AT the recent meeting of Thurrock Local History Society members enjoyed a talk on the cement industry in Thurrock by John Matthews.

He told of an industry which had mostly disappeared by 1985. It had had a huge impact on pollution and people's health, altering the landscape dramatically between Purfleet and Grays.

It all started in the area with the chalk deposit, formed 80 million years ago at the bottom of the sea, with layers over 100 feet deep covering south-east England, but was very close to the surface at Grays. For hundreds of years the chalk was used as lime mortar in building and to lighten the clay soil in farming.

It was cheaper to dig new Deneholes or sinkholes than transport the chalk – in recent times some Deneholes have opened up in the area. Thurrock supplied chalk to other parts of Essex and Zachariah Button built Belmont Castle on chalk land between 1780 and 1785.

In 1824 a Portland Cement patent was taken out, improved by 1850. It had a vital advantage over lime mortar as it dried quickly, was hard and didn't absorb water. It is still one of the most important building materials in use today. In 1871 Edmund Brooks formed the first company, others being incorporated over the years.

The raw materials of chalk, clay and water, together with transport links to the Thames and railway made for an expanding industry, with similar works in Kent. In 1872 Alfred Russel Wallace arrived in Grays and built the Dell, using concrete – one of the earliest in the country, now a listed building.

The rotary kiln changed the scale of cement production, previously done by hand. The clinker was ground to cement powder and needed huge amounts of chalk extraction, leading to West Thurrock becoming an industrial landscape. Tall chimneys increased the draught and waste particles were a great nuisance, covering everywhere with a blanket of grey dust.

Railways criss-crossed Thurrock, tracks being re-used at different locations. John's illustrations used maps originated by John Ormston. Much of the industrial activity took place within three miles. Thames barges were used for river transport at least until the late 1970s, cement being transported all over the world.

Many amalgamations and changes of name have taken place over the years. By the 1950s plant was rebuilt to replace old equipment. APCM was born, then British Portland Cement Company and Blue Circle, with some old names still being used. By 1900 the demand for chalk reduced the grounds of Belmont Castle to 11 acres. It had been bought by Herbert Brooks for the chalk, demolished in 1943 and the grounds excavated for the chalk. Mr Brooks rose to become a director of APCM, chairman of Grays Council, JP etc and a local historian, writing William Palmer and his School. His memorial gardens are at the junction of Orsett Road and Highview Gardens.

Huge quantities of chalk were excavated over the years - 5 billion cubic metres – with nearly 100 deep holes covering 4000 acres (9% of Thurrock). When the quarries were worked out they were left neglected, dangerous and filled with water. In 1973 our MP Hugh Delargy told of his concern about this in parliament.

During the 1970s other countries produced cement, lowering prices and leading to the closure of factories and loss of jobs. Thurrock was scarred with a landscape of quarries, railway tracts and abandoned buildings. By the 1990s the land had been re-used for housing and commerce, including the Lakeside Shopping Centre. A new railway station was built at Chafford Hundred to service homes, shops and schools. There is now a wildlife haven at Chafford Gorge, although the visitor centre has now sadly closed.

A new project, Land of the Fanns, obtained a grant to increase the awareness of West Thurrock townscape, particularly aimed at new residents, using photographs and exhibitions; there is also an app, with virtual display boards.

John's excellent talk brought back many members' memories. His first booklet on the Cement Industry is no longer available, but a new edition should be ready for the group's next meeting which will be at 8pm on Friday, 20 March at the Grays Adult Education Centre in Richmond Road when chairman Susan Yates will be giving a talk entitled Essex in History.

Visitors are welcome.