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The first mention of this RM18 area comes from the 8th century. St Bede’s History of the English Church mentions a St Cedd church at Tilaburg. Tidal marshland surrounded the location of the East Tilbury church in Saxon times. This area was in the Orsett Rural District for 42 years starting with 1894. It is part of the Thurrock Urban District since 1936. East Tilbury started to develop back in the 1930s thanks to the construction of the Bata Shoes Factory. Arts administrator Sir John Tusa’s father was the director of the factory. He was one of the many Czech people who came here to work for Bata Shoes. In addition to the factory, the company also built homes to accommodate the workers and paid for the platforms of the railway station.
Coalhouse Fort was constructed on the bank of the River Thames in East Tilbury in the 1860s. It later became an active part of London’s defense system (including World War II). The building is a notable example of a mid-Victorian armored fort. Even now, it is in great condition. All 12 original casemates still stand and have most of their original features. The fort featured in the 2005 Batman Begins movie. The director Christopher Nolan decided to use this location after he saw the episode featuring the fort from the BBC series Restoration. Coalhouse Fort was used as a storage unit by Bata Shoes.
East Tilbury railway station serves this East London area. It was established in 1936 as a response to the opening of the Bata Shoes factory. The station connects this area to Tilbury Town and Stanford-le-Hope. Nibs Buses route 374 passes through East Tilbury. It will be problematic to find a shopping center in the area. The closest ones are situated in Lakeside and Basildon. Gobions Park may have borrowed the name of Sir Richard Gobion.