Thurrock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thurrock Borough of Thurrock
Unitary authority area and borough
Grays town skyline
Shown within Essex
Country	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East
Ceremonial county	Essex
Admin HQ	Grays
Government
• Body	Thurrock Council (Labour)
Area
• Total	163.38 km2 (63.08 sq mi)
Population
• Total	Ranked 112th 174,341
Ethnicity (2021)
• Ethnic groups	List 76.7% White 11.9% Black 6.9% Asian 3% Mixed 1.5% other
Religion (2021)
• Religion	List 51.7% Christianity 34.7% no religion 8.7% other 4.9% Islam
Time zone	GMT
• Summer (DST)	British Summer Time
ONS code	00KG (ONS) E06000034 (GSS)

Thurrock (/ˈθʌrək/) is a special area in Essex, England. It is called a unitary authority area and a borough. Thurrock is on the north side of the River Thames, just east of London. It has over 18 miles (29 km) of riverfront. The Port of Tilbury is here, which is London's main port.

Thurrock is part of the London commuter belt. This means many people who live here travel to London for work. It is also a key area for new development in the Thames Gateway project. The northern parts of the Dartford Crossing are located in Thurrock.

The local government for Thurrock is called Thurrock Council. Its main office is in Grays. Other towns and villages in the borough include Purfleet-on-Thames, South Ockendon, Stanford-le-Hope, and Tilbury. More than half of Thurrock is protected as Green Belt land.

Thurrock is next to the London Borough of Havering, Brentwood, Basildon, and Castle Point. Across the River Thames, you can find Gravesham and Dartford in Kent.

Thurrock's Past: A Look at History

Ancient Times and Early Settlements

Long ago, huge mammoths lived in the Thurrock area. Scientists have even found bones of a jungle cat here. People have lived in Thurrock since very ancient times. Farmers from the Roman and Anglo-Saxon eras worked the land. Thurrock has many archaeological sites. One important site is Mucking, where a lot of ancient remains were found.

The Woolmarket

In the 11th century, Horndon-on-the-Hill had a place where coins were made. It also had a wool market in the 15th century. This shows that the area was quite rich back then. The River Thames gets narrower near where Tilbury is now. This made it an important spot for defending London. King Henry VIII built three small forts here. Two were on the Tilbury side and one on the Gravesend side.

Later, in 1588, Queen Elizabeth I spoke to her soldiers near Tilbury. This was when the Spanish Armada was sailing towards England. Between 1670 and 1682, the Tilbury fort was made much bigger. It became Tilbury Fort. Another fort, Coalhouse Fort, was built further down the river. These forts were important for defending the country during wars, even up to the two World Wars.

The land where Tilbury Town is today was once farms and marshland. The docks were built there in the 1890s. Thurrock also has the Bata village. This village was built in 1933 for workers of a shoe company. Eight homes and the factory are now protected historic buildings.

Industry and Nature in Thurrock

In the past, Thurrock was known for digging up minerals. This included clay, gravel, and large amounts of chalk. The chalk was used to make cement. When chalk digging stopped, one of the old pits became the Lakeside Shopping Centre. Other old pits are now part of the Chafford Gorges Nature Reserve. The Essex Wildlife Trust manages this beautiful area.

How Thurrock Became a Borough

The Thurrock area we know today was created in 1974. It was formed from the old Thurrock Urban District. The Local Government Act 1972 kept most of the borders the same. However, a small part of Thurrock went to the Basildon district. Thurrock then gained special "borough" status.

On April 1, 1998, Thurrock became independent from Essex County Council. This meant it could manage its own local affairs. But it is still part of Essex for some official purposes, like the Lord-Lieutenancy.

Captain Kidd's Warning

The body of Captain Kidd was once displayed in Thurrock. He was found guilty of piracy and hanged in 1701. His body was then put in an iron cage and left to hang over the Thames. This was at Tilbury Point, as a warning to other pirates. It stayed there for twenty years. Some records call the place Tilbury Ness. It is not fully clear if it was at Coalhouse Point or a bit upstream near the current Tilbury Docks.

