The UK seaside town that's 'so rough' Hollywood keeps using it as a backdrop

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the historic port town of Tilbury in Essex, has a rich history but it is far from the postcard-perfect seaside escape many imagine when they think of the English coast. With boarded-up shops, a lack of pubs, and rising crime rates, the town paints a bleak picture. According to Crimerate, Tilbury is the most dangerous small town in Essex and ranks among the county's 10 most dangerous locations. In 2025, the town recorded 111 crimes per 1,000 people, which is 62% higher than the Essex average of 69 per 1,000.

In 2024, Tilbury was also named one of the most depressing places in the UK in the annual iLiveHere poll, which invites the public to vote on the UK's best and worst towns. Yet, Tilbury has an unexpected claim to fame. Its gritty, industrial atmosphere and the massive Tilbury Docks have made it a favourite backdrop for filmmakers.

In Batman Begins (2005), Tilbury Docks and Coalhouse Fort doubled as Gotham City and a prison where Bruce Wayne is held. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) transformed the docks into Venetian canals for a boat chase scene, while Paddington (2014) used Tilbury Docks and the Cruise Terminal to depict the bear's arrival in Britain from Peru.

Tilbury Fort has also played a key role in several productions. It became an Ottoman stronghold in the 2017 Wonder Woman, a moody wartime setting in Darkest Hour, and a historic street in the Tom Hardy drama Taboo. Even horror found a home here. His House (2020) filmed scenes in a Tilbury barbershop that has since been demolished.

Fish Tank (2009), directed by Andrea Arnold and filmed at Tilbury Town station and around Tilbury, shows the life of a 15-year-old girl named Mia Williams (played by Katie Jarvis), who lives with her single mother and younger sister on a rough council estate. The film follows Mia as she navigates the challenges of adolescence, poverty, and family conflict while dreaming of becoming a dancer.

Another film that was shot in Tilbury is Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy Grimsby. Grimsby often ranks among the least desirable places to live in the UK but it was filmed in Tilbury, not Grimsby in Lincolnshire. One standout scene, featuring Nobby waiting in line at a Job Centre, was filmed on Montreal Road in Tilbury. For the production, a mock Job Centre sign was temporarily placed on a local shop to facilitate the filming.

Natalie who has been living in the town for about 23 years says she doesn't let her 16-year-old daughter walk alone in town.

She explains that "it's just not safe" and adds "I wouldn't even want to walk around at night."

While anti-social behaviour has improved, a "more prominent police presence would help".

On the subject of the town's retail offering, she adds: "It would be nice if there were some more shops. You get a lot of takeaways, vape shops and things like that, but no actual usable shops."

Despite the several boarded up shops, one unexpected hub of consistency is The Classic Hair Company, a hairdresser that has been serving the town for over 40 years. Loyal customers travel specifically to Tilbury to visit, drawn by the family-owned business' long-standing reputation, which has been passed down from mother to daughter.

Nadine West, 51, lives in the area but says she wouldn't live in Tilbury itself and that anti-social behaviour was a real issue in the town. But she does go to Tilbury just to get her hair done at The Classic Hair Company.

Ms West tells the Express: "The hairdresser's has been there many years, they have loads of returning customers, and the reviews are tremendous, and I think that's a cool thing for a business to stay in a community for years."

About the town itself she says: "When I've visited here, I've heard lots of fights. There was a massive 20-person fight and the police were called and I was just coming out of the local Co-op."

She says about the shops in town: "I personally wouldn't shop here. My daughter likes it when we go to hairdresser's together, because she likes the charity shops.

"If we're going to shop in Tilbury, we would just go to Asda. We wouldn't bother with the actual town, we would go straight to Asda."

Ms West, however, does note that efforts are being made to change things in Tilbury.

"I think they're trying to rejuvenate it a little bit, so they've just done the whole area over there [Civic Square] and the parking. I saw on the Thurrock Council newsletter that they also had anti-social behaviour [deterrents] in place, I believe, in the evening to try and help with that."

