Grays, Essex
The title of this article is ambiguous. For other meanings, see Grays (disambiguation).
51.47250.3247222222Coordinates: 51° 28′ N, 0° 19′ E
Grays is the largest town in the East of England Unitary Authority of Thurrock in Essex. It lies east of London on the north bank of the River Thames and has a population of around 73,000. The town was the seat of the important baronial family of the Greys, who bore the epithet of Codnor and who were members of the English peerage from 1299.
The main arterial road in the town is London Road, which connects Grays with Lakeside Shopping Centre and with Purfleet. The town lies on the M25 London motorway ring road, which passes under the River Thames in a tunnel to the west of the town. Grays is also linked to London by the A13 and by a railway line.
Grays is home to the football club Grays Athletics F.C. The town is also known for the Fat Surfer, where music events are performed every Friday. Places of interest include the Thameside Theatre and the Thurrock History Museum.
On 23 October 2019, the bodies of 31 men and eight women from Vietnam were found in Grays in a refrigerated lorry registered in Bulgaria. They are believed to have been victims of human trafficking and smuggling into the UK. The driver of the truck was arrested and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in court in London in early April 2020. On 26 May 2020, 26 other suspects, mostly Vietnamese, were arrested in France and Belgium.
Personalities
- Russell Brand (* 1975), comedian, presenter, singer and actor
- Phil Davis (* 1953), actor
- Michelle Harrison (* 1979), youth writer
- Michael Rowland OFM (1929-2012), Franciscan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Dundee in South Africa.
