The Church of St Peter and St Paul was largely rebuilt in 1846; it also preserves a north tower and a south chapel dating from the 13th century. Features include a chancel screen and a 16th-century font, medieval tiles and a brass monument dating from 1510. The church thus brings together different periods: medieval building elements, the 19th-century rebuilding and features from later centuries. The rebuilding date is therefore one stage in a building history that reaches back to the Middle Ages.
Churches, listed architecture and theatre
The White Hart in Grays also combines a protected status with a building history: the building is Grade II listed. Built in 1938, it was specifically designed to replace an earlier building of the same name on the same site. Two aspects of the town’s history therefore sit side by side: the listed status and the construction of a new building on the site of its predecessor.
The Thameside Theatre offers an extensive programme of performances throughout the year. If you plan to attend a show, you can buy tickets online or by phone through the theatre box office. Check the performance dates in advance if you want the programme to determine when you visit the theatre.
Park history and chalk landscape
Grays Town Park dates from the late Victorian period. Its design includes ornamental flower beds and an eastern boundary laid out with boulders. The beds and landscaped boundary offer tangible clues to the park’s historic design. In 1887, the landowner James Theobald handed Grays Park over to the people of Thurrock.
Grays Gorge, formerly known as Grays Chalk Quarry, is a large historic chalk quarry with good exposures of Upper Cretaceous strata. Its former name points to the history of the chalk quarry, while the exposures draw attention to the geological character of the landscape. As well as its architectural and park history, Grays therefore offers a distinct point of interest for travellers interested in geology.
On foot or by bike
There are two different route options to consider when planning your trip. A coastal path runs from Coalhouse Fort in East Tilbury to Grays. Route 137 is entirely traffic-free and connects to local cycle paths that continue to Chafford Hundred and run alongside Grays Chalk Quarry Nature Reserve. The route descriptions have different focuses: the coastal path names Coalhouse Fort and Grays as its endpoints, while Route 137 highlights its traffic-free route and connections to other cycle paths.
You can decide whether to include a walking route between two places or a traffic-free cycle route with local connections in your travel plans. The routes answer different questions and do not need to be combined into a single route: the coastal path leads to Grays, while Route 137 provides connections towards Chafford Hundred and runs alongside the nature reserve.
Plan your hotel search around your travel interests
Discover more destinations: Aveley, Horndon On The Hill, South Ockendon, Tilbury, Linford, West Thurrock, Purfleet, Stanford-Le-Hope.
For the broader travel overview: Thurrock.
