116-572: Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock , Essex , England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary . It contains a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry . Tilbury is part of the Port of London with a major deep-water port which contributes to the local economy. Situated 24 miles (38.5 km) east of central London and 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Southend-on-Sea (the nearest city), it
232-552: A greyhound racing track. The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club ) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks. The racing is believed to have been operational in the 1930s and lasted until 1947, when a betting licence had been granted. A later venue called the Tilbury Stadium on land at
348-523: A rampart and a ditch, with extensive marshlands and creeks giving additional protection to the east. It was initially commanded by Captain Francis Grant and his deputy, and garrisoned with a porter, two soldiers and four gunners, equipped with up to five artillery pieces including a demi-cannon and sakers . The invasion threat passed and in 1553 all of the blockhouses were ordered to return their guns; Milton and Higham were demolished. In
464-503: A ravelin , which is in turn linked to the inner defences by another replica bridge, protected with two drawbridges . The ravelin formed a physical barrier to incoming artillery fire aimed at the entrance to the inner defences and could also have directed fire against enemy forces that breached the outer defensive line. On the south side of the outer defences, facing the river, are the West and East Lines of gun positions. These were built in
580-507: A speech to the assembled forces. Fears of invasion continued even after the defeat of the Armada, and over the course of the next year the Italian engineer, Federigo Giambelli , reinforced the blockhouse with probably two concentric earthwork ramparts, with ditches and a palisade . A boom was stretched across the river to Gravesend at a cost of £305. In the early 1600s, England
696-587: A Funeral . Thurrock can also be seen in 28 Days Later . Scenes from the films Alfie (2004), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were shot at Tilbury docks. The opening scenes from Batman Begins (2005) were shot at Coalhouse Fort in East Tilbury. Some filming also took place for the film Essex Boys in and around the Bata estate at East Tilbury. The State Cinema , where Eddie met Roger in
812-418: A complex pattern of ramparts, protecting a covered way stretching around the defensive line. There are bastions on the north-west and north-east corners, and two triangular spurs, originally equipped with cannons, project from the defences on the west and east sides, with assembly points for infantry soldiers on the inside. A replica wooden bridge runs from the outer defences over the water to an island called
928-463: A forerunner of the Thames sailing barge . The curve and narrowness of the river here made it a suitable place to construct forts for the defence of London against foreign invaders. The first permanent fort at Tilbury was a D-shaped blockhouse built in 1539 by Henry VIII and initially called the "Thermitage Bulwark", because it was on the site of a hermitage dissolved in 1536. The Tilbury blockhouse
1044-547: A group of 18 parishes in southern Essex. Poor Law Unions subsequently formed the basis for later local government structures, with the Orsett Rural Sanitary District created in 1872 covering the same area. The parish of Grays Thurrock was made its own urban sanitary district in 1886. Urban and rural sanitary districts were converted into urban districts and rural districts in 1894. Two further urban districts were later created from parts of
1160-499: A new hospital which was named the Passmore Edwards District Cottage Hospital . In 1969 Orsett Hospital took over healthcare provision in the area. Local radio station Gateway 97.8, is a community based radio station. The Thurrock Gazette is the town's local weekly newspaper. Tilbury has a non-League football club Tilbury F.C. who play at Chadfields. Chadfields had previously been
1276-453: A public house January 2023 Chadwell St Mary has one of the few examples of a "Sunspan" house designed by the architect Wells Coates . Although built in the 1950s, Woodside Primary School's architecture has been described as the slightly earlier "ocean liner" style of Art Deco. The building features a number of bricked curves and circular windows, while the wrought-iron banisters on the stairs are deliberately set to lean out at an angle. There
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#17327718880511392-560: A result of the floods. In 2002, a partnership between Thurrock Council, Thurrock Heritage Forum and the Thurrock Local History Society began an initiative to place heritage plaques marking the famous people, events and organisations associated with Thurrock. By September 2021 plaques included: The borough has its origins in the Orsett Poor Law Union , which had been created in 1835 covering
1508-589: A riot ensued which was the catalyst for a mass protest across Essex and Kent . Later, in 1588 Elizabeth I addressed her troops not far from the Tilbury blockhouse as the Spanish Armada sailed up the English Channel . Between 1670 and 1682, the Tilbury blockhouse was substantially rebuilt into a much larger fortification ( Tilbury Fort ) and Coalhouse Fort was built further down river, close to
1624-575: A sergeant were shot dead, and a soldier was bayonetted, before both sides fled the scene. It is uncertain how accurate the newspaper account was, although the historians Andrew Saunders and Charles Kightly give it some credence. During the American Revolutionary War there were fears of a French attack on London. In 1780, the Army carried out a practice attack on the fort with 5,000 soldiers, but there were less than 60 guns left at
1740-639: A strategic depot. From 1889 onwards it formed a mobilisation centre to support a mobile strike force in the event of an invasion, part of the wider London Defence Scheme, and large storage buildings were built across the site to store materiel. Fresh concerns grew that the Thames might be vulnerable to attack from torpedo boats and armoured cruisers , and in 1903 four quick-firing 12-pounder, 12 cwt (5.4 kg, 50.8 kg) guns were positioned on Tilbury's south-east curtain wall, supplemented in 1904 by two 6-inch (15 cm) breech loading guns . In 1905, however,