The Great Flood of 1953

On January 31, 1953, a huge flood hit the low-lying areas of Thurrock. This was part of the North Sea flood of 1953. A margarine factory had to stop making products for many months. This caused problems for the country's margarine supply. Many schools in Thurrock closed. Some were flooded, and others were used to help people.

Over 1300 people from Tilbury and other low areas had to leave their homes. They went to schools on higher ground. Chadwell St Mary Primary school became a main center for those who lost their homes. By February 15, most schools were back to normal. The last ones to reopen were Landsdowne school in Tilbury and Woodside Primary School. On February 13, Queen Elizabeth II visited the flooded areas. Sadly, many people died in nearby Canvey Island. But only one person in Thurrock died from the floods.

Thurrock's Heritage Plaques

Since 2002, Thurrock has been putting up special plaques. These plaques mark famous people, events, and groups linked to Thurrock. By 2013, there were plaques for many important things, including:

• Joseph Conrad, a famous writer.
• Alice Mangold Diehl, a musician and novelist from Aveley.
• The link between Dracula and Purfleet.
• The arrival of the Empire Windrush ship at Tilbury in 1948.
• The training ship Exmouth.
• The Kynoch factory in the Corringham marshes.
• The shooting down of a Zeppelin airship at Purfleet in 1916.
• Philip Vincent, a motorcycle designer.
• Alfred Russel Wallace and his house at the Dell.
• Arthur Young, a writer.
• The founding of Tilbury town in 1912.
• John Newton's connection with Aveley and Purfleet.
• Benjamin Franklin's work on a lightning conductor for the Purfleet gunpowder store.
• Henry de Grey, who gave his name to Grays.

How Thurrock is Governed

Thurrock has one main local government body: Thurrock Council. This council is in charge of everything in the borough. There are no smaller local councils in Thurrock. The council holds elections three out of every four years.

Thurrock's Geography and Environment

Old and new: St Clement's Church, West Thurrock with the Procter & Gamble chemical plant on the banks of the Thames behind it.

Thurrock has about 175,500 people living in 90,500 homes. A large part of the borough, 70%, is protected as Metropolitan Green Belt land. This means it is kept open and green. There are also 494 acres (200 ha) of land available for factories and businesses.

Thurrock has seven special conservation areas. It also has 19 scheduled monuments, like the old dovecote at High House Purfleet. There are 239 listed buildings, which are protected because of their history or special design.

The borough is home to ten Sites of Special Scientific Interest. These are places with important wildlife or geology, such as:

• 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

Even with a lot of Green Belt land, Thurrock still has places for new businesses and factories. The borough is part of the Thames Gateway area. This area has been chosen by the government for major development. The Thurrock Development Corporation helped with planning from 2005 to 2011.

Most of Thurrock's people and businesses are near the river. This area has many large industrial sites. These include two big oil refineries, factories, a container port, and a cruise ship terminal. There is also a large waste disposal site at Mucking. Thurrock is also home to the Lakeside Shopping Centre.

Thurrock's Climate

Thurrock has a mild climate. The temperatures do not change too much between summer and winter. It also gets enough rain all year round. This type of climate is called "Marine West Coast Climate" or "Oceanic climate."

Thurrock's People: Demographics

In 2011, a census counted 157,705 people living in Thurrock. There were 62,353 homes and 45,985 families. The population density was about 9.7 people for every hectare of land. There were 63,869 housing units in total.

Most people in Thurrock, 86%, were White. About 3.8% were Asian, 7.8% were Black, and 2% were Mixed Race. The remaining 0.6% belonged to other ethnic groups.

Out of all households, 30.5% had children under 18 living there. About 72.7% of households were married couples. Also, 52.5% of all homes had just one person living in them. About 10.2% of homes had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

The average age in Thurrock was 42 years old. About 25.5% of residents were under 18. And 38.2% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.3%) and females (50.6%).

