Heritage Survey Results - What did you say? Who won the prizes?
A big thank you to all of you who completed the Barking Heritage Survey!
The winners:
The winner of the Kindle Fire 8 – was Paul Bebbington, who lives locally and is known to his friends as ‘Bebbs’. He informed us that he was pleased with his prize, exclaiming, ‘Wow, that is a nice surprise’. He says that he enjoys local history too, ‘especially at Valence House archives…’ and is delighted with his new Kindle Fire which will help him with his poetry writing! We look forward to reading some of Paul's poetry, maybe on the Street Tag App, as we are helping Pen to Print add heritage sites to the local fitness App and people can add their creative posts to it too!
Our runners up, who will receive a £25 Amazon Voucher each, are Jodie John and Jennie Stallard. Jodie said her voucher was, ‘was a lovely surprise’ and she was, ‘very grateful for being a winner’. We are waiting to hear from Jennie, so she will be able to accept her prize… The prizes were provided by the Barking Town Heritage Project, which is generously funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The results:
Less than half of the respondents were aware of the Abbey and Barking Town Centre Conservation Area and only 18% knew of the inclusion of East Street. However, our survey also suggested that 85.5% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that we should look after our conservation area! This Conservation Area is currently under review and you can access the new proposals and have your say on them, and the updated management plan at: https://oneboroughvoice.lbbd.gov.uk/consultation-on-the-barking-town-centre-conservation-area
The most visited historical sites in the town centre were: Barking Abbey ruins/green (44%), Barking Quay (36%) and St Margaret’s Church (34%). Only 24% of respondents had 'visited' the Curfew tower (though hopefully many more have viewed it). This historic site will hopefully attract more visitors in the future as the Public Realm in front of this gateway to the abbey and parish church is being improved. It will be opened up, made more accessible and enhanced with a model of the Abbey, and further information about the history of this ancient site… The least visited site indicated was Fawley House – probably because it is not usually defined by its historic name, currently housing two shops and a charity for young people at the site, 35 East Street. Its links to the fishing industry are celebrated but perhaps it should also be clearly promoted that this was once the home of the Hewett family who owned the world famous ‘Short Blue Fleet’ and later Captain James Morgan, another wealthy fishing fleet owner - the figurehead of one of his boats remained in the garden here for many years… Next time you are in Barking Town Centre take a closer look at the information available, on this building, at Short Blue Place – opposite McDonalds…
As part of our NLHF project we are currently commissioning a Heritage Wall in Short Blue Place – which will include a mural and information on some of the lost heritage of Barking… The most popular sites suggested to be depicted were: Barking Abbey, Barking Windmill, Tudor Leet (court) House and Market Hall, Barking Workhouse and Bascule Bridge (for trams, over the River Roding). These lost places will be recommended in the Artists’ Brief. Thank you for your thoughtful comments about other forms of Heritage including fishing/industrial/working heritage, Vicarage Fields and Elizabeth Fry (social reformer and abolitionist who was buried in the Quaker burial ground, in Barking). We value the suggestion to illustrate not just our working class heritage and female heroines from the past but also people of black and ethnic minority heritage who are underrepresented in our local history… Other comments on the mural included, the wide appeal of the use of mosaics, also colour, an authentic representation of the past, that images are timeless and not too busy, as well as the use of audio/sound in the information and the importance of the professional quality of the art work. This input will inform the Artist’s Brief for the commission.
The information and views provided on the Curfew Tower will also inform the commission for the new model and historic information at this site. Most popular was the use of written information and photos/images and then a model and audio/stories about the site… You also mentioned the importance of accessibility for hearing/visually impaired and those with mobility problems and the use of new technologies - as mentioned above, Pen to Print will be launching a new heritage trail on Street Tag (the local fitness app) this Autumn which our heritage volunteers have been fully involved with and everyone will be able to add to in the future.
Last but not least the survey provided lots of ideas about the ways we could celebrate these improvements to Barking Town Centre - our built heritage and an exciting sense of the history of this place - when it is once again safe to do so…