1856-522: Is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is " Cfb " (Marine West Coast Climate/ Oceanic climate ). At the census of 2011, there were 157,705 people, 62,353 households and 45,985 families residing in the borough. The population density was 9.7 people per hectare. There were 63,869 housing units. The racial makeup of the borough was 86% White, 3.8% Asian, 7.8% Black, 2% Mixed Race, 0.6% other. There were 62,353 households, out of which 30.5% had children under
1972-614: Is also a Convent of Mercy. There is, in addition, a synagogue in Dock Road. The educational institutions in Tilbury include primary education, which are Lansdowne Primary School, St Mary's RC Primary School and Tilbury Manor Primary School renamed Tilbury Pioneer Academy when the school was taken over by the Gateway Learning Community, a local collective of several schools in the local area. The last serve Infant and Nursery, as well as Junior children. Lying just outside
2088-479: Is closely connected with its geographical location (see below). Its counterpart on the south bank of the River Thames , Gravesend , has long been an important communications link, and it was there that a cross-river ferry (see below) was connected, mainly due to the narrowness of the river at this point. In addition, Gravesend and Northfleet (also on the south shore) both became vitally important to shipping on
2204-527: Is documented in the movie Farming. In the 2014 BBC series The Honourable Woman , the title character Nessa Stein is made Baroness of Tilbury in the first episode. Tilbury and its environs have been used in some television episodes. Tilbury Fort was used as a location for Sharpe's Regiment , starring Sean Bean . Until 1896 Tilbury had no hospital. In 1894 the Philanthropist John Passmore Edwards , M.P. agreed to fund
2320-682: Is higher ground, where lie the villages of Chadwell St Mary, West and East Tilbury . The town lies to the north of the London-Southend railway line. Tilbury is located east of the capital of England, London The major landmarks are the docks, the cruise-ship landing stage, and the Tilbury Power Station . There are two churches in Tilbury: St John's (Church of England) and Our Lady Star of the Sea (Roman Catholic); there
2436-866: Is one multiplex cinema attached to the Lakeside Shopping Centre, and the Thameside Theatre in Grays . Live shows are held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet . Open space includes Chafford Gorges Nature Park , Langdon Hills Country Park and Grove House Wood , managed by Essex Wildlife Trust . Museums and historic buildings include Coalhouse Fort at East Tilbury , Tilbury Fort in Tilbury , Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre, High House, Purfleet with its historic farm buildings,
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#17327718880512552-467: Is served with good communication links. The M25 London Orbital Motorway , the railway line between Southend and London Fenchurch Street which provides direct access to Central London, the Port of Tilbury, and the nearby London City Airport make Thurrock an important international trade centre. There is a grass airstrip south of Bulphan village. A ferry for passengers on foot connects Tilbury with Gravesend on
2668-475: Is some uncertainty as to whether his body was displayed at what is now called Coalhouse Point or at a site a few hundred yards up stream, close to the present Tilbury Docks. On 31 January 1953, the low-lying areas of Thurrock were inundated by the North Sea flood of 1953 . The Van den Berghs and Jurgens margarine factory, which manufactured Stork margarine , was forced to stop production for many months. Since
2784-458: Is taken up by the parade ground, an area covering 2.5 acres (1.0 ha). The central parade ground was raised to its current height in the 17th and 19th centuries using chalk and dirt, and by the early 20th century much of it was occupied by four large warehouses, since destroyed. Moving east from the Water Gate, the south-eastern curtain defences and the south-east bastion were rebuilt at
2900-688: Is the main UK port for importing paper, including newsprint . The one-time passenger landing stage was reopened by the Port of Tilbury group as the London Cruise Terminal, though it is no longer served by the railway. Until the introduction of standardised containers, the majority of the town's inhabitants were employed in the docks. The resulting loss of jobs has never been made up. So Tilbury today has high unemployment, and education and employment prospects are widely perceived as poor. Thurrock Council, together with Kent County Council, subsidises
3016-584: Is the southernmost point in Essex. The name of the present town of Tilbury is derived (by way of the port) from the nearby settlements of East and West Tilbury . The name of these settlements is derived from the Saxon burgh , "fortified place", either belonging to Tila, or perhaps at a lowland place. The 8th century spelling ( Bede ) was "Tilaburg", and the spelling in Domesday was "Tilberia". Tilbury's history
3132-594: Is within the London commuter belt and is an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The borough includes the northern ends of the Dartford Crossing . The local authority is Thurrock Council , based in Grays . The borough also includes Purfleet-on-Thames , South Ockendon , Stanford-le-Hope and Tilbury , as well as other villages and surrounding areas. More than half of
3248-557: The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and smaller batteries were constructed further up the river in 1794. Tilbury continued to be an essential part of the capital's defences because of its control of the crossing point on the Thames, and the guns were upgraded with new traversing platforms; the Gravesend Volunteer Artillery was formed to man the forts on both sides of the river. During
3364-732: The Harris Federation and Ormiston Trust and the country's first cooperative academy trust. Since 2007, all secondary schools in Thurrock have had specialist school status. Some schools, such as William Edwards School and Orsett Heath Academy , utilise their right as specialist schools to select 10% of their pupils in specialist subject aptitude every year. Thurrock has no grammar schools , although Thurrock Council has tried to introduce them. Historically Thurrock had three grammar schools, Grays Thurrock School, Palmer's School for Boys and Palmer's School for Girls. In 1931,
