film of the same name. It was co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich, director of Independence Day. The film did not meet its anticipated success and was largely panned by critics and fans of the original...
). The ancient local manor of
Grays Thurrock was granted by Richard I in 1195 to Henry de Gray, a descendant of the Norman knight
Anchetil de GreyeAnchetil de Greye was a vassal of William the Conqueror who accompanied him in the Norman conquest of England.Anchetil de Greye is specifically named in the Domesday Book of 1086...
.
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 ThamesThe River Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading and Windsor....
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 motorwayThe M25 motorway is a 117 mile orbital motorway which encircles Greater London, United Kingdom except for the tolled Dartford Crossing where it crosses the River Thames to the east of London...
.
London Road is the main road which links Grays town centre with
Lakeside Shopping CentreThe 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. It opened on 25 October 1990....
and
PurfleetPurfleet 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 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....
, which is served by
c2cc2c is a National Express Group train operating company that provides train services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street station in the City of London to East London along the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area including Basildon, Chafford Hundred ,...
and runs between Fenchurch Street station in the
City of LondonThe 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
ShoeburynessShoeburyness is a town in southeast Essex, England, situated at the mouth of the river Thames. 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 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....
is a hub for most bus services in Thurrock and there is a coach service to Stansted airport.
Education
Schools in Grays include; Chafford Hundred Campus, 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, Warren Primary School, Chafford Hundred Primary School and Treetops School.
The local sixth form college is
Palmer's CollegePalmer's College is an independent and successful sixth form college for 16 - 19 year olds in Grays, Thurrock in the county of Essex. With an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection in 2007, the College was awarded Beacon status in 2008....
, whilst other colleges in Grays include Thurrock & Basildon College (Woodview Campus) and Thurrock Adult Community College.
Sports
Bridge Road is also home to the area's local football team,
Grays AthleticGrays Athletic Football Club are a football team from the south east of England, representing the town of Grays, Thurrock, Essex. They currently play in the National division of the Football Conference.-History:...
, who play in the
Football ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, but most of them are semi-professional...
and were two-time winners of the
FA TrophyThe 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...
.
Lakeside Hammers speedway team (formerly Arena Essex Hammers) races nearby, next to the
Lakeside Shopping CentreThe 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. It opened on 25 October 1990....
.
Notable people
- Stuart Barnes
Stuart Barnes is a former English rugby union footballer, and now rugby commentator for Sky Sports...
- Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, and presenter of radio and television.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK for presenting a Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth, and for his radio show, among other television series and award ceremonies...
- Danny Crates
Daniel "Danny" Brian Crates, is a British athlete, who currently specialises in 800m sprinting. He is the Paralympic world record holder in this event, and has won gold medals in a number of international competitions, including the Paralympic Games...
- Mick Jackson
Mick Jackson is a British television and film director, television producer and author.-Selected filmography:Television films directed by Jackson include:...
- Martin Litton
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...
- Joe Pasquale
Joseph 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 Wallace
Alfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist...
who lived at the DellThe 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...
, College Avenue
- Austin Drage, A finalist in Series 5 of The X Factor
The X Factor is a British television music talent show, contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and on TV3 in Ireland, with spin-off "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3...
External links