Aveley is a town and former civil parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England, and forms one of the traditional Church of England parishes. Aveley is 16 miles (26.2 km) east of Charing Cross. In 2019 it had an estimated population of 9,461.[1] In 1931 the parish had a population of 2003.[2]

Aveley
St Michael's, Aveley
Aveley Location within Essex
Area	1.64 km2 (0.63 sq mi)
Population	9,461 (2019 estimate)
• Density	5,769/km2 (14,940/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TQ565805
Unitary authority	Thurrock
Ceremonial county	Essex
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SOUTH OCKENDON
Postcode district	RM15
Dialling code	01708
Police	Essex
Fire	Essex
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	Thurrock
List of places UK England Essex 51.50177°N 0.25339°E / 51.50177; 0.25339

Position

Aveley is located on the very edge of Greater London and is roughly bounded to the north and west by the London Borough of Havering, to the south by the A13 road and to the east by the M25 motorway. The nearest places are Purfleet, South Ockendon, Wennington and Rainham.

Prehistory and history

Aveley has given its name to the Aveley Interglacial period around 200,000 years ago. Important evidence of the local flora and fauna of the period and some signs of occupation by Neanderthal humans have been found there.[3]

In Domesday the name has various spellings – Alvithelea, Alvileia and Alvilea.[4] The name means Aelfgyth's wood clearing.[5] A variation, in 1418, is Alvythele.[6]

After the Second World War the population grew rapidly as the area absorbed London overspill.

On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished to form Thurrock.[7]

Notable people

• Martina Cole, the crime writer, was brought up in Aveley
• Alice Diehl (née Mangold), the novelist and concert pianist, was born in Aveley.[8]
• Robert W. Gibson, English-American architect, born in Aveley in 1854.
• Kate Evelyn Luard, Royal Red Cross and bar was born in Aveley vicarage.
• John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, lived in Aveley, which was the home of his father's second wife.[9]

Historic buildings

St Michael's Church

The parish church of St Michael is a Grade I listed building dating from the 12th century.[10][11] It contains a 14th-century memorial brass to Radulphus de Knevynton, which is echoed in the arms of the Thurrock unitary authority. The church was declared unsafe in the 19th century, with the recommendation that it should be pulled down. However, this was averted by its parishioners, who raised £1,000 to save it.[12]

Other listed buildings

Grade II*[10]

• Brett's Farmhouse
• Sir Henry Gurnett public house

Grade II[10]

• 79, High Street
• Crown and Anchor public house
• Park Corner House
• 54 and 56 High Street
• Courts Farm, Park Lane
• Court's Farmhouse barn
• Brett's Farmhouse barn
• Aveley Hall

The Old Ship public house at 58 High Street is on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.[13]

Demographics

According to Thurrock Council, the ward of Aveley and Uplands had a population of 8,381 people in 2001.

Sport

Aveley is the home of non-League football club Aveley, which plays at Parkside. It was also home of now defunct Thurrock, who played at Ship Lane.

Belhus golf course is located in Aveley near the site of the former Belhus Mansion. Much of the remaining land from Belhus forms the Belhus Woods Country Park.

Transport

The nearest railway stations are:

• Chafford Hundred railway station
• Ockendon railway station
• Purfleet railway station

It is also within reach of the M25 Motorway.

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aveley.

• History of Aveley in 1863 Whites Directory
• Historic photos of Aveley
• Aveley in the Domesday Book