Globe Pit

Globe Pit is a protected site of special scientific interest in Little Thurrock that preserves gravel deposits laid down by the River Thames roughly 350,000 years ago. The location exposes layers of sediment that reveal how the landscape looked during that ancient period.

The site began as Globe Works brickyard, later became a chalk quarry, and shifted to industrial manufacturing as Celcon Works after the First World War. These transitions from raw material extraction to factory production shaped what you see today.

Two oil paintings from 1918 and 1928 by Francis van der Weegen document the early 20th-century allotments that occupied the site.

The site sits on Whitehall Lane southeast of Grays town center and requires arranged group visits for scientific observation. Contact the relevant authorities in advance to confirm access and what to expect during your visit.

The place holds numerous flat flint artifacts from roughly 350,000 years ago known as Clactonian tools that tell us about early human toolmaking. These finds help explain how ancient people living in this region worked with stone.