In August and September, the Barking Heritage Volunteers were able to meet up again at last! After months of Zoom meetings we managed to enjoy two tours of Barking together and the weather stayed dry too.
In August, Alex kindly guided the group on a river tour from the delightful Boat House Café, where we had the pleasure to meet and have bevvies before we set off – the pictures show the lovely sunshine, but not the whirling wind along the Roding…
We started out along the east bank and headed towards Creekmouth, crossing the river at the A13 footpath to return along the west bank…
Along the east bank we looked at the barrage and discussed the lock system and changes to the river over the years, to accommodate the fishing industry and later transportation of goods and supplies from the factory wharves. We stopped close to Boundary Road where Hewetts’ wharf once stood. The engineering and repair premises here were the site of the tragic boiler explosion of 1899… We were also looking for evidence of the old tram bridge, which Felicity has researched, it was built in the early twentieth century, as a two-part bascule bridge to allow boats through, which crossed from Boundary Road, on its way to Beckton Gas Works… 
The tide must have been out as the river was low, and in the mud we spotted some heavy brick foundations which we believed to be remnants of the once beautifully constructed crossing here. 
We were surprised that we could also smell the salty smell of briny water this far from the estuary - the fishing heritage coming back to haunt us… We were also surprised that some industrial units still exist along here, though increasingly over shadowed by residential developments – which must have stunning views across this flat landscape of London, Essex and Kent…
Journeying back along the west bank we discussed the mysterious situation of Barking land on what is commonly thought of the as the Newham side of the Roding… 
We discussed that if Barking Creek had not demarcated the boundary here then perhaps ‘Back River’ and the various tributaries seen on old maps, once did… Eric found further information on this, "The fact that the parish boundary follows the Back River and the Aldersbrook suggests that these may originally have been part of the main stream. The Back River was probably the 'old Hile' (ealdan hilœ) mentioned in A.D. 958." 'Ilford' is said to be named after the 'Hile', which could also be the old name for the Roding... In fact the location of an actual place on old maps called ‘West Bank’ was on ‘Back River’ rather than ‘Barking Creek’; as was the locally known, ‘Whitegate Bridge’. Eric reminded us that the ‘fresh’ water released through the sluice gates on the Creek and Back River - often referred to as ‘rushing waters’ , was used to freeze into ice on the marshes, as it froze more quickly than the saltier waters… He has also explained that part of Barking once formed, 'the island’ between these two waterways before they reached the Thames at Creekmouth, as old maps reveal, and tributaries were natural to such a marshy area… 
Whilst the Roding still defines Barking, some of those smaller waterways, which used to run close by (perhaps also as part of the ‘Roding’), have since disappeared, buried underground and underneath new developments in both Newham and Barking…
Further up-stream, towards the quay it was great to see some water craft still using this stretch of water! 
We crossed back over the barrage to return to the quay, once known as the mill pond, with ‘six gates’. Although the mill is long gone the old granary is looking proudly across the old Quay, with its new residences - a great example of the positive relationship between local regeneration and local heritage…
For our second tour, we had hoped to meet at St Margaret’s centre, but had not realised that the café had not reopened, we hope it does, as we plan to book a tour of the church another time… 
We enjoyed a hot lunch at Christina’s instead – a great place to start our tour of North Street – this was once the old co-op building with the beehive motif carved in 1900, a sweet metaphor for the society’s belief in working together to benefit all… 
Further along we point out the location of the old Trafalgar Street (probably the entrance to Asda's Car Park) as we tried to work out where Northbury House was, before it was removed to widen London Road - never a good reason to lose such a historic building... Lesley has been researching the intriguing histories of some of its residents and even visitors - Charles Jamrach's daughters went to school there... Carol Birch has written a great historical novel about 'Jamrach's Menagerie' in Victorian London...
We headed northeast, to the old ‘North Street’ (Northbury) School. Alex a keen rambler around old parts of Barking, again guided us, this time to find a place we spotted on one of the old photographs which George drew our attention to – Victoria Gardens – hidden between Northbury School and the railway tracks, just south of where they divide the old Tanner Street… Sorry George was not there to share this moment...
The black and white photograph shows the, possibly newly laid, gardens, at that time - as the school was completed at the end of Victoria’s reign, opening in 1896 and perhaps the photo was taken around that time or not long after - her diamond jubilee was celebrated in 1897, perhaps prompting the naming of the gardens after her… 
In the picture the gardens look so neat and formal, we wanted to visit to compare with the way they look today. We were pleasantly surprised to find this patch of green, still in use as a recreational area, with additional slide and playground equipment being enjoyed by local children (just before school pick up time). Some of us felt that the new or now much taller plane trees and other tall tree types now disrupt the view of the three tiered Victorian School – designed for a ground floor of Infants, middle floor of girls and the boys on the top… 
Sue had recently attended an ‘open house’ lecture on the design of ‘Board Schools’ – 
the Victorian Council Schools built after the Education Act of 1891, which made schooling a free and legal obligation for all children… 
Lesley was very pleased to find some ornate stone edging hiding in the grass, which we thought may be original Victorian edges to the old gravel paths, in the photograph... 
We were ruminating on ideas for a school or community project to inject more glory into the sites now that the lovely flower beds have disappeared too...
On a positive note the new extension to the school, provides a fresh entrance way and new classrooms and facilities without detracting from Charles Dawson’s beautifully detailed architecture. 
The borough architect designed some wonderful buildings, such as the old Board Offices (Magistrates’ Court) and the first Board School at Gascoigne Road – sadly replaced… His newer schools of the Becontree Estate such as Monteagle and Cambell had a totally different design of the quadrangles – perhaps enjoying more room to build, as well as responding to new ideas about outside spaces and play. As a someone who attended both those schools in the 1970s/80s, following in the footsteps of my parents, I found them great designs, although I don’t recall using the quadrangle gardens very often though – mainly for class photos…
On the way back into town we admired the new Gurudwara being built – we discussed how it would be one of the most beautifully ornate buildings to grace Barking… 
We also took a closer look at the previous Gurudwara, as this used to be the Friends Meeting House, rebuilt on the site of Tate's Place, in 1908…
We were pleased to find an information board in the gardens opposite, which used to be the old Quaker burial ground, although it could do with replacing due to being quite weather beaten now… The memorial to Elizabeth Fry was still looking good however, and reminds us of the achievements of the Friends/Quaker movement including their belief in rights of all men and women – they wanted to convince people at the time of the transatlantic slave trade, that all people should be free and their voices heard! 
Women like Fry were allowed to preach and make a difference to society – she achieved so much for the poor and unfranchised - prisoners and their children, at a time when many, if not most, were victims of their circumstances… This part of the visit linked well with the approaching month of October and Black History Month – you can read more about the legacy that Britain’s colonial past had on Barking’s heritage in the ‘Stories Behind the Stores’ section of this webpage: https://yourcall.befirst.london/barking-heritage/stories/the-impact-of-britains-colonial-past-on-barkings-heritage
