Barking is an interchange railway station. It is served by London Underground, London Overground and National Rail Services (C2C). I am visiting it as it is the 9th station on the District Line (green coloured line on tube map) but it is also the Eastern Terminus for the Hammersmith and City Line (pink coloured line on tube map).
The station opened in 1854 and was rebuilt in 1889.A new station with 8 platforms and a 50ft wide bridge spanning nine lines was opened in 1908. The District Line extended Eastwards to Barking in 1932 shortly followed by the Hammersmith and City Line in 1936.
A new booking hall opened in 1961 with a new ticket office and shops installed in 1991.
The station building is a Grade II listed building because of its inclined concrete roof. I was surprised that there was no underground roundel visible on the platforms or on the outside of the building.
Instead it was visible on this signage by the roadside.
As I stepped outside the station it was obvious that this was the largest town I had visited on the District Line so far. There were numerous shops up and down the High Street. In 1965 Barking and Dagenham became one of the 32 London Boroughs, before that they were part of the county of Essex
I was here on a Friday so it was market day. This made it difficult to photograph some of the buildings as they were obscured by market stalls.
This is the magistrates court. It is a Grade II listed building. Built in 1893 it still has the original railings, lamp holders and globe lamps.
Built in 1894, the Magistrates' Court was originally the Town Hall. It has been used as a court until recently and is now used for retail and accommodation.
From the market I walked through into a tree lined, square. It had residential blocks on one side and the Town Hall on the other side. This recent development consists of 500 flats, a library and a learning centre with a number of classes to improve adult literacy in the Barking area.
Impressive walkway by the side of the library.
Barking Council began to plan a new town hall in 1931. The building was delayed by WW2 and construction didn't start until 1954. The new town hall was finally opened in 1958. The tall clock tower ensures it is a local landmark.
To the right of the town hall is this wall. I walked around it, photographed it but I could find no plaque or information board. Someone suggested it had been found when they were building the supermarket which is the other side of the wall. But that explanation didn't ring true. I went into the town hall to see if they had any information which they didn't but someone suggested I visit the library.
The open plan, bright library felt very welcoming and was a hive of activity. The librarian I spoke to was well informed and a huge help. Not only did she enlighten me on the history of the wall but she located many helpful books on Barking and its history and places of interest.
The wall is a modern folly built in 2007 from architectural salvage including 9000 reclaimed bricks. It was created by the Muf, a collaborative practice of architects and artists. It was built by bricklaying apprentices from Barking and Dagenham College. I found the folly fascinating. A mixture of old sculptures, reliefs and bricks which will challenge the onlooker and the curious. Although I wonder how many people walk past and just assume it has always been there.
After looking around the Square I went in search of the Barking Abbey ruins and the Curfew Tower.
In front of the Theatre is this statue. Job Drain fought during WW1 and was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for bravery, at the age of 18. He joined a group of soldiers who volunteered to save two artillery guns from the advancing enemy lines. He survived the war and returned to civilian life back in Barking and had a variety of jobs during his lifetime. He died in 1975 at the age of 79
Across the road from the theatre is the Curfew Tower, now the entrance to St Margaret's churchyard. The Tower was one of three gates leading to Barking Abbey and is the only one still remaining. Barking Abbey was founded in AD666 by a monk called Erkenwald for his sister Ethelburga. The first abbey was for both monks and nuns but was destroyed by Vikings in AD 871. It was restored about 100 years later as a single sex Benedictine nunnery. By 1066 it was large enough to accommodate the new King William the Conqueror and his followers. During that year many of the Saxon earls and lords may their way to the abbey to swear allegiance to their new king. In the centuries that followed Barking Abbey became the second richest abbey in the country.
The abbey was surrendered to the Crown in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries period. Demolition began the following year.
Excavation of the site began in 1910. Stone was used to rebuild the layout of the abbey.Further excavations in the 1960s found glass vessels, pottery and jewellery.
Within the Abbey grounds is the church of St Margaret's. It was here that Captain James Cook (1728-1779). one of Britain's great explorers married here in Dec 1762.
I walked around the church but no doors were open which was disappointing as I had just been reading about the history of the church in the library. Next to the church is the St Margaret's centre which was also closed but nothing ventured nothing gained so I pressed the buzzer on the centre's door. I was surprised when it was opened but so fortunate that it was opened by the organist from the church who was doing some work in the office and heard the doorbell. He invited me in and opened the church for me. He left me in the church and I had the privilege of looking around the church and absorbing its history without being disturbed. There is a café in St Margaret's Centre open 3 days a week but not on a Friday so I missed out but gained so much from having a medieval church all to myself..
