Barking Town Heritage Project
With help from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are putting local heritage at the heart of changes to Barking town centre, with a focus on East Street and the surrounding Abbey & Barking Town Centre Conservation Area.
Our aim is to conserve and commemorate historic buildings in and around East Street and to research and inform residents and visitors, about the stories behind the high-street stores and town-centre heritage.
Our heritage volunteers are developing a historic legacy by contributing to the creation of town trails and tours, learning resources, a heritage exhibition, a permanent mural in East Street and Barking's new heritage art trail.
We hope that you can join us in ensuring that our local heritage continues to be a positive and relevant part of Barking’s evolving cultural identity.
Please provide contact details in the Join The Heritage Volunteers section below, if you are interested in becoming a Heritage Volunteer or if you have any heritage questions .
With special thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this project and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Library, at Valence House who have provided support, training and access to their archives and photograph collection, including the heritage photos on this webpage and throughout our Heritage Hub.
Contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk for further information on our local archives.
Stories behind the stores
These Stories behind the stores aim to reveal the historical origins of the buildings and locations of East Street and Barking Town Centre, and remind us of the local heritage which has often been lost to Barking residents.
With the help of the Council's Archives and Local Studies Library we aim to research the stores and residences in our project area. Some of the buildings still exist but many have been moderated, demolished, rebuilt, or redeveloped, often more than once. We hope to rediscover past uses and the people who lived or worked there and re-tell their stories to new audiences.
If you have any personal or family memories or knowledge from other residents about any of the buildings or locations mentioned here you are welcome to share them with us...
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Crime and Punishment in Barking Part 1: House of Correction and the Tudor Leet House by Sue Hamilton
House of Correction
There was a House of Correction established in East Street, Barking under control of the Justices of the Peace to serve Becontree Hundred between 1609 and 1791 for criminals and lunatics. It was repaired and extended in that period but abandoned when new premises were designed by John Johnson, Surveyor to the County of Essex.
The new building was on half an acre in nearby North Street, according to James Howson, the borough archivist in the 1970s, it was, 'about 400 yards north of St. Margaret’s Church, Barking and on the west side of the street.' It... Continue reading
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The impact of World War Two on Barking Town Centre by Simone Panayi
Volunteers for the NLHF Barking Town Heritage Project have been sharing their findings about key buildings on East Street: the art deco Burton building, engraved with elephants, Marks & Spencer’s cream coloured corner store, of 1935, and Woolworth’s pilasters... These stores disappeared due to changes in fashion and commerce, but the buildings remain – other buildings have vanished…
At this inauspicious time, when only a few shops and services remain open, we are reminded of previous crises, such as World War Two, when there were over 1700 bombing incidents across the borough and thousands of casualties, including, sadly, 426 lives... Continue reading
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Marks & Spencer's - the original penny bazaar by Simone Panayi with Lesley Gould
The Barking Heritage Project has been celebrating the stories behind the stores and old buildings of East Street and the surrounding area. Barking town centre has changed a great deal since commerce first developed around its Saxon Abbey. Various shops have come and gone, and we want to share the tales they left behind.
Continuing the theme of penny stores, the first one in Barking was probably, ‘The London Penny Bazaar’ on The Broadway. It can be seen in an old post card from the borough’s archives - this sepia photograph was taken before World War I, as it was... Continue reading
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Pawnbrokers and Penny Stores
After the festive period, gift giving and indulgence follows the contrastingly bleak winter months and a period of self-deprivation: alcohol free, less calories and reduced spending… It is time to look back to thriftiness in Barking’s past - shopping here a hundred years ago involved pawnbrokers and penny stores.
During the nineteenth century Robert Willet, inherited a drapery business (selling cloth), from his father, John, who became a Pawnbroker on North Street, by 1881. Around this time, Philip Barton owned the Unredeemed Pledge Stores at 5, East Street. He sold items that had been pawned and not reclaimed.
Moneylending... Continue reading
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'The Full Monty' - Burton's in Barking by Simone Panayi
Barking’s Curfew Tower or Fire-Bell Gate, where a curfew bell tolled until the early twentieth century, is the grand gateway to historic Barking - St Margaret’s Church, Barking Abbey ruins and the old quay beyond. When viewed from East Street, it is framed by two more heritage buildings! On the corner of North Street, is the 1925 rebuild of The Bull Inn, which, as an establishment, has possibly been present since the abbey gate, opposite, was first built in 1370. There were no rooms at the inn this Christmas unfortunately, as it undergoes redevelopment, before offering accommodation for Barking visitors... Continue reading
Photos
Relevant Documents
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Barking Quiz - test your knowledge of local history (469 KB) (pdf)
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Quiz Answers - find out more about the history of Barking (290 KB) (pdf)
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Not Barking up the wrong tree by Eric Feasey.docx (13.8 KB) (docx)
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User Guide for Business Owners and residents in Barking Town Centre and Abbey Conservation Area
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Barking Abbey and Town Centre: Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Guide - Introduction
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Abbey & Barking Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Guide - pages 25-48
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Abbey & Barking Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Guide - pages 49-61
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Abbey & Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal pages 62-76 - Section 7 Management Plan & Advice
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Abbey & Barking Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Guide - Appendices
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update 1.docx (442 KB) (docx)
Mural Magic videos
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Council Leaders Darren Rodwell and Saima Ashraf reflect on Mural Magic event and the role of Barking's heritage past, present and into the future of this diverse East London community...
Heritage Videos
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A short video on the 'Barking Stink' - a sensory heritage project about Barking's past, funded by the Thames Festival Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund
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We explore what the new conservation area guidelines mean for local residents and businesses.
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The second of our series looking at the implications of the new conservation area in Barking Town Centre.
This project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