She pointed out that Tilbury Fort is nice and there is a beautiful walk along the River Thames from there.

Edna Kemp, an advanced stylist at The Classic Hair Company, agrees that the town could "do with more policing".

She adds: "We could do with some decent shops. We used to have some decent shops in Tilbury."

A lifelong Tilbury resident, who wished to remain anonymous, bemoans the anti-social behaviour among schoolchildren and suggests it may result from limited youth activities, leaving many to spend more time on the streets.

That said, Tilbury is not without hope. Civic Square has just been redeveloped with new roads, footpaths, flowerbeds, and green spaces, while the £22.8m Tilbury Town Deal aims to improve Tilbury Station, provide new parking facilities and create a new Youth Zone. All this is set to be fully completed by autumn 2026 to breathe new life into the town centre. The library has also just been refurbished.

The town has a rich history. Archaeological evidence found when the iconic docks were being built points to Roman settlement, and the town was historically important for shipping and ferry links across the Thames. Queen Elizabeth I famously reviewed her army at nearby West Tilbury in 1588. Over the centuries, the construction of the docks, the railway, and subsequent housing developments shaped the town into what it is today.

Tilbury's story appears to be one of contrasts, a place marked by hardship yet immortalised on the silver screen.

According to an Essex Police spokesperson, wider crime statistics for the Thurrock district which includes Tilbury show 2,592 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour in the 12 months to September 2025 compared with the same pre-pandemic period in 2019, representing a 60% reduction.

Inspector Daniel Selby, of Thurrock Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "It's important to highlight that tackling anti-social behaviour, particularly attributed to young people, is a top priority in Tilbury.

"In partnership with Thurrock Council, we have an operation dedicated specifically to this issue, and it is having an impact.

"The operation sees additional patrols in Tilbury town and engagement with residents and businesses.

"Since its launch, the council has issued dozens of tenancy warnings where we've seen issues linked to particular properties, alongside a number of anti-social behaviour court injunctions and criminal behaviour orders.

"These injunctions and court orders help us better monitor and detect repeat offenders, with imprisonment often the result of any breaches.

"In just one example, we recently secured an anti-social behaviour injunction against a 17-year-old boy from Tilbury.

"He's banned from several areas in the borough and must engage with support services, which will hopefully assist in turning him away from the path he's on and address his offending.

"When it comes to youth offending, this kind of outcome is best for everyone. It helps the young person change their behaviour and get their life back on the right track, but it also reduces his capacity to cause issues for residents in specific areas, helping the public enjoy their homes and lives in peace.

"It's really important that people in Tilbury keep talking to us.

"Even if your call doesn't lead to an immediate, visible police response, your information is vital and helps us target our resources to where they are needed.

"We need information from our neighbourhoods, this information is used and relied upon."

Cllr Lee Watson, Thurrock Council Cabinet Member for Good Growth, said: "We know the challenges faced in Tilbury and that is why the council, local residents, community organisations and Essex Police are putting in lots of effort and working together to bring real and visible improvements.

"Tilbury has been awarded £22.8m under the Towns Fund. The first fruits of this investment can be most clearly seen in the work that has recently been completed in Tilbury Civic Square which has undergone £2 million worth of work to improve the way it looks, provide new bus stops, cycle paths and car parking in the heart of the town. Other improvements in the pipeline include improving the public areas outside Tilbury Town Station to make them more welcoming and provide sustainable transport links.

"Beyond that, funding will be used to create a state-of-the-art new Youth Zone which will become a focal point for young people and a place where they can learn, grow and develop as well as make friends and have fun.

"We work closely with Essex Police to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in Tilbury. That includes our anti-social behaviour officers patrolling with police officers and engaging with people we know are causing anti-social behaviour, warning them of the consequences of their actions and even obtaining an injunction against one persistent offender who refuses to engage with officers in a constructive way.

"All of this combined will bring huge improvements to the area and should help attract other facilities, including shops, to the town. We are at the start of this journey but the work which has taken place, and the plans we have for additional improvements, are incredibly exciting and should make a real difference to the lives of local people living in Tilbury."