3480-663: The Orsett Rural District : the Tilbury Urban District in 1912 covering the parish of Chadwell St Mary , and the Purfleet Urban District in 1929 covering the three parishes of Aveley , South Ockendon and West Thurrock . After 1929 the area therefore comprised four district-level authorities: one rural district, containing 13 civil parishes, and three urban districts: In 1936 the four districts were all abolished to create
3596-476: The Romans and Anglo-Saxons . Thurrock has numerous archaeological sites including the major excavation at Mucking . The name "Thurrock" is a Saxon name meaning "the bottom of a ship". Horndon-on-the-Hill was the site of an 11th century mint as well as the 15th century woolmarket which gives an indication of the area's wealth in the 15th century. The narrowing of the river where Tilbury now stands meant it
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3712-453: The Thames Gateway regeneration area, a corridor of opportunity that has been identified by central government as the area with greatest development and commercial potential in the country. Thurrock Development Corporation took over much of the borough's planning functions from its creation in 2005 until its demise in March 2011. Much of the population and commercial activity is centred along
3828-586: The Thurrock Adult Community College , Osborne Sixth Form and Ortu Sixth Form Centre Stanford & Corringham . The Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary Excellence Cluster brought together Chadwell St Mary Primary School, ORTU Corringham Primary School, Grays Convent High School, Hassenbrook Academy , Herringham Primary School, Landsdowne Primary School, Manor Infant School, Manor Junior School, St Mary's RC Primary School, Woodside Primary School and The Gateway Academy . Senior members of
3944-564: The Thurrock Urban District (subject to some minor boundary changes with surrounding areas, notably at North Ockendon). All the civil parishes within the area were merged at the same time to become a single parish called Thurrock. The present-day borough of Thurrock was created in on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering almost the same area as the former Thurrock Urban District, which
4060-526: The inter-war years , the government concluded that the fort was no longer militarily useful and there were unsuccessful attempts to sell it off for development. During the Second World War , the fort initially housed an improvised anti-aircraft operations room, controlling the defences of the Thames and Medway (North) Gun Zone between 1939 and 1940. Trenches were dug across the surrounding area to prevent an airborne attack. The enlisted barracks and
4176-431: The 1850s, the advent of steam ships meant that enemy vessels could sail up the Thames far more quickly than before, reducing the time available for forts to intercept them. Rifled guns and turret-mounted weapons and new armour-plating meant that enemy warships could fire on forts such as Tilbury from downstream more easily while being protected from their guns. Fears of a potential invasion by Napoleon III of France led to
4292-599: The 18th century and have been subject to considerable erosion and silting ; 12 of the original 14 gun positions on the West Line remain but only one of the East Line has survived. In between the lines is a quay, designed to allow the delivery of supplies from the Thames, and the remains of the tracks from the narrow gauge railway built during the First World War. A sluice gate in the south-west corner managed
4408-512: The 1950s, with further restoration work taking place during the 1970s ahead of the site opening to the public in 1983. The 17th-century defences are considered by the historian Paul Pattison to be the "best surviving example of their kind in Britain", and the fort includes the only surviving early 18th century gunpowder magazines in Britain. The first permanent fortification at Tilbury in Essex
4524-432: The 21st century, the fort is controlled by English Heritage and operated as a tourist attraction, receiving 16,154 visitors in 2014. The site is protected under UK law as a scheduled monument , with the officers' barracks a grade II* listed building . Tilbury Fort remains largely unaltered from its reconstruction in the late 17th century under the direction of Sir Bernard de Gomme, with some 19th century additions. It
4640-569: The Empire declaring an alliance against Henry in 1538, and the Pope encouraging the two countries to attack England. An invasion of England appeared certain. In response, Henry issued an order, called a " device ", in 1539, giving instructions for the "defence of the realm in time of invasion" and the construction of forts along the English coastline. The River Thames was strategically important, as
4756-574: The London docks, so Tilbury was used instead. Two large magazines were built, able to hold 3,600 barrels of powder each, and the old blockhouse and other buildings were converted to act as further magazines. Eventually the fort could hold more than 19,000 barrels of gunpowder. It was also used as a transit depot for soldiers and, after the Jacobite rising of 1745 , as a prison to hold 268 Highlander prisoners of war. The Jacobite prisoners were kept in
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4872-488: The Palmer's schools became public schools with boarding , reverting back to grammar school status in 1944 under voluntary control . Grays Convent High School was an independent day school from its formation until 1969. There were also two selective secondary technical schools , Grays County Technical High School which is now an academy status comprehensive and Aveley County Technical High School , which merged with
4988-480: The Palmer's schools in 1971 to form Palmer's College . Palmer's College, now one half of USP College , is Thurrock's local sixth form college for generalised further education , whilst the Thurrock Campus of South Essex College is the local sixth form college for vocational education . Palmer's also offers courses at higher education . Other institutions of further education in Thurrock include
