Location
Little Thurrock is on the north bank of the river Thames, about east of London. It was originally a separate settlement, but housing and other developments in the 20th century have resulted in a continuous built up area with Grays, of which Little Thurrock is now a part.Geology and ecology
The southern part of Little Thurrock was formerly a tidal saltmarsh. The higher, northern area is part of a terrace extending for some miles east and west – a rich source of both gravel and chalk deposits which have been extracted for centuries. The gravel workings include the Globe Pit which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and the location of many archaeological finds from the Clactonian period. Around Hangman's Wood andHistory
Thurrock is a Saxon name meaning "the bottom of a ship". Little Thurrock is one of three "Thurrocks", the others being West Thurrock and Grays Thurrock. Historically, Little Thurrock was also called East Thurrock and Grays Thurrock was also called Great Thurrock. The parish church is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin. The original building probably dates from 1170.Tony Benton, ''Boldly from the marshes'' (Thurrock Museum, 1991) The church was extensively restored in Victorian times. On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished to form Thurrock.Schools
Little Thurrock has a number of schools, including Woodside Academy, a campus of Thurrock Special School and the Thurrock campus ofWoodside Academy
Woodside Academy admits up to 90 children a year. There are two part time nursery classes, each for up to 30 children; one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and a breakfast club and after school club giving extended provision from 7.15 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The school is responsible for admissions to the nursery classes while Thurrock Council deals with admissions for the rest of the school. Children can start in the reception class in September of the year they are five and at the same time in one of the nursery classes a year earlier. Children need to be 3 years old, at the beginning of the term, to start in the nursery. With a long established sporting tradition in recent years the school has developed matching provision in the arts and children have regular opportunities to work with professionals from the arts world. Projects have included Chance to Dance with the Royal Ballet, Shakespeare Schools Festival,Local politics
There are two wards that cover Little Thurrock – Rectory Ward and Blackshots Ward, each with two councillors.Little Thurrock – Rectory
* Rob Gledhill,Little Thurrock – Blackshots
* Ben Maney, Conservative (elected 6 September 2001) * Joycelyn Redsell, Conservative (elected 17 June 2004)Notes
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