Aveley

Aveley is a small town within the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England, and forms one of its traditional Church of England parishes. It is a suburb of London located 16.3 miles (26.2 km) east of Charing Cross in London and within the eastern bounds of the M25 motorway. In 2019 it had an estimated population of 9461.[1]

This article is about the town in England. For the suburb in Western Australia, see Aveley, Western Australia.

Aveley

St Michael's, Aveley
Aveley
Location within Essex
Area1.64 km2 (0.63 sq mi)
Population9,461 (2019 estimate)
• Density5,769/km2 (14,940/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTQ565805
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSOUTH OCKENDON
Postcode districtRM15
Dialling code01708
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

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 West Thurrock.

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.[2]

In Domesday the name has various spellings – Alvithelea, Alvileia and Alvilea.[3] The name means Aelfgyth's wood clearing.[4] A variation, in 1418, is Alvythele.[5]

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

Notable people

Historic buildings

St Michael's Church

The parish church of St Michael is a Grade 1 listed building dating from the 12th century.[8] 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.[9]

Other listed buildings

Grade 2*[8]

  • Brett's Farmhouse
  • Sir Henry Gurnett public house

Grade 2[8]

  • 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

The Old Ship public house at 58 High Street is on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.[10]

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.

Communications

The nearest railway stations are:

Notes
  1. "Aveley". City Population De. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  2. Nick Ashton: Early Humans, New Naturalist series (London: HarperCollins, 2017), pp. 168–70.
  3. Christopher Harrold (Editor), Exploring Thurrock (Thurrock Local History Society, 2008)
  4. James Kemble, Essex Place-Names (Historical Publications, 2007)
  5. Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; National Archives: CP 40/629; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H5/CP40no629/aCP40no629fronts/IMG_0489.htm; first entry
  6. Thurrock Local History Society
  7. Lewis, Frank (1976). Essex and Suger. Philimore. p. 51.
  8. "Appendix 7 to Thurrock Development Plan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2012.
  9. "St Michael's, Aveley".
  10. Brandwood, Geoff (2013). Britain's best real heritage pubs. St. Albans: CAMRA. p. 39. ISBN 9781852493042.
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