It’s full of friendly and welcoming people
Stanford-Le-Hope(Image: Google)
Essex has a town for everyone to live in, regardless of if you’re looking for a bustling commuter city or a quiet little village. One Essex area has the best of both worlds – a train station that gets you to London in 45 minutes alongside pretty homes and lots of local businesses.
Stanford-le-Hope is a historic town in Thurrock, located roughly 24 miles east of central London. With a population of around 29,500, it functions largely as a residential commuter town but is well-known for its deep historical roots, local businesses and rural surroundings.
It’s got plenty of green spaces, as it borders the wider Thames Estuary and is situated right next to the beautiful Thurrock Thameside Nature Reserve. Locals also benefit from the large green spaces of One Tree Hill Country Park.
Stanford also has plenty of independent businesses, such as the popular Hope Coffee and plenty of local pubs. It also has King Street Bakery, a traditional High Street bakery serving freshly baked rolls, crusty bread, and sweet treats like Belgian buns.
One thing people love about the area is its great commuter links. Stanford is on the c2c line, meaning you can get to central London quickly and efficiently.
EssexLive spoke with some local businesses to find out what they thought about the area as part of our Exploring Essex series. People have praised the area’s ‘community feel’ and ‘welcoming people’.
‘A real community feel’
Beverly co-owns Hope Coffee in Stanford-Le-Hope with her partner Cole, and has lived in the area for 12 years. She moved to Stanford after her mum passed away, as her mum used to work in a church opposite Hope Coffee.
The countertops in Hope Coffee are made out of material from the old church too, so Beverley feels closer to her mum. She said of Stanford: “The people are so lovely, they’ll really give you anything.
“The commuter links are great, as the c2c means it’s easy to get everywhere. There’s also been a big rise in infrastructure in the area lately, which is good.
“There’s great schools, good open spaces, and lots of job opportunities with the local port and everything. There’s a real community feel – I just love it.”
‘Locals have lived here for decades’
Brandon Trott has worked at Howgates Estate Agents in Stanford for almost 12 years. He said: “Most people look to move here for the commuter links – you get into the city in 45 minutes.
“It’s quiet enough that you don’t get the levels of traffic you might get in Ockendon, Grays, those sorts of places, but has the advantage of the train station. The people are really friendly too.
“There’s lots of locals that have lived here for decades, but they make new families feel welcome too. There’s also plenty of job opportunities with the port.”
‘A small town feel’
A local who works at a business in Stanford said it’s a ‘really nice’ place to live. She said: “I’ve not lived here long, but I really like it so far.
“It’s really nice. It’s like it’s got a ‘small town’ kind of feel, but with great links into the city which is good for commuters. The houses are cheaper here compared to other parts of Essex with the same commuter links, too.”
At EssexLive we’re on a mission to highlight every corner of Essex. We will be visiting a new neighbourhood every week to talk to the people who live there and capture what life is like across our county. For some places that will highlight the hidden gems there or the reason people are flocking to live there, for others it might allow us to shine a light on an issue that’s troubling residents.
Our aim is to get everyone #ExploringEssex more, and venturing further across the county to discover different areas to visit and live in. If you have a suggestion for where we should visit next let us know below or in the comments.
