Why is Whalebone Lane called Whalebone Lane?
Whalebone Lane is so called because of the arch made out of a pair of giant ribs that stood for two centuries at a tollgate on the Romford Road, the whale in question having been stranded in the Thames in 1658.
What is the history of Barking?
Historically, Barking was an ancient parish that straddled the River Roding in the Becontree Hundred and historic county of Essex. It underwent a shift from fishing and farming to market gardening and industrial development on the River Thames.
What is Barking Essex famous for?
Barking Abbey Barking Abbey, a former monastery, is quite famous – it’s known as one of the most important nunneries in the country. Although most of it is now in ruins, its partially restored grade II-listed tower is beautiful and is next to St Margaret’s Church, a grade I-listed building.
How did Barking get its name?
Barking actually comes from the Town of Barking, whose name comes from the Anglo-Saxon “Berecingas”, which means “the settlement of the followers or descendants of a man named Bereca” or possibly “the settlement by the birch trees”.
Which borough is Chadwell Heath?
Chadwell Heath straddles two London boroughs, each with its own features and attractions. These are the London Borough of Redbridge and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Chadwell Heath is a hamlet situated between the towns of Romford (a historic market town) and Ilford.
How did Chadwell Heath get its name?
The name was first used in the 17th century for a settlement in the parish of Dagenham in Essex, which later absorbed the neighbouring hamlet of Chadwell Street in the parish of Barking (later Ilford).
What is the crime rate in Barking and Dagenham?
Barking and Dagenham is among the top 20 most dangerous boroughs in London. The overall crime rate in Barking and Dagenham in 2021 was 87 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London’s overall crime rate, coming in 0.07% higher than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents.
When did Barking and Dagenham become a London Borough?
1965
The borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the greater parts of the boroughs Dagenham and Barking, including the communities of Barking, Becontree, and Dagenham and parts of Marks Gate and Becontree Heath. The Curfew Tower at Barking Abbey, Barking and Dagenham, London.
Is Dagenham a rough area?
When did Barking and Dagenham start?
The borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the greater parts of the boroughs Dagenham and Barking, including the communities of Barking, Becontree, and Dagenham and parts of Marks Gate and Becontree Heath.
Why do English places end in ham?
It comes from Old French hamelet, a diminutive form of hamel, which was itself a diminutive form of ham ‘village’. This was borrowed from a Germanic word related to English home, and to the -ham in many English place names.
How did Hillingdon get its name?
The name Hillingdon appears in the Domesday Book (1086) as Hillendone, possibly meaning “hill of a man named Hille”. The name could also mean ‘hill of a woman named Hilda’.
Where was Whalebone Lane in Dagenham?
In north Dagenham Whalebone Lane was extended northwards from Marks Gate to link up with Romford Road, leading to Chigwell Row. (fn. 30) Dagenham Beam Bridge, which carried the old road to Rainham, was first mentioned in 1299.
What was the main centre of population of Dagenham?
The main centre of population was Dagenham village where there were still remains of common fields. (fn. 18) Two miles further north was the hamlet of Becontree Heath. There were other hamlets at Chadwell Heath, a mile north-west of Becontree Heath, and at Marks Gate, on the southern edge of the forest.
What happened to the old manor houses of Dagenham?
Of the old manor houses of Dagenham only Valence (fn. 73) remains, as the headquarters of the borough libraries. Parsloes (fn. 74) was demolished in 1925, but its park has been preserved.
What is the history of Dagenham beam bridge?
Dagenham Beam Bridge, which carried the old road to Rainham, was first mentioned in 1299. The name means a ‘plank bridge’, and the present name of the river itself comes from it by back formation. (fn. 31) The bridge had been built in stone by 1564. (fn. 32) Until the Dissolution it was maintained by Barking Abbey as lord of the manor.