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Barking's High Street Heritage is one of continued change, even the 'high street' itself has moved. North Street was the spine of Barking town in the days before Barking Station, as the starting point of the historic route from Barking Abbey, toward manorial lands to the north, including Uphall, Ilford and the former leper hospital and chapel there.
With the Broadway it formed the first high street - shopping having evolved from the marketplace around the Tudor Leet House, where the town’s standard bushel was stored, and first shops were built. Beside the early stores along North Street, of which few remain, there were many inns and several grand homes and at the apex was the Quaker’s Meeting House which is now part of the Sikh Gurdwara.Built in 1900 as a CO-OP Store - now one of the few remaining establishments on North Street So, Barking’s high street history did not begin on East Street, but it represents its heyday! This ancient road which runs eastward from Barking Abbey towards Dagenham, was also known as Bull Street. Named after the Bull Inn – which was established as a place where visitors to abbey could stay probably since medieval times - named after the papal bullor seal. In the twentieth century shoppers would flock to popular high street stores such as Burtons, Marks & Spencer, and Woolworths, in new ornate buildings, along East Street.
Woolworth's Store (1928) East Street
Station Parade was formerly the far end of East Street, leading into Longbridge Road. It was renamed during the mid-twentieth century, although the changes to the old door numbers took some time to adjust to. The original Barking Station opened in 1854 and was rebuilt in 1889 and 1960/1. As the number of tracks expanded the old level crossing was replaced by a bridge with the station booking hall on the north side and new shops on the south, in place of the Peto Arms - named after the engineer and entrepreneur who brought the LTS railway to Barking - (Sir Samuel 'Morton' Peto). When the bridge was built the tracks disappeared beneath it and could no longer be seen from the high street. Key local stores were established on this stretch of East street from the early 1900s with Garland's grocer and refreshments on the corner with Ripple Road and Gosling's Boot shop on the opposite corner with Linton Road (formerly Station Road). The Funeral directors and Newsagents have had a long-term presence under various owners including the Cooper and Hewett families and for many years Lloyds bank and Barclay's bank were residents of Station Parade. For locals there were a selection of favourite stores along Station Parade, including Worricker's, Guy Norris' music store and the sport's shop - some old hand painted signs can still be seen.
Gosling's Boot Store, 1 Station Parade, built in 1906 - Originally endowed with elegant Edwardian leaded glass. It was recently restored as part of this project and is probably the oldest remaining shopping parade in Barking
Ripple Road runs south and then east from the town, through Rippleside – the marginal marshlands which bordered the Thames (now Thamesview and Riverside). Originally the part that runs from East Street into King Edward's Road was known as Vineyard Lane and further along it becomes part of the A13 at Lodge Avenue. The section which meets East Street, Linton Road and Station Parade has been at the centre of Barking’s shopping area since the mid twentieth century. Both the Gas Board and Electricity Board had high profile shop fronts along here. After developing from market gardens to high street stores it endured the impact of air attacks in World War Two losing both St Paul's Church and Blake's Corner (ironmonger's) as a result. Vicarage Field – previously a football pitch and war-time air raid shelter - became a shopping mall in the 1990s and will soon be redeveloped once again.
6 Ripple Road, now JD Sports, is embellished with winged cherubs, on the capitals, either side of the shop front. This was Barking’s Gas Building, from 1914. A gas works first opened in Barking in 1836, providing gas streetlighting from 1841 and became the Barking Gas Co in 1867, supplying local gas until 1912. Then it joined the Gas Light and Coke Co, known as ‘the first public utility company in the world’. They built these offices and store front and became part of the nationalised gas industry, British Gas, from 1948 until 1986. Many local recall paying their Gas bills there and purchasing the latest model of fire place in the twentieth century....
Barking's High Street Heritage is one of continued change, even the 'high street' itself has moved. North Street was the spine of Barking town in the days before Barking Station, as the starting point of the historic route from Barking Abbey, toward manorial lands to the north, including Uphall, Ilford and the former leper hospital and chapel there.
With the Broadway it formed the first high street - shopping having evolved from the marketplace around the Tudor Leet House, where the town’s standard bushel was stored, and first shops were built. Beside the early stores along North Street, of which few remain, there were many inns and several grand homes and at the apex was the Quaker’s Meeting House which is now part of the Sikh Gurdwara.Built in 1900 as a CO-OP Store - now one of the few remaining establishments on North Street So, Barking’s high street history did not begin on East Street, but it represents its heyday! This ancient road which runs eastward from Barking Abbey towards Dagenham, was also known as Bull Street. Named after the Bull Inn – which was established as a place where visitors to abbey could stay probably since medieval times - named after the papal bullor seal. In the twentieth century shoppers would flock to popular high street stores such as Burtons, Marks & Spencer, and Woolworths, in new ornate buildings, along East Street.
Woolworth's Store (1928) East Street
Station Parade was formerly the far end of East Street, leading into Longbridge Road. It was renamed during the mid-twentieth century, although the changes to the old door numbers took some time to adjust to. The original Barking Station opened in 1854 and was rebuilt in 1889 and 1960/1. As the number of tracks expanded the old level crossing was replaced by a bridge with the station booking hall on the north side and new shops on the south, in place of the Peto Arms - named after the engineer and entrepreneur who brought the LTS railway to Barking - (Sir Samuel 'Morton' Peto). When the bridge was built the tracks disappeared beneath it and could no longer be seen from the high street. Key local stores were established on this stretch of East street from the early 1900s with Garland's grocer and refreshments on the corner with Ripple Road and Gosling's Boot shop on the opposite corner with Linton Road (formerly Station Road). The Funeral directors and Newsagents have had a long-term presence under various owners including the Cooper and Hewett families and for many years Lloyds bank and Barclay's bank were residents of Station Parade. For locals there were a selection of favourite stores along Station Parade, including Worricker's, Guy Norris' music store and the sport's shop - some old hand painted signs can still be seen.
Gosling's Boot Store, 1 Station Parade, built in 1906 - Originally endowed with elegant Edwardian leaded glass. It was recently restored as part of this project and is probably the oldest remaining shopping parade in Barking
Ripple Road runs south and then east from the town, through Rippleside – the marginal marshlands which bordered the Thames (now Thamesview and Riverside). Originally the part that runs from East Street into King Edward's Road was known as Vineyard Lane and further along it becomes part of the A13 at Lodge Avenue. The section which meets East Street, Linton Road and Station Parade has been at the centre of Barking’s shopping area since the mid twentieth century. Both the Gas Board and Electricity Board had high profile shop fronts along here. After developing from market gardens to high street stores it endured the impact of air attacks in World War Two losing both St Paul's Church and Blake's Corner (ironmonger's) as a result. Vicarage Field – previously a football pitch and war-time air raid shelter - became a shopping mall in the 1990s and will soon be redeveloped once again.
6 Ripple Road, now JD Sports, is embellished with winged cherubs, on the capitals, either side of the shop front. This was Barking’s Gas Building, from 1914. A gas works first opened in Barking in 1836, providing gas streetlighting from 1841 and became the Barking Gas Co in 1867, supplying local gas until 1912. Then it joined the Gas Light and Coke Co, known as ‘the first public utility company in the world’. They built these offices and store front and became part of the nationalised gas industry, British Gas, from 1948 until 1986. Many local recall paying their Gas bills there and purchasing the latest model of fire place in the twentieth century....
Page last updated: 07 Feb 2023, 05:40 PM
Photogrpahs reproduced by kind permission of the LBBD Archive and Local Studies Library.