Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

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Dagenham Civic Centre is surrounded by landscaped open space. Dagenham civic center london.jpg
Dagenham Civic Centre is surrounded by landscaped open space.
River Roding at Barking. River roding barking london.jpg
River Roding at Barking.
Beam Valley, Dagenham Beam valley park.jpg
Beam Valley, Dagenham
The ruins of Barking Abbey form an open space. Barking abbey ruins london.jpg
The ruins of Barking Abbey form an open space.

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, one of the outer London boroughs, has over 25 parks, gardens and open spaces within its boundaries. These provide the "green lungs" for leisure activities.

Contents

Principal open spaces

Apart from smaller green areas such as sports grounds and smaller gardens, the following are the major open spaces in the Borough:

Barking

Dagenham

Castle Green Castle Green 2.jpg
Castle Green

Chadwell Heath

Marks Gate

Mayesbrook Park, in the borough is one of 11 parks throughout Greater London chosen to receive money for redevelopment by a public vote in 2009. The park received £400,000 towards better footpaths, more lighting, refurbished public toilets and new play areas for children. [1]

Water

The River Thames forms the southern edge of the borough. In many places there is a Thames Path, following the river, however views are problematic due to the high flood defences and industrial premises on the waterfront.

The River Roding forms the western boundary with the London Borough of Newham. This is accessible around the Town Quay area, Barking's former port.

Local nature reserves

Local nature reserves in the borough are: Beam Valley Country Park, Dagenham Village Churchyard, Eastbrookend Country Park, Mayesbrook Park South, Parsloes Park Squatts, Ripple Nature Reserve, Scrattons Eco Park and The Chase Nature Reserve.

Related Research Articles

Becontree Human settlement in England

Becontree or is an area of approximately 4 square miles (10 km2) in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is located 11 miles (17.7 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross and was constructed in the interwar period as the largest public housing estate in the world. The Housing Act 1919 permitted the London County Council to build housing outside the County of London and Becontree was constructed between 1921 and 1935 to cottage estate principles in the parishes of Barking, Dagenham and Ilford, then in Essex. The official completion of the estate was celebrated in 1935, by which time the estate had a population of around 100,000 people in 26,000 homes.

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is a London borough in East London. It lies around 9 miles (14.4 km) east of Central London. It is an Outer London borough and the south is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway; an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. At the 2011 census it had a population of 187,000, the majority of which are within the Becontree estate. The borough's three main towns are Barking, Chadwell Heath and Dagenham. The local authority is Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council. Barking and Dagenham was one of six London boroughs to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Dagenham Human settlement in England

Dagenham is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred 11.5 miles (18.5 km) east of Charing Cross. Dagenham is a Post Town and was, from 1945 till 2010, a parliamentary constituency with very different borders to the post town of the same name.

River Roding River in Essex and Greater London, England

The River Roding is a river in England that rises at Molehill Green in Essex. It then flows south through Essex and London and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames.

Barking (UK Parliament constituency) Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1945 onwards

Barking is a constituency formed in 1945, and represented since then by a member of the Labour Party in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since 1994, its Member of Parliament has been Margaret Hodge.

Thames Chase

Thames Chase is a community forest of 9842 hectares located in 47 sites in London and Essex, England. Its stated aim is "to renew and regenerate the landscape at the edge of East London and South Essex by creating Thames Chase, the Community Forest: a varied wooded landscape for local people to influence, create, use, enjoy and cherish".

Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Croydon

The London Borough of Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces within its boundaries, ranging from the 200 acre (80ha) Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km², the 256th largest district in England. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across the borough and into the North Downs, Surrey and the rest of South London. Some of the open spaces in Croydon form part of the well-known London LOOP walks where the first section was opened on 3 May 1996 with a ceremony on Farthing Downs in Coulsdon. As a borough in Outer London it also contains some open countryside in the form of country parks. Croydon Council is associated with several other boroughs who are taking part in the Downlands Countryside Management Project. These boroughs are Sutton; and by Surrey County Council; the City of London Corporation; the Surrey districts of Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge; and the Countryside Agency. An additional partner is Natural Britain.

Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in spite of being close to the centre of London and perhaps retaining the idea of it being the docklands area, has over 100 areas of parks and open spaces within its boundaries. These range from the huge to small gardens and squares. In common with all the London boroughs, these green spaces provide "lungs" for the leisure pursuits of the inhabitants.

River Rom

The River Rom, also known as the River Beam below its confluence with the Ravensbourne, is a tributary of the River Thames in England that flows through east London suburbs surrounding the metropolitan centre of Romford, forming the boundary between the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Havering. The Rom is culverted for a brief midsection as it passes through the centre of Romford.

Eastbrookend Country Park

Eastbrookend Country Park is an 84-hectare park and Local Nature Reserve in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in England. Together with the neighbouring Chase Nature Reserve it is also designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.

Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Wandsworth

The inner London borough of Wandsworth contains some 670 hectares of green space in the form of parks, commons, allotments and cemeteries, which is the largest amount for an Inner London borough. Central London borders some of the borough's boundary with the Thames the closest park to which is Battersea Park.

Valence House Museum

Valence House Museum is the only surviving of the five manor houses of Dagenham. The timber-framed museum building, partially surrounded by a moat, is situated in Valence Park off Becontree Avenue, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London, England. The building has been used as a manor house, a family home, a town hall, the headquarters of the library service and now houses a museum.

There are various formal and informal subdivisions of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Castle Green, London Human settlement in England

Castle Green is a park and suburb in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, United Kingdom. The locality is close to Creekmouth and is part of the Becontree estate.

The Chase Nature Reserve

The Chase is a nature reserve in Dagenham in London. Most of it is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with a small part in Havering. It is owned by the boroughs, and managed by London Borough of Barking & Dagenham - Parks & Countryside Ranger Service. The boroughs have designated the sections in their respective boroughs as Local Nature Reserves. The Chase, together with the neighbouring Eastbrookend Country Park, is also designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.

Mayesbrook Park

Mayesbrook Park is a 43 hectare public park in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is owned and managed by the borough council. The southern end, which is mainly a large lake, is a Local Nature Reserve. The area covered by the park was once part of the historic Manor of Jenkins, seat of the Fanshawe family. For reasons which remain obscure, the park is sometimes nicknamed "Matchstick Island".

Parsloes Park

Parsloes Park is a 58 hectare public park in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is owned and managed by the borough council. A small area opposite the Wren Road entrance is managed for wildlife and designated as a Local Nature Reserve called Parsloes Park Squatts.

References

  1. London parks get £6m for revamp (BBC News) accessed 10 March 2009