The Fishermen's window has numerous nautical motifs. In the background is the tower of St Margaret's above the warehouses on the quay. The middle section depicts a short blue fishing vessel at sea with a hive of activity around the catch at the Town's quay. The window was designed by George Jack (1855-1931), a well known figure in the arts and craft movement.
The ornate baptismal font dates from the Spanish Armada(1588) and is said to have been given to St Margaret's by grateful sailors asa gift to God for ensuring their safe passage through the battle.
Sadly I forgot to ask the organist's name but we had a very pleasant chat before I left. He also directed me to the town quay which was just across the green.
The street lamps on the quay are decorated with fishing themes.
Now Barking is in the middle of one of the biggest regeneration schemes in London. The council has a target of building 50,000 homes and creating 20,000 new jobs in the next 20 years. This is all part of the Thames Gateway project which aims to boost the economy of the whole Thames estuary region through the development of marshland, farmland and brownfield ( land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes). It is the largest regeneration scheme in North West Europe.
However. there has been much criticism of these ambitious plans building homes so close to the Thames Estuary with the projected rise in sea levels. There is also worries about the strain on the environment and other scarce resources.
A large ice house was built near the town quay to store the ice for use during warmer weather. Farmers also began to flood their fields and sell the ice they produced. Today the ice house and surrounding warehouses are used as art and cultural centres as well as accommodation and restaurants. The area is known as the Ice House Quarter.
The old granary
Back in the town I passed by this pub. The original Catholic services in Barking were held in the Red Lion until St Ethelberg's Church was built in 1869.
Opposite the Sikh Temple is Quaker Gardens, a former Quaker burial ground established in 1672. Among those buried here was Elizabeth Fry. Her tombstone was moved to Wanstead Quaker Burial Ground where the Barking Meeting transferred in the late 18th century. In 1980 the burial ground became a small public garden and all remaining headstones and monuments were then removed.
Quakers disapproved of headstones in their burial grounds as they made a distinction between the rich, who could afford a memorial and the poor who could not. Only in 1850 did they officially allow headstones to be erected as long as there was no distinction in size between the stones.
At the other end of the high street in the middle of the roundabout is this steel sculpture called 'The Catch'.
Looking closer I could see that it was a pair of fishing nets, a nod to the town's heritage.
A couple of hundred metres from the roundabout is Barking Park a beautiful, landscaped park. It also has a miniature railway which I imagine is very popular with the children in the area.
It is well designed with many mature trees.
The town's war memorial has been built in the park.There has been a tradition of military bands giving concerts in the park for many years when, according to newspaper reports, thousands used to turn up to watch. Perhaps that connection to the military was one of the reasons for siting the memorial here.
One of the main features of the park is the lake which is more than half a mile long
Sharing with Our World Tuesday
Thank you for this rich post!
ReplyDeleteSo much of interest ... hooray for good librarians, great what you found out about the folly wall ...and loved that the friendly organist welcomed you to spend time in that beautiful church..and the quay and the River. And if only we were closer I’d want to learn more about the problems with the (soon to be) rising water levels and the building planned. ... lots to think about here ... a great post.
ReplyDeleteRich post indeed and I really have no comment.
ReplyDeleteYou make some interesting walks, love reading the story behind your photos, it has so much history. A day well spent in Barking with interesting conversations.
ReplyDeleteWow! What an adventure you had and quite the jaunt ~ Fascinating history and lovely photography ~ thanks for sharing your delightful time ~
ReplyDeleteHappy Moments to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Wow, another deep dive into local history. I love it. I especially like how buildings are repurposed as time goes by. I like your comments on climate change as well. It is happening as we speak and so many people are blind to what is in front of their faces.
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me want to visit Barking, there are so many things to like about it. The Catch sculpture, the new Folly, the church that you spent time alone in, all fascinating.
ReplyDeleteWow you covered and discovered a lot in one day!
ReplyDeleteThis looks an interesting town with big plans. The park and lake look nice and the library sounds tops.
ReplyDeleteAnother in depth look at a part of your world. Very historic, I like the detail about Captain Cook getting married in the area. I am still amazed about how old the subway system is. In the mid 1800's, Oklahoma was still basically Indian Territory.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tour (and history) of East Ham. Lovely!
ReplyDelete