West Thurrock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West Thurrock |
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 St Clements Church |
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 West Thurrock
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| Population | 7,795 (2001 Census) |
| OS grid reference | TQ585785 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GRAYS |
| Postcode district | RM20 |
| Dialling code | 01708 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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West Thurrock is a place in Essex, England. It's about 18 miles (28.1 km) east of central London. It used to be a separate area with its own church parish, but now it's part of Thurrock.
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West Thurrock's Past
West Thurrock has a long history. It was once an "ancient parish," which means it was an old area with its own church and local government.
In 1894, West Thurrock became part of a larger area called the Orsett Rural District. This was a way of organizing smaller towns and villages. Later, in 1929, it joined with nearby places like Aveley and South Ockendon to form the Purfleet Urban District.
By 1931, about 5,153 people lived in West Thurrock. But on April 1, 1936, the parish and the Purfleet Urban District were combined. They became part of a new, bigger area called the Thurrock Urban District. This change helped manage the growing population and industries in the area.
Where is West Thurrock?
West Thurrock is located in the Thurrock area, which is a special type of local government called a unitary authority. It sits on the north bank of the River Thames. This is about 17 miles (27 km) from Charing Cross in central London.
Nearby Places
- Aveley
- Chafford Hundred
- Grays
- South Ockendon
Nearest Train Stations
- Chafford Hundred railway station
- Grays railway station
- Purfleet railway station
Local Industries
West Thurrock is home to several important industries along the River Thames.
One major company here is Unilever. They have a large distribution center that sends out all their chilled food products. These include popular brands like Flora, Bertolli, and Peperami.
Another big company is Procter & Gamble. Their factory makes detergents and soaps. This plant was originally called Hedley's.
Years ago, there was a large coal-burning power station in West Thurrock. It was called the West Thurrock Power Station and closed down in 1993. Now, a different plant stands there. It makes chemicals used to create detergents and other industrial products.
You can still see the very tall electricity pylons of the 400 kV Thames Crossing. These pylons are 190 meters (about 623 feet) high and are the tallest electricity pylons in the UK! Also, a special train tunnel for High Speed 1 (a fast train line) goes under the Thames just upstream from these pylons.
West Thurrock also used to be a big center for quarrying chalk and making cement. Companies like Brooks, Gibbs & Co., and Tunnel Cement worked here. Today, Lafarge is the main cement company still operating near the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. A new factory for making a special type of cement was finished in 2003.
Important Buildings
The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a very large shopping mall located in West Thurrock. It was built on the site of an old chalk quarry that belonged to Tunnel Cement.
The local church, St Clement's Church, is no longer used for regular services. However, it became famous because it was used for a funeral scene in the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral.
There was once a grand house called Belmont Castle, England in West Thurrock. It was built in 1795 in a style called Gothic Revival architecture, which looks like old castles. Sadly, this mansion was taken down in 1943 to make way for a chalk quarry.
What Does "Thurrock" Mean?
The name "Thurrock" comes from an old Saxon word. It means "the bottom of a ship." West Thurrock is one of three places with "Thurrock" in their name. The others are Little Thurrock and Grays Thurrock.
