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Grays Chalk Quarry Nature Reserve

Grays Chalk Quarry Nature Reserve - a hidden treasure at your door step.

Grays, it could be said, has its own version of "The White Cliffs of Dover" or so it can seem to the bored child sitting on a backseat of the car going into lakeside, its an arresting sight to the thousands of drivers who must past it daily but seldom does any one venture to the other side of those modest cliffs and this is a shame. If they did they would be pleasantly surprised what lies on the other-side, this is the Grays chalk pits, part of Thurrock's industrial history but now largely undisturbed apart from the few fisherman and dog walkers who have discovered it.

Here there are a network of these lakes surround by woods and the closest one to Grays can be accessed by a number of entrances, try parking on Drake road and head towards the wooded horizon, there you should find a number of discreet entrances, essentially just a gap in the fencing but the other side is almost like something from CS Lewis novel (think Narnia without the snow).

Once through this space you'll find yourself on a wooded track that is actually elevated many many meters above the lake below, turn left when you go through the entrance and keep walking and you will get an almost immediate view of the lagoon far below, if you follow the path you eventually come to some steps that can take you down to the waters edge, but views over Thurrock and the waters are the real draw here.

Time and again this website highlights little pockets of amazing tranquillity but what's puzzling is how unknown and under used these amazing spaces seem to be. We recommend to you to check it out.

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