5104-470: The Royal Opera House's Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop, The Backstage Centre and ACME artists' studios, Thurrock Museum and Walton Hall Farm Museum. Next to Lakeside Shopping Centre is Arena Essex , a former motor sports complex, where speedway, banger and stock car racing took place. This site is now to be redeveloped for housing. Being on the river and close to London, Thurrock
5220-414: The Thames and separated by a ring of defensive ramparts. The inner moat is 50 metres (160 ft) wide but relatively shallow and the banks have been repeatedly strengthened with piles to protect them from erosion. The fort is entered from the north through a triangular defensive work known as a redan , with a redoubt to defend the entrance. A causeway links the redan to the outer defences, which form
5336-520: The Thames was protected with a mutually reinforcing network of blockhouses at Gravesend , Milton , and Higham on the south side of the river, and West and East Tilbury on the opposite bank. West Tilbury Blockhouse, part of the inner line, was initially called the "Thermitage Bulwark", because it was on the site of a hermitage dissolved by the King in 1536. It was designed by James Nedeham and Christopher Morice , supported by three overseers; prior to
5452-492: The Thames: the former as the first port of call for foreign shipping bound for London, and the latter as a naval dockyard. There is archaeological evidence of Roman occupation. At the time, sea-levels had dropped, making the marshes habitable. There may well have been a Roman settlement on the site of what is now Tilbury Docks. In the 12th century the river, which had hitherto consisted of difficult channels with uncharted shoals ,
5568-401: The Tilbury and Gravesend forts under the command of a military governor, using them to control traffic entering London and to search for spies; it saw no military action during the war. Tilbury remained in use during the interregnum, having a garrison of three officers and sixty-six men in 1651. After Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, he began a wide-ranging programme of work on
5684-449: The age of 18 living with them, 72.7% were married couples living together, 52.5% of all households were made up of individuals, 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The median age in the borough was 42. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% of residents were between the ages of 19 and 24; 30.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 38.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
5800-663: The area: Thurrock Yacht Club is based in the centre of Grays on the Thames foreshore. It offers a range of competitive and recreational boating opportunities. The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Thurrock. Tilbury Fort Tilbury Fort , also known historically as the Thermitage Bulwark and the West Tilbury Blockhouse , is an artillery fort on
5916-537: The borough is designated as Green Belt . The neighbouring districts are the London Borough of Havering , Brentwood , Basildon and Castle Point . On the opposite side of the Thames are Gravesham and Dartford in Kent . Mammoths once grazed in the Thurrock area and archaeologists unearthed the remains of a jungle cat. Humans have lived in the area since prehistoric times and the land has been farmed by
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#17327718880516032-466: The borough, with the whole borough being an unparished area . The local authority is Thurrock Council . Elections are held in three years out of every four. Thurrock is covered by two parliamentary constituencies. Thurrock includes most of the borough while South Basildon and East Thurrock includes some wards in the east of the borough. Thurrock has a population of 175,500 people living in 90,500 homes. The Metropolitan Green Belt covers 70% of
6148-478: The borough. There are 494 acres (200 ha) of land available for industrial use. There are seven conservation areas , 19 scheduled monuments , including the dovecote at High House Purfleet , and 239 listed buildings . The borough contains ten Sites of Special Scientific Interest : Despite much of the borough being protected Green Belt land, Thurrock provides localised opportunities for further industrial and commercial development. The borough forms part of
6264-608: The capital during the English Civil War of the 1640s. Following naval raids during the Anglo-Dutch Wars , the fort was enlarged by Sir Bernard de Gomme from 1670 onwards to form a star-shaped defensive work, with angular bastions , water-filled moats and two lines of guns facing onto the river. In addition to protecting the Thames, in the 18th century Tilbury also began to be used as a transit depot and for storing gunpowder . It continued to be essential for
6380-463: The charity Gorkha Learning for Life, which was founded by a member of school staff. Thurrock is served by BBC London and ITV London with television signals are received from Crystal Palace TV transmitter, BBC South East and ITV Meridian can also be received from Bluebell Hill TV transmitter. Radio stations that broadcast to the area are: The area is served by these local newspapers: Thurrock has several Non-League football clubs in
6496-429: The city of London and the newly constructed royal dockyards of Deptford and Woolwich were vulnerable to seaborne attacks arriving up the estuary, which was a major maritime route, carrying 80 per cent of England's exports. At the mouth of the estuary, the Thames narrowed considerably, forming a natural hub for communications: the "Long Ferry" took passengers into the capital, and the " Cross Ferry " moved traffic across
6612-479: The city was 49.3% male and 50.6% female. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Thurrock at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling . Thurrock has been the scene of several major films. St Clement's Church and street scenes at West Thurrock were used in the making of the film Four Weddings and
6728-527: The classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit , can be found in Grays. There are a number of examples of Art Deco architecture in Thurrock. The baggage hall at Tilbury was opened in 1930. It has an art deco interior, designed by Sir Edwin Cooper and is a grade II listed building. The State cinema is also a listed building and dates from 1938. It is one of the few surviving examples of 1930s cinema architecture. It has
