to form Thurrock. In the 1970s the Ford Motor Company factory at Aveley housed Ford's Advanced Vehicle Operations which built cars such as the RS1600. The plant was wound down gradually from the late 1990s but closed entirely in 2004, when the last 150 jobs were lost. The majority of the 150 workers accepted transfers to other Ford or ancillary sites around Essex. The 'Aveley' plant was situated along and west of the railway line, adjacent to Ockendon station in the Belhus Ward that part of Ockendon has now been developed into new housing estates, with street names after famous Ford vehicles in keeping with the sites history. Transport The railway line from Upminster to Grays separates the old village of South Ockendon from Belhus. The line is a spur between Grays Thurrock and Upminster of the line from Fenchurch Street Station to Southend and Shoeburyness. South Ockendon is served by Transport for London. As of Autumn 2015, bus 370 runs between Romford and Lakeside via South Road and bus 347 serves Romford from Ockendon station via Upminster and Harold Wood. Essex services connect the village directly with Basildon, Brentwood, Purfleet, Grays and Aveley. Education Secondary education is provided by Harris Academy Ockendon (formally known as The Ockendon Academy, prior to that it was called The Ockendon School. Other schools in Ockendon included Culverhouse Comprehensive School which was demolished in 1992 and Lennard's Secondary Modern School ). The Ockendon Academy joined the Harris family of schools in September 2019, with the aim to improve academic performance. References Villages in Essex Former civil parishes in Essex Thurrock