In Grays: Thurrock Museum and one other place worth a visit
Grays and its surroundings hold 5 museums, 2 castles and 2 piers. The built-up area itself has 2 places on our list; 9 others are within 5 km of its edge. In heritage care, one place on the list is looked after by English Heritage. 2 of the places on the list are within 1 km of the middle of town. For a full day, there is British Museum, 32 km away.
Top of the list in Grays
2 castles, a museum and a fort follow Thurrock Museum.
Fort · English HeritageTilbury Fort2.4 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleStone Castle3.5 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleNew Tavern Fort3.3 km outside town, to the southeast
PierGravesend town pier2.8 km outside town, to the southeastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
How they lie
To the southeast lie most of the 9 nearby.
The dashed line is Grays’ built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
What they are
Museums or galleries number 5, castles or historic places 3.
Green: inside Grays. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Tilbury Fort).
Place after place
11 places in all: 2 in town and 9 within 5 km of its edge.
The 2 inside Grays come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
11 listed buildings are on Grays’ History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Grays →
Day trips from Grays
The standout of the 12 is British Museum, 32 km from town.
Big drawMuseumBritish Museum32 km west · 5.8M visitors a year (2023)
Big drawCastleTower of London28 km west · 2.7M visitors a year (2016)
Cathedral · English HeritageWestminster Abbey32 km west
Historic houseBuckingham Palace33 km west
AttractionElizabeth Tower32 km west
Big drawArt galleryNational Gallery32 km west · 709K visitors a year (2021)
AttractionLondon Eye31 km westMuseumMuseumRoyal Observatory Greenwich23 km west
CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral30 km west
Big drawArt galleryTate Modern30 km west · 1.2M visitors a year (2021)
MuseumMadame Tussauds34 km west
Big drawMuseumVictoria and Albert Museum35 km west · 858K visitors a year (2021)Places well known beyond Grays (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Grays: questions and answers
What are the main attractions in Grays?
The best known inside Grays’ built-up area are Thurrock Museum and Essex Fire Museum. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 9 more within 5 km.
Does Grays have a museum?
5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Grays: Thurrock Museum, Essex Fire Museum, Cold War Bunker and Milton Chantry.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Grays?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Grays, 1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Tilbury Fort).
What are the best-known days out near Grays?
Within 40 km: British Museum (32 km), Tower of London (28 km), Westminster Abbey (32 km), Buckingham Palace (33 km).
Where are Grays’ historic buildings listed?
Grays has 11 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Grays when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (15)
- Tilbury Fort: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stone Castle: Ken Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- New Tavern Fort: Prioryman, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gravesend town pier: Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- British Museum: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tower of London: Bob Collowan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Westminster Abbey: Σπάρτακος, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Buckingham Palace: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Elizabeth Tower: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Gallery: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- London Eye: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Paul's Cathedral: Mark Fosh, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tate Modern: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Madame Tussauds: Citizen59, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Victoria and Albert Museum: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.