6844-454: The coastal defences. The Dutch fleet then attacked up the Thames in June 1667, but were deterred from going further for fear of the Tilbury and Gravesend fortifications. In reality, the forts were poorly prepared to resist a Dutch attack; at Tilbury there were only two guns ready for action. The Dutch struck the English fleet at Medway instead, giving enough time for the government to improve
6960-463: The commandant's horses. It now holds the Bernard Truss collection of military memorabilia. The north-east bastion was redesigned after 1868 and contains an earth-covered magazine, as well as emplacements for 9-inch (22 cm) rifled muzzle loading guns. On the north side of the parade are two early 18th century magazines, altered in the 19th century. These were specially designed to avoid
7076-485: The defence of the capital and a new artillery battery was added in the south-east corner during the Napoleonic Wars . The fort became decreasingly significant as a defensive structure as military technology developed in the 19th century. It was redeveloped to hold heavy artillery after 1868, providing a second line of defence along the river, but further changes in technology meant that it had become obsolete by
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#17327718880517192-418: The defences along the Thames and mount 80 guns on the forts. In the wake of the conflict, the King instructed his Chief Engineer, a Dutchman called Sir Bernard de Gomme , to develop Tilbury Fort's defences further. De Gomme prepared several plans for the King in 1665; a further iteration of the designs was submitted in 1670 and given royal approval. Work began the same year but it took until 1685 to complete
7308-456: The east; the following year there were reported to be 161 guns in total at the fort, although 92 of these were in poor repair and inoperable. In addition to its role in protecting the Thames, the fort had various military uses during the 18th century. From 1716 onwards, the Board of Ordnance began to use it as a gunpowder depot ; there were safety restrictions on moving gunpowder in and out of
7424-426: The end of Dunlop Road also hosted greyhounds between 1964 and 1967. Thurrock Thurrock ( / ˈ θ ʌr ə k / ) is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Essex , England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames immediately east of London and has over 18 miles (29 km) of riverfront including the Port of Tilbury , the principal port for London. Thurrock
7540-516: The end of the century. Instead Tilbury became a strategic depot, forming a logistical hub for storing and moving troops and materiel throughout the First World War . The fort had only a limited role in the Second World War and was demobilised in 1950. Tilbury Fort is now operated by the charity English Heritage Trust as a tourist attraction, receiving 16,154 visitors in 2014. Many of the more modern military features were demolished during
7656-481: The entrance from the north. Two gun lines of gun platforms, facing the river, stretched alongside either the side of the fort. The Henrician blockhouse was incorporated into the defences, but the Elizabethan earthworks were destroyed. The interior of the fort was raised up above the level of the marshes to prevent flooding, and barracks and other buildings were constructed inside. The writer John Evelyn praised
7772-630: The establishment Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom in 1859. The Commission reported the following year and recommended that new, more powerful forts be built further downstream, with defences such as Tilbury Fort forming a second-line of defence. Work began on strengthening Tilbury in 1868, under the direction of the then Captain Charles Gordon , focusing on adding heavier gun positions able to fire upstream to support
7888-456: The facilities block, as well as probably the sutler's house, were bombed and damaged, being demolished after the war. The fort was transferred out of military use relatively early in the post-war period, and in 1950 the Ministry of Works took over the site. Restoration work took place in the 1970, including the construction of replica wooden bridges. It was opened to the public in 1982. In
8004-527: The ferry between Tilbury and Gravesend, which was operated by Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Company and then by Jetstream Tours. Tilbury Town railway station is on the c2c ( London, Tilbury and Southend line ), providing services to London Fenchurch Street and Southend. Tilbury Riverside railway station was closed on 29 November 1992, although the railway still serves the nearby container depot. Local buses are operated by Ensignbus National Cycle Route 13 from London to Norfolk passes through
8120-400: The formation of Tilbury District Council (see below) the town was in a poor state, as it largely remained until 1918, when government funds were available to better the situation. Tilbury–Gravesend Ferry has operated from very early times. A sketch-map of 1571 shows evidence of two jetties, the one on the north bank leading to a northward road crossing the marsh. There are also houses marked on
8236-417: The fort and many of these were in poor condition. Thomas Hyde Page inspected Tilbury in 1788 and reported that the defences facing the Thames were seriously inadequate. As a consequence, a new battery was built in the south-east corner of the defences, armed with 32-pounders (14.5 kg) pointing down-river, and a new battery, New Tavern Fort , was built along the river to the east. Fears continued during
8352-471: The government decided that the Royal Navy and the forts downstream gave sufficient protection for the capital and removed the artillery, leaving only machine-guns in place. Tilbury continued to function as a mobilisation store and, after the outbreak of the First World War, it was used to house up to 300 transit soldiers and to supply the new army camps established at Purfleet and Belhus Mansion . It
8468-433: The gunpowder magazines and 45 died from typhus before they were sent on to London for trial. The living conditions at the fort were poor. It was surrounded by marshes, with a poor road network, and the garrison had to survive on collected rainwater . A trader called a sutler built a house inside the southern entrance, growing vegetables within the south-west bastion and enjoying an effective monopoly on selling food to
