Location and place
Thurrock covers 165 square kilometres, of which 70% is greenbelt land, 18 miles of river frontage and a rapidly growing population. With good connectivity via the A13 and C2C railway line Thurrock is only half an hour’s journey from central London.
Thurrock’s larger towns are predominantly in the south, including Grays, Corringham, Purfleet-on-Thames and Tilbury, with rural villages in the north (Orsett, Bulphan and Horndon-on-the Hill).
Three international ports bring trade to the area, to London and the rest of the UK (including a Freeport area). Thurrock has 10 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), 14 ancient woodlands and 28 parks and open spaces. It has 2 historic forts, 3 leisure centres, 10 libraries, a museum and a theatre. It is also home to Lakeside, one of the largest, single location retail areas within Europe.
Homes and houses
According to the Valuation Office, there were 70,365 dwellings in Thurrock as at September 2025.
Thurrock has a stock of 10,000 council houses, including 1,200 sheltered and extra care homes.
House price information below is from the Land Registry UK House Price Index. Other information comes from the national census of 2021.
| Housing status | Thurrock | East region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner-occupier | 64% | 66.2% | 62.3% |
| Rented from the council or housing association | 17.7% | 15.5% | 17.1% |
| Rented privately | 18.3% | 18.3% | 20.6% |
| Average house prices, all types, as at July 2025 | £324,258 | £337,650 | £291,852 |
Heritage
Thurrock’s history is integral to local, regional and national culture and identities. Much of Thurrock’s heritage is directly linked to its position on the River Thames.
Thurrock has 2 historic forts:
- Tilbury Fort where Queen Elizabeth I gave her famous "heart of a king" speech whilst amassing the fleet to face the Spanish Armada in 1588
- Coalhouse Fort which was completed in 1874
Tilbury Docks, opened in 1886 to relieve maritime pressure in London, has played a role in many historic events including both world wars and receiving the Empire Windrush in 1948 bringing hundreds of Caribbean migrants to help rebuild post-war Britain, with new cultural traditions - music, food, language and spiritual - that would become woven into British life.
Fast forward to the 2020s and the Port of Tilbury still has a pivotal role alongside London Gateway port (built on the former Shell Haven oil refinery in Corringham) as part of the Thames Freeport connecting Thurrock to approximately 130 ports in over 65 countries.
The first Dartford Tunnel under the River Thames was opened in 1963 linking Thurrock to Kent, with a second tunnel in 1980 and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in 1991. These river crossings created a vital transport link for the south-east, supported by the opening of the M25 in 1986.
Thurrock has many more stories from history that you can learn about at Thurrock Museum.