North Stifford Village

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North Stifford Village

Grays Thurrock, Essex, England

The area known as Stifford is made up of North Stifford, South Stifford and Stifford Clays. South Stifford and Stifford Clays are built up areas now, but the old village of North Stifford has a different character.

It is located on a hill within Green Belt land just to the north of the River Thames, approximately 3 miles from the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and the M25.

North Stifford Village is just under a mile long from end to end.

It is in essence, a traditional English village with its pub, corner shop, church and village green. Surely nowhere else in the Borough of Thurrock can there be a more picturesque group of 17th and 18th century cottages, so well preserved and lovingly looked after.

All the houses on the north side of the central High Road (formerly called Stifford Street) look out over the Mardyke River valley which is rich in an abundance of wildlife, trees, wild flowers and plants.

Next on the right is the Dog & Partridge Pub.

Opposite there is one corner shop which is a general store and off licence.

Fortunately, over the years, the houses which have been built between the old cottages have mostly been designed in a thoughtful and tasteful way. The old and the new buildings now stand side by side, blending together in relative harmony.