Thurrock's Economy

Thurrock has a strong economy. The table below shows the total value of goods and services produced in Thurrock. This is called "Regional gross value added."

Culture and Film in Thurrock

Thurrock has been a filming location for several major movies.

• St Clement's Church and streets in West Thurrock were used in Four Weddings and a Funeral.
• Thurrock also appears in 28 Days Later.
• Scenes from Alfie (2004) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed at Tilbury docks.
• The opening scenes of Batman Begins (2005) were shot at Coalhouse Fort in East Tilbury.
• Some filming for Essex Boys took place around the Bata estate in East Tilbury.
• The State Cinema in Grays was featured in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Art Deco Buildings in Thurrock

The State Cinema in 2007

Thurrock has some great examples of Art Deco architecture. This style was popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

• The baggage hall at Tilbury opened in 1930. It has an Art Deco inside, designed by Sir Edwin Cooper. It is a protected building.
• The State Cinema, built in 1938, is also a protected building. It is one of the few old cinemas from the 1930s that still exists. It even has its original cinema organ. The building was empty for a while, but a company called J D Wetherspoon bought it in 2015 to turn it into a pub. However, in 2023, they decided to sell it.
• The Bata Shoes estate in East Tilbury was started in 1933. It is now a conservation area, meaning its special features are protected.
• Chadwell St Mary has a rare "Sunspan" house. It was designed by the architect Wells Coates.
• Woodside Primary School, built in the 1950s, looks like the "ocean liner" style of Art Deco. It has curved brick walls and round windows. The stair railings even lean at an angle.

Fun Places to Visit in Thurrock

The Dovecote at High House

Thurrock has many attractions for visitors:

• There is a large cinema at the Lakeside Shopping Centre.
• The Thameside Theatre in Grays hosts live shows.
• The Circus Tavern in Purfleet also has live performances.
• You can enjoy nature at Chafford Gorges Nature Park, Langdon Hills Country Park, and Grove House Wood. These are managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
• Historic places include Coalhouse Fort at East Tilbury and Tilbury Fort in Tilbury.
• The Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre teaches about the past.
• High House, Purfleet has old farm buildings.
• The Royal Opera House has a workshop and artist studios here.
• You can also visit Thurrock Museum and Walton Hall Farm Museum.

Next to the Lakeside Shopping Centre was Arena Essex. This was a place for motor sports like speedway and stock car racing. This site will now be used for new homes.

Getting Around: Transport in Thurrock

Thurrock has good transport links because it is on the river and near London. The M25 London Orbital Motorway passes through. There is a railway line that connects Southend to London Fenchurch Street. The Port of Tilbury and nearby London City Airport make Thurrock an important place for international trade. There is also a small airstrip near Bulphan village. A ferry takes people across the River Thames between Tilbury and Gravesend.

Train services in Thurrock are provided by c2c. You can find stations at:

• Chafford Hundred railway station
• East Tilbury railway station
• Grays railway station
• Ockendon railway station
• Purfleet railway station
• Stanford-le-Hope railway station
• Tilbury Town railway station
• West Horndon railway station (on the northern edge)

Bus services in Thurrock are mainly run by Ensignbus.

• Arriva has a bus depot in West Thurrock. Most of their buses work for Transport for London. Only one Arriva route, the 370, goes into Thurrock.

Other bus companies include First Essex, Stagecoach London, and NIBS Buses.

Learning in Thurrock: Education

Thurrock has 55 schools. There are 39 primary schools, 13 secondary schools, two special schools, and one alternative school. Almost all of them are "free schools" or "academies." This means they get money directly from the government. Grays Convent High School is a "voluntary aided" school.

Five schools, including Grays Convent High School, are Catholic faith schools. Two primary schools are Anglican faith schools. Many schools in Thurrock are part of larger groups called "multi-academy trusts." These include big groups like the Harris Federation and Ormiston Trust.

Since 2007, all secondary schools in Thurrock have been "specialist schools." This means they focus on certain subjects. Some schools, like William Edwards School and Orsett Heath Academy, can choose 10% of their students based on their talent in a specialist subject.

