The railway west from Pitsea does not only run through Basildon. The older route heads towards Stanford-le-Hope, Tilbury and Grays, following a part of south Essex whose history is closely tied to marshland, the Thames, docks and industry.
Stanford-le-Hope is an old settlement that long predates the industrial development of the Thames corridor. Its historic centre and parish history provide a contrast with the enormous modern port and industrial landscapes found nearby.
East Tilbury is particularly interesting for twentieth-century industrial and social history. The area became famous for the Bata shoe factory and the planned community created around it. Although the railway station itself is modest, the surrounding history makes East Tilbury an unusual destination for anyone interested in industrial architecture and planned settlements.
Tilbury's importance comes from its position on the Thames. The district is associated with Tilbury Fort, centuries of river defence, the docks and the great passenger-liner era. Tilbury Docks became one of Britain's important points of arrival and departure, giving the town a history connected not just with Essex but with migration, shipping and international trade.
Grays developed as a Thames-side town shaped by river trade, chalk, industry and later suburban growth. It provides another place from which to explore Thurrock's history and the changing industrial landscape of the estuary.
Chafford Hundred station represents a much newer chapter of railway history. It serves the modern Chafford Hundred development and the Lakeside shopping area. For a Basildon.info-style history comparison, it is interesting precisely because it shows how railway stations continued to be created to serve large twentieth-century and later developments.