8584-531: The invasion scare of 1803, the Royal Trinity House Volunteer Artillery manned ten armed hulks placed across the river as a barrier at Tilbury. The size of the garrison varied during the first half of the century, but in 1830 the fort had space for 15 officers and 150 enlisted men. Despite the construction of a new range of facilities in 1809, the living conditions of the soldiers remained poor, with four men sharing each of
8700-400: The marsh itself, which became important for sheep grazing; and there is some evidence to suggest that the ferry was used for the cross-river transport of animals and wool. Although the 17th century drawing might suggest a boat too small for large consignments, the long-established Gravesend market encouraged such traffic, and a contemporary account suggests that one of the boats used was a hoy ,
8816-597: The nearby village of West Tilbury (see Speech to the Troops at Tilbury ). In 1852 an Act of Parliament had authorised the building of the London Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR), with a short spur to take advantage of the ferry over the Thames; a pier nearby was constructed for the steamboat traffic. The station was originally named Tilbury Fort and opened in 1854. The station was renamed Tilbury Riverside railway station in 1936. A few houses were built for
8932-411: The new fort as "a Royal work indeede". Further work after 1694 replaced the wooden gun platforms alongside the river with more durable stone equivalents. By the start of the 18th century, Tilbury Fort was one of the most powerful in Britain. The number of artillery guns varied; in 1715 there were 17 demi-cannon and 26 culverins mounted on the west gun platform, and 31 demi-cannons and one culverin on
9048-438: The new forts. The west, north-east and east bastions and the south-east curtain wall were altered to house thirteen rifled muzzle-loading guns , protected by brick walls, earthworks and iron shields. Initially 7-ton, 7-inch (7,112 kg, 17 cm) guns were deployed but these were upgraded to 9-inch (22 cm) weapons by 1888, supported by a heavier 25-ton, 11-inch (25,401 kg, 27 cm) gun. The old Tudor block-house
9164-494: The north bank of the River Thames in England. The earliest version of the fort, comprising a small blockhouse with artillery covering the river, was constructed by King Henry VIII to protect London against attack from France as part of his Device programme . It was reinforced during the 1588 Spanish Armada invasion scare, after which it was reinforced with earthwork bastion , and Parliamentary forces used it to help secure
9280-608: The original cinema organ which can still be played. However, in the early 21st century the building became disused and faced dereliction. In September 2015 it was announced that J D Wetherspoon had bought the property for conversion to a public house.( Building of the Bata Shoes estate in East Tilbury was begun in 1933, and this is now a conservation area.JD Wetherspoon have since put the State Cinema building up for sale after announcing they would no longer be converting it to
9396-424: The output of this factory constituted one third of the country's ration allocation, this led to a severe strain on the supply of margarine in the UK. Most schools in Thurrock were closed, either as a direct result of the flooding or in order to use them to help the relief effort. More than 1300 people in Tilbury and other low-lying areas were evacuated to schools on the higher ground. Chadwell St Mary Primary school
9512-433: The planned bastions at Tilbury, originally planned to face the river, was cancelled in 1681, in part to save money. The total cost of the project is unknown, but was significantly more than the original estimate of £47,000. The result was a large, five-sided, star-shaped fort with four angular bastions, revetted in brick, with an outer curtain of defences, including two moats and a redoubt ; two new gatehouses defended
9628-433: The project. The work was carried out by skilled contractors, who were supplemented by large teams of pressed men brought in from across the region; during 1671, up to 256 workers were employed on the site. Around 3,000 timber piles had to be brought from Norway for the project in 1671 to support the foundations in the marshy ground. The resources needed for the King's multiple defence projects became stretched, and one of
9744-465: The railway workers, but it was not until the construction of Tilbury Docks (see below) that there was any settlement worthy of a name. Whilst the docks were being built, the thousands of workers were either provided with temporary accommodation or had to commute from surrounding villages and towns. As a result of overcrowding, more permanent housing was built once the docks were completed, including tenement blocks; but these were poorly constructed, and until
9860-400: The river. This was also the first point that an invasion force would be able to easily disembark along the Thames, as before this point the mudflats along the sides of the estuary would have made landings difficult. Temporary defences had been constructed at Tilbury as early as the 14th and 15th centuries, although little is known about their design. Under the King's new programme of work,
9976-512: The riverfront. This includes many large and important industrial sites, including two large oil refineries, manufacturing industries, a container port, cruise liner terminal, distribution warehousing and one of Britain's largest refuse disposal sites at the appropriately named settlement of Mucking. Thurrock is also home to the Lakeside Shopping Centre . Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there
10092-534: The schools' councils also sat on the cluster's student council before its dissolution. ORTU Gable Hall School has had a long partnership with Pro Arte Alphen Park School in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa for almost 10 years – the two schools have held exchange programmes with each other and the students sampling life in each other's respective countries. Woodside Primary is linked with a school in Nepal , through
