South Benfleet is a town in the Castle Point district of Essex, 30 miles east of London. The Benfleet post town includes South Benfleet, Thundersley, New Thundersley and Hadleigh. The Battle of Benfleet took place here between the Vikings and Saxons in 894.The town is north of Canvey Island and is served by Benfleet railway station. It is home to the South Benfleet Primary School, which was used temporarily to house local residents during the widespread flooding of 1953.