Creekmouth

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Creekmouth
Barking Creek Tidal Barrier.jpg
Barking Creek tidal barrier from the Creekmouth industrial estate
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Creekmouth
Location within Greater London
OS grid reference TQ457448
  Charing Cross 10 mi (16 km)  W
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BARKING
Postcode district IG11
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°31′01″N0°05′57″E / 51.5169°N 0.0991°E / 51.5169; 0.0991 Coordinates: 51°31′01″N0°05′57″E / 51.5169°N 0.0991°E / 51.5169; 0.0991

Creekmouth is an area of Barking in east London, England. It is best known for its large industrial estate. [1] The industrial area around River Road and Thames Road is one of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's largest employment areas. Creekmouth has a wide range of businesses from small local manufacturers to major multi-national companies. [2]

Contents

History

The Creekmouth Village as it was known, was built not far from the Thames and Roding riverbanks in the 1850s by John Bennett Lawes, primarily for workers at his factory, the Lawes Chemical and Fertiliser Company. [3] The village consisted of two rows of small houses, approximately fifty in total, and had its own school, Mission Hall, shop and a public house called The Crooked Billet, which is mentioned in records going back to 1719. The village community was very isolated.

Most people who lived here worked for the chemical factory, or on the river, on the barges or as Lightermen. The area was surrounded by marshes and fields full of grazing cows and horses. [3] For much of the 20th century Creekmouth was the location of the former Barking Power Station; [4] the current station is further east near Dagenham Dock.

The 1953 North Sea flood struck the village hard - with the sea surge flooding the entirety of the village to a height of 3 feet (0.91 m). [5] Although no one lost their lives, [6] the village at Creekmouth was demolished soon after. Residents were rehoused on the nearby Thames View Estate. [7] Subsequently, the Barking Creek tidal barrier was constructed in the early 1980s as part of the wider flood defences of London. [8]

Governance

The local authority is Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council. The area is within the Thames ward, which returns three councillors. For elections to the London Assembly it is part of the City and East constituency. For elections to the UK Parliament it is within the Barking constituency.

Geography

The regeneration project, costing £290,000 was started in 2005 and has seen the Environment Agency work in partnership with local charity the Creekmouth Preservation Society to transform disused land at the Barking Barrier into a green space.

Billy Bragg, poet and musician, originally from nearby Barking, helped local children from Thames View Junior School plant over 500 wild flower bulbs at the "Creekmouth Open Space" at the Barking Barrier on 28 November 2007. [9]

Transport

Creekmouth is served by the East London Transit bus service EL3, which runs between Little Heath and Barking Riverside and the East London Transit routes EL1 and EL2 serve nearby Thames View, to the north of Creekmouth with routes to Barking, Ilford, Barking Riverside and Dagenham Dock

A Creekmouth DLR station was proposed on the Dagenham Dock extension of the Docklands Light Railway, however this was cancelled in 2008. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Barking and Dagenham</span> 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 the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council. Barking and Dagenham was one of six London boroughs to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dagenham</span> Town in east London, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barking, London</span> Human settlement in England

Barking is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is 9.3 miles (15 km) east of Charing Cross. The total population of Barking was 59,068 at the 2011 census. In addition to an extensive and fairly low-density residential area, the town centre forms a large retail and commercial district, currently a focus for regeneration. The former industrial lands to the south are being redeveloped as Barking Riverside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dagