Stanford-le-Hope is a town and Church of England parish situated in the county of Essex, England. Often known locally simply as Stanford, the town is within the unitary authority of Thurrock and located 23.8 miles east of Charing Cross in London. Its principal claim to fame is that Joseph Conrad lived and wrote there. Unlike some other areas of Thurrock, Stanford-le-Hope is surrounded by countryside and farmland.
Geography
Stanford-le-Hope is bordered to the north by the A13 road and to the south by the Thames Estuary. It is located 12.7 miles west of Southend-on-Sea. The town centre has a village feel with its 800-year-old church, St Margarets making a prominent and attractive landmark around which shops, pubs and restaurants have grown to create a lively core to the town. As Stanford-le-Hope grows in size, it has started to incorporate neighbouring settlements such as Corringham, Mucking and Fobbing, the latter of which was the scene of one of the uprisings which led to the Peasants' Revolt. The River Hope, a tributary of the Thames, runs through the town. Locally there are a number of parks and nature reserves, notably Thurrock Thameside Nature Reserve, with a visitor centre providing views up and down the Thames across both industrial and natural landscapes including the Mucking Flats SSSI. In 2014, a group of residents led a restoration project which raised funds to finance a restoration of the war memorial, as part of the commemoration of the 1914-1919 conflict in Europe.
Transport and Industry
The town is served by Stanford-le-Hope railway station. The town is home to many commuters working in London, thanks to its proximity to the capital and its c2c-operated London, Tilbury and Southend Railway rail connections. Until 1999 the town benefitted from two refineries located on the nearby Thames, Shell Haven and Coryton. The Shell site ceased operating in 1999 and has been redeveloped as the London Gateway deepwater container port with attendant logistics and commercial development. Coryton refinery ceased to operate in 2013, demolition of the process units continues and the site is now under redevelopment as a Fuels Storage and Distribution Terminal in a joint venture between Greenergy and Shell as well as an enterprise zone. Many residents also travel along the nearby A13 to work in the Lakeside Shopping Centre, as well as the industrial and commercial businesses along the north bank of the Thames running west towards the Port of London.
