Grays

Coordinates: 51°28′21″N 0°19′29″E / 51.4724°N 0.3247°E / 51.4724; 0.3247

Grays
Grays  Grays shown within Essex
Population	36,601 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	TQ615773
Unitary authority	Thurrock
Ceremonial county	Essex
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GRAYS
Postcode district	RM17
Dialling code	01375
Police	Essex
Fire	Essex
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	Thurrock
List of places: UK • England • Essex

Grays (or more formally, Grays Thurrock) 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.

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 Hundred residential development is built on a Victorian landfill site.

Geography

Nearest places:

• Aveley
• Chadwell St Mary
• Chafford Hundred
• North Stifford
• Orsett
• Purfleet
• South Ockendon
• South Stifford
• Tilbury
• West Thurrock
• Basildon

Landmarks

A map of the town from 1946

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). 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 Greye.

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.

Transport

Grays has good road links, being close to the A13 road and the M25 motorway.
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 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, Woodside Primary School and Treetops School.

The local sixth form college is Palmer's College, 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 Athletic, who play in the Football Conference and were two-time winners of the FA Trophy.

Lakeside Hammers speedway team (formerly Arena Essex Hammers) races nearby, next to the Lakeside Shopping Centre.

Notable people

• Stuart Barnes
• Russell Brand
• Danny Crates
• Mick Jackson
• Martin Litton
• Joe Pasquale
• Alfred Russel Wallace who lived at the Dell, College Avenue
• Austin Drage, A finalist in Series 5 of The X Factor
• Sara Flower

External links

• Bygone Grays Thurrock - Local history website
• Thurrock Local History Society

v • d • e Ceremonial county of Essex County town: Chelmsford Unitary authorities Southend-on-Sea • Thurrock Boroughs and districts Basildon • Braintree • Brentwood • Castle Point • Chelmsford • Colchester • Epping Forest • Harlow • Maldon • Rochford • Tendring • Uttlesford Towns Abridge, Basildon, Billericay, Braintree, Brentwood, Brightlingsea, Buckhurst Hill, Burnham-on-Crouch, Canvey Island, Chalkwell, Chelmsford, Chigwell, Chipping Ongar, Clacton-on-Sea, Coggeshall, Colchester, Corringham, Dovercourt, Eastwood, Epping, Frinton-on-Sea, Grays, Great Dunmow, Hadleigh, Halstead, Harlow, Harwich, Ingatestone, Laindon, Langdon Hills, Leigh-on-Sea, Loughton, Maldon, Manningtree, Pitsea, Prittlewell, Rayleigh, Rochford, Saffron Walden, Shoeburyness, South Benfleet, Southchurch, Southend-on-Sea, South Woodham Ferrers, Southminster, Stanford-le-Hope, Thaxted, Thorpe Bay, Tilbury, Waltham Abbey, Walton-on-the-Naze, Westcliff-on-Sea, West Mersea, Wickford, Witham, Wivenhoe See also: List of civil parishes in Essex Rivers Blackwater • Brain • Can • Chelmer • Ching • Cobbins Brook • Colne • Crouch • River Lee Flood Relief Channel • Prittle Brook • Roach • Roding • Stort • Stour • Stour Brook • Ter • Thames History • Parliamentary constituencies • Places