Thurrock

Learners based at our Thurrock Campus will discover that the area is rich in history and culture with no shortage of fun things to do and see. Thurrock is also home to Lakeside Shopping Centre and is less than 30 minutes by train to London.

Thurrock in numbers

The Borough boasts huge swathes of green belt country and along its 18 miles (29km) of Thames frontage are many important marshland wildlife habitats. Thurrock also boasts:

For more information about Thurrock visit www.thurrock.gov.uk.

Entertainment

Each year sees a variety of exciting festivals taking place across Thurrock. T-Fest is held on Grays beach in July and is always a colourful spectacle that fuses together traditional and contemporary music styles.

Blackshots Fields in Grays hosts The Big Weekend at the start of August and features a massive live stage that plays host to bands and DJs. There is also a traditional fairground carousel and a Ferris Wheel.

Motorsport enthusiasts will love Arena Essex which regularly hosts speedway, banger and stock car racing events. Football fans can watch Grays Athletic football club in action.

Shopping

West Thurrock is home to the Lakeside Shopping Centre and its surrounding retail outlets, one of the largest shopping areas in a single location within Europe.

Attractions

There are two multiplex cinemas attached to the Lakeside Shopping Centre, and the Thameside Theatre in Grays. Live music and comedy shows are held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet. Open space includes Langdon Hills Country Park and Grove House Wood, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust. Museums and historic buildings include Coalhouse Fort, Tilbury Fort, Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre, Thurrock Museum and Walton Hall Farm Museum.

Wining and dining

With over 100 pubs and restaurants in the area, including gastro and traditional style pubs and restaurants serving everything from American to Thai, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to wining and dining.

Art and Culture

Thurrock Museum Gallery is housed within the Thameside Complex along with the Thameside Theatre and Thurrock Main Library in Orsett Road, Grays. Here you can explore the history of Thurrock through 40 permanent display cases and 20 temporary display cases, containing over 1,500 objects, interpreting 250,000 years of Thurrock’s past. The College maintains a close working relationship with the Royal Opera House and the new £60 million state-of-the-art Production Park in Purfleet will be a much valued resource for learners on our Textiles and Fashion foundation degree.