Thurrock does not have "grammar schools" anymore, though the council has tried to bring them back. In the past, Thurrock had three grammar schools. These were Grays Thurrock School, Palmer's School for Boys, and Palmer's School for Girls. Palmer's schools became private schools in 1931, then went back to being grammar schools in 1944. Grays Convent High School was a private school until 1969.

There were also two "secondary technical schools." These were Grays County Technical High School and Aveley County Technical High School. Aveley County Technical High School joined with the Palmer's schools in 1971 to form Palmer's College.

Palmer's College, now part of USP College, is Thurrock's main college for general further education after secondary school. The Thurrock Campus of South Essex College is for students who want to learn job-specific skills. Other places for further education in Thurrock include the Thurrock Adult Community College, Osborne Sixth Form, and Ortu Sixth Form Centre Stanford & Corringham.

School Partnerships

The Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary Excellence Cluster used to connect several local schools. These included Chadwell St Mary Primary School, ORTU Corringham Primary School, Grays Convent High School, Hassenbrook Academy, and others. Students from these schools also had their own council. This group no longer exists.

ORTU Gable Hall School has a long partnership with Pro Arte Alphen Park School in South Africa. For almost 10 years, students from both schools have visited each other's countries.

Woodside Primary School is linked with a school in Nepal. This is through a charity called Gorkha Learning for Life, started by a staff member from Woodside Primary.

Media in Thurrock

Television

Thurrock gets its TV signals from the Crystal Palace transmitter. This means it receives BBC London and ITV London. You can also get BBC South East and ITV Meridian from the Bluebell Hill transmitter.

Radio

Radio stations that broadcast to Thurrock include:

• BBC Essex
• BBC Radio London
• BBC Radio Kent
• Heart Essex
• Radio Essex
• Time 107.5
• Gateway 97.8, a local community radio station

Newspapers

The local newspapers for Thurrock are:

• The Thurrock Gazette
• The Evening Echo

Sports and Fun Activities

Thurrock has several local football clubs:

• Tilbury F.C. is the oldest football club in Thurrock, started in 1889. They have played at Chadfields since 1947.
• Thurrock F.C. used to play at Ship Lane but closed in 2018.
• Aveley F.C. plays at Parkside.
• Grays Athletic F.C. used to play at the New Recreation Ground in Grays. Since 2010, they also play at Parkside.
• East Thurrock United F.C. plays at Rookery Hill.

The Thurrock Yacht Club is in Grays, right on the Thames riverfront. It offers many ways to enjoy boating, both for fun and for competitions.

Places in Thurrock Borough

• Aveley
• Bulphan
• Chadwell St Mary
• Chafford Hundred
• Corringham
• Coryton Refinery
• East Tilbury
• Fobbing
• Grays
• Horndon-on-the-Hill
• Linford
• Little Thurrock
• Mucking
• Orsett
• Purfleet-on-Thames
• Shell Haven
• South Ockendon
• Stanford-le-Hope
• Stifford
• Thames Haven
• Thurrock Village
• Tilbury
• West Thurrock

Historic Buildings to See

• Coalhouse Fort
• St Clement's Church
• The State Cinema
• Tilbury Fort
• The Woolmarket, Horndon
• Palmer's College
• Orsett Hall
• St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Grays

Freedom of the Borough Awards

The "Freedom of the Borough" is a special honor given to people and military groups. It is the highest award a borough can give.

Individuals Honored

• Dorothy Coker: September 26, 2001.
• Reverend John Guest: September 30, 2021.
• Canon Brian O’Shea: September 30, 2021.
• Father Paul Dynan: September 30, 2021.
• The Reverend Canon Darren Barlow: January 31, 2024.

Military Units Honored

• 215 (Essex) Squadron, RLC: June 28, 1986.
• The Royal Anglian Regiment: July 18, 1990.
• The Port of Tilbury Police: September 25, 2002.
• The Burma Star Association (Thurrock Branch): November 26, 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Thurrock para niños