End of Tenancy Cleaning Grays RM17

Grays is the largest town in the borough of Thurrock in Essex. It is sometimes called Grays Thurrock. The name Grays comes from Henry de Grai who descends from the Norman knight Anchetil de Greye. He is the founder of the House of Grey. King Richard I gave Henry de Grai the manor of Grays Thurrock. The second element of the name is a Saxon word which means bottom of a ship. This RM17 area features in Samuel Pepys’s diaries. He mentions a visit here on 24 September 1665.

The former State Cinema is one of the local buildings of interest. The 1939 building is a Grade II listed structure. When it was opened the cinema was one of the most modern of its time. It was equipped with air conditioning. With 2,200 seats, it was the largest cinema in Essex. It closed in 1988. The building hosted a nightclub and, since 2019, it is being repurposed into a pub. This Grays cinema featured in movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Lipstick on Your Collar, Chicago Joe and the Showgirl, and Jamiroquai’s music video Deeper Underground.

The Dell is another famous building in Grays. It was one of the first concrete houses in the UK. It was built for scientist Alfred Russel Wallace who lived in this part of East London for a few years. Other notable people from Grays include famous English comedian and actor Russell Brand who was born here, actor Ian Abercrombie who portrayed Palpatine in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, professional footballer Chris Cohen, actor and comedian Joe Pasquale, and singer Louisa Johnson. Sailing a favorite pastime for Grays residents. Thurrock Yacht Club and Grangewaters are local sailing facilities. The railway station was established in 1854 and it was originally called Grays Thurrock. The Palmers F.C who plays in Sunday league is based in this area.