10208-457: The second blockhouse. The importance of the forts in defending the country continued through Napoleonic times and into the two world wars. The land where Tilbury Town now stands was farmland and marsh grazing until the building of the docks in the 1890s. Thurrock includes the Bata village , built for workers of the shoe company in 1933. Eight homes and the factory are listed. Historically, the area
10324-474: The soldiers. New barracks for the officers and enlisted men were rebuilt in 1772, but the officers often preferred to live across the river in the more urban setting of Gravesend, near the military headquarters there. A cricket match in 1776 between men from the Kentish and Essex sides of the Thames reportedly ended in bloodshed when guns were seized from the guardroom; newspapers recounted how an Essex man and
10440-401: The south, the fort is entered through the Water Gate. This two-storeyed gatehouse dates from the late 17th century with a monumental stone facade featuring carved displays of classical and 17th-century weapons; when first built, the now-empty niche at the front probably held a statue of King Charles II. The building originally acted a house for the master gunner. Most of the inside of the fort
10556-618: The south-west and along the Sussex coast, with a few more impressive works in the north of England, but in general the fortifications were very limited in scale. In 1533, Henry broke with Pope Paul III in order to annul the long-standing marriage to his wife, Catherine of Aragon , and remarry. Catherine was the aunt of Charles V , the Holy Roman Emperor, and he took the annulment as a personal insult. This resulted in France and
10672-843: The southern bank of the River Thames. Rail transport in the borough is provided by c2c with stations at: Bus services within the Thurrock urban area are mostly provided by Ensignbus . Other operators are First Essex, Stagecoach London and NIBS Buses. Thurrock has 55 schools; 39 of them are primary schools , 13 are secondary , two are special and one is alternative . All but one have free school or academy status , with Grays Convent High School instead having voluntary aided status. Five schools, including Grays Convent High School and four primary schools, are Catholic faith schools while two primary schools are Anglican faith schools. 44 schools in Thurrock are operated by one of 13 multi-academy trusts , which include major chains such as
10788-403: The southern part and Tilbury St Chad's in the north. As of May 2016 there are 3 Labour and 1 UKIP councillors. The Member of Parliament for Thurrock is Jackie Doyle-Price . Tilbury is on the north bank of the River Thames , where the river's meander has caused it to narrow to approximately 800 yards (730 metres) in width. The area to the north is one-time marshlands; to the north of that there
10904-422: The start of the 20th century to hold emplacements for four quick-firing guns and two 6-inch (15 cm) guns, with tunnels linking to an underground magazine. Four artillery pieces, dating from 1898 to 1942, are on display. Facing the parade ground are the officers' quarters, a terrace of houses probably dating in its current form to the late 18th century, with a stables at the northern end, originally used to hold
11020-450: The summer of 1588, however, there was a fresh threat of invasion by the Spanish Armada . An army was mobilised to protect the mouth of the estuary and emergency improvements to the fortifications at Tilbury Blockhouse were made by Robert Dudley , the Earl of Leicester . Queen Elizabeth I visited the fort by barge on 8 August 1588 and rode in procession to the nearby army camp, where she gave
11136-512: The town is the Gateway Academy, the main secondary school for Tilbury, Chadwell St Mary and the eastern parts of Grays, as well as the adjoining Gateway Primary Free School. Additionally, USP College (Palmers Campus) lies in east Grays near Tilbury. The Port of Tilbury handles a variety of bulk cargo, timber, cars and container traffic and remains, along with Southampton and Felixstowe , one of Britain's three major container ports. It
11252-454: The town. The Tilbury Band , dating from 1919, was among the leading brass bands in the UK. Notable people who have had some connection with Tilbury include: football players, John Evans (1929–2004), and Tom Scannell (1925–1994); Noel Betowski , artist, was born there in 1952; Thomas Horrocks Openshaw (1856–1929), a consultant surgeon at Tilbury Hospital; and actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje whose being raised there by foster parents
11368-613: The traditional parish and civil parish of Chadwell St Mary , which reached south to the River Thames. The parish of Tilbury Docks was established in 1903 and the Tilbury Urban District Council (UDC) in 1912; it merged with Thurrock UDC in 1936. This in turn became a borough in 1984 and then the Thurrock Unitary Authority in 1998. There are two wards covering the town, each served by two councillors: Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park for
11484-428: The two-bed rooms in the barracks, and no running water on the site. During the 19th century, a pump was installed to bring water up from a well 178 metres (584 ft) below the surface. Nationwide investigations into the standard of Army barracks during 1857 led to investment in better facilities at Tilbury; piped water was run into the site in 1877, and improved amenities and sanitation were installed after 1880. By
11600-479: The use of iron, which might have generated sparks and set off an explosion, instead being built using wood and copper; they are the only remaining examples of their type in Britain. The Landport Gate lies behind the magazines, and has a gatehouse, called the Dead House, above the passageway leading into the interior of the fort. Past the north-west bastion, the soldiers' barracks would have stood opposite those of
11716-459: The water in the moats, and allowed them to be drained completely should the surfaces begin to freeze over in winter and provide an advantage to any attackers. To the west of the outer defences is the World's End pub, originally the local ferry house, dating from 1788. The inner defences largely follow a pentagonal design, with four defensive bastions positioned around a central parade ground . From
11832-407: The work, the estimated cost had been given as £211, allowing for stone, timber, 150,000 bricks and 200 tonnes (200 long tons; 220 short tons) of chalk. The D-shaped blockhouse was curved at the front, with two storeys of gun-ports , and probably had additional gun platforms stretching along the river on either side of it; ancillary buildings were placed at the rear and the whole site was protected by
11948-434: Was a lower-tier district authority, with Essex County Council providing county-level services. Thurrock was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998, taking over the county-level services. Thurrock remains part of the ceremonial county of Essex for the purposes of lieutenancy . There is only one tier of local government in Thurrock, being the unitary authority of Thurrock Council . There are no civil parishes in
12064-422: Was abolished, with just a minor change on the border with Basildon to place the whole designated area for Basildon new town in that district. The civil parish of Thurrock was also abolished as part of the reforms and the area became an unparished area . The reformed Thurrock district was given borough status at the same time, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. Until 1998 Thurrock
12180-422: Was at peace with France and Spain and as a result the coastal defences received little attention; surveys reported multiple problems with Tilbury Fort including flooding caused by the estuary tides, and ferry passengers and animals making their way uninvited into the fort. In 1642 civil war broke out between the supporters of King Charles I and those of Parliament . Tilbury was controlled by Parliament, who placed
12296-660: Was built as a consequence of international tensions between England, France and the Holy Roman Empire in the final years of the reign of King Henry VIII . Traditionally the Crown had left coastal defences to the local lords and communities, only taking a modest role in building and maintaining fortifications, and while France and the Empire remained in conflict with one another, maritime raids were common but an actual invasion of England seemed unlikely. Basic defences, based around simple blockhouses and towers, existed in
12412-449: Was changed by the process of embanking the river and enclosing areas of marsh. This improved the river's flow, and also resulted in improved land resources on the marsh. It was nevertheless an unhealthy place in which to live; Daniel Defoe , who, in 1696, operated a tile and brick factory in the Tilbury marshes and lived in a nearby house, wrote about " the Essex ague ". In 1588 Queen Elizabeth I came ashore here to review her main army at
12528-494: Was designed in a predominantly Dutch style, with a ring of outer and inner defences intended to allow the fort to attack hostile warships, while being protected from attack from the land. The heritage agency Historic England describes it as "England's most spectacular" example of a late 17th-century fort, and the historian Paul Pattison considers the defences the "best surviving example of their kind in Britain". The outer defences comprise outer and inner water-filled moats, fed by
12644-408: Was designed to cross-fire with a similar structure at New Tavern, Gravesend. During the Armada campaign (1588), the fort was reinforced with earthworks and a palisade, and a boom of chains , ships' masts and cables was stretched across the Thames to Gravesend, anchored by lighters. The fort was rebuilt under Charles I and is now owned by English Heritage . Until 1903, the marshland area was part of
12760-403: Was destroyed to make way for the new guns. Naval and defensive technology continued to improve over the next few decades, rendering Tilbury Fort's bastion design out-moded. The government considered the defences further down the Thames to be sufficient and Tilbury was therefore not improved; it was largely redundant as a defensive fortification by the end of the century, although still in use as
12876-409: Was displayed in Thurrock. He had been convicted of piracy and hanged on 23 May 1701, at ' Execution Dock ', Wapping . His body was gibbeted — left to hang in an iron cage over the Thames at Tilbury Point — as a warning to future would-be pirates for twenty years. Some sources give the location where his body was exhibited as Tilbury Ness, but this may be an alternative name for the same place. There
12992-517: Was important in the defence of London , and Henry VIII built three blockhouses, two on the Tilbury side and another on the Gravesend side of the river, following the end of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon . In 1381, villagers from Fobbing , Mucking and Stanford-le-Hope instigated the Peasants' Revolt when they were called to Brentwood to pay the poll tax . When they refused to pay,
13108-509: Was initially manned by the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers until 1916, and by various reserve units for the rest of the war. The fort itself was used to store munitions while a depot for remounts was built just to the west; a pontoon bridge was built across the Thames for troop movements, guarded by the fort's guns. Until 1917, also used to house the headquarters of several infantry battalions. Electric lighting
13224-548: Was installed, and a narrow-gauge railway and a steam crane on the quay were added to help to move material in and out of the fort. After the Zeppelin raids of June 1915, anti-aircraft guns and searchlights mounted at the fort and they played a role in the shooting down of the German Navy Zeppelin, L15 , although it is disputed as to which site in the area fired the shell that brought down the airship. During
13340-704: Was renowned for mineral extraction, including clay, aggregates and notably the digging of huge amounts of chalk from the West Thurrock area for use in the now defunct cement industries. When chalk extraction ceased one of the disused pits was redeveloped as Lakeside Shopping Centre. A number of former pits have been used to form the Chafford Gorges Nature Reserve, managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. The body of Captain Kidd
13456-484: Was used as the main welfare centre for the homeless. By 15 February, most schools had returned to normal. The last to resume were the Landsdowne school in Tilbury and the newly opened Woodside Primary School – then called Tyrell Heath School. On Friday 13 February, the flooded areas were visited by the young Queen Elizabeth II Despite severe loss of life in nearby Canvey Island , only one person in Thurrock died as
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