EXPLORING THURROCK edited by Christopher Harrold (Thurrock Local History Society 2nd edn. 2008 60pp ISBN 978-0-9558352-1-6) £7+60p p&p
This book is an excellent guide to the local history of part of south Essex, with some 22 parishes described in such a way that a visitor could follow a route taking in all local points of interest. Some of these are relatively well-known, such as Tilbury and Coalhouse Forts, but others less so, for example Vange Well, a reminder of the springs with medicinal properties which were briefly exploited in the early part of the twentieth century. The places are described, often in considerable detail, including nuggets of information which help to turn a gazetteer into a fascinating read for anyone wishing to visit the area, recalling vanished buildings and explaining why certain roads are named as they are.
This second edition is enhanced by the inclusion of a very readable short history of Thurrock by Jonathan Catton, the heritage and museum officer at Thurrock Museum, which provides an excellent background to the detailed content which follows. Unfortunately, it was decided to remove the bibliography of sources of much of the information collected in the guide, although reference is made to publications in which these details can be found, as well as to the society’s website, www.thurrock-community.org.uk/historysoc. Perhaps this could be reconsidered in a future addition, since the lack of a bibliography does have an impact on the scholarly interest of the book.
The book includes some hand-drawn sketch maps of various locations as well as a map showing the 22 parishes covered. Unfortunately a few of the maps, particularly those where a lot of street names are included, are not very clear and some of the names are hard to read. The book would have benefited from a map showing the location of Thurrock within Essex as a whole. It is illustrated by a number of charming line drawings of buildings and artefacts but photographs are limited to the cover. A few photographs to illustrate points made in the text would have made the book even more interesting.
For anyone wishing to explore the local history of the Thurrock area, this book would provide an excellent guide. It provides a vade mecum for both local residents and visitors alike keen to find out more about the local history, past residents and incidents of interest in this under-visited area of southern Essex.
HILARY WALKER
Hilary Walker is a part time Ph.D. student in the School of History at the University of East Anglia, with a particular interest in the lives of artisans in the eighteenth century. |
