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

Grays
Grays wharf overlooking the River Thames and Kent
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	Romford
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 Grays Thurrock)^[1] 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, and near the M25 motorway.

History [edit]

Samuel Pepys famously recorded in his diary that he visited Grays on September 24, 1665 and apparently bought fish from the local fishermen.^[2] Parts of Grays and Chafford Hundred are set within three Victorian chalk pits; the largest two being the Lion Gorge, and the Warren Gorge. Another area of the Chafford Hundred residential development is built on a Victorian landfill site.

Origin of the name [edit]

Thurrock is a Saxon name meaning "the bottom of a ship".^[3] The element "Grays" comes from Henry de Grai, a descendant of the Norman knight Anchetil de Greye, who was granted the manor of Grays Thurrock in 1195 by Richard I.

Geography [edit]

Nearest places:

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

Landmarks [edit]

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).

From the top of the Derby Road Bridge in Grays one can look down to Thurrock Yacht Club, Grays Beach children's playground and the River Thames where one 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 [edit]

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. The bus services are operated by Ensignbus, First Essex, Arriva Southend, Imperial Buses and Regal Busways.

Sports [edit]

The area's local football team is Grays Athletic, which plays non-League football and has won the FA Trophy on two occasions.

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

A team named Grays raced against the home team which was called Cambridge at Caxton Speedway near Cambridge on 10th September 1931. Grays featuring Lionel Loudon, Wal Evans, Bill Bailey, Alf Lloyd and Smiler Puncher lost

Notable people [edit]

• Stuart Barnes
• Russell Brand
• Chris Cohen
• Danny Crates
• Mick Jackson
• Martin Litton
• Joe Pasquale
• Alfred Russel Wallace who lived at the Dell, College Avenue
• Sara Flower
• Phil Davis

References [edit]

External links [edit]

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

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