Stanford-le-Hope is a town and Church of England parish situated in the region of Essex, England. Commonly known locally just as Stanford, the town is within the unitary authority of Thurrock and also located 23.8 miles (38.4 km) east of Charing Cross in London. Its major specialty is that Joseph Conrad lived and also created there. Unlike some other areas of Thurrock, Stanford-le-Hope is surrounded by countryside and farmland. Stanford-le-Hope is bordered to the north by the A13 road and also to the south by the Thames Estuary. It is located 12.7 miles (20.5 km) west of Southend-on-Sea. The town centre has a village feel with its 800-year-old church, St Margarets making a noticeable and also eye-catching spots around which stores, bars and restaurants have grown to create a vibrant core to the town. As Stanford-le-Hope grows in dimension, it has actually started to integrate adjoining settlements such as Corringham, Mucking as well as Fobbing, the latter of which was the scene of among the uprisings which brought about the Peasants' Revolt. The River Hope, a tributary of the Thames, runs through the town. Locally there are a variety of parks and also nature reserves, especially Thurrock Thameside Nature Reserve, with a visitor centre offering sights up and down the Thames throughout both industrial and all-natural landscapes consisting of the Mucking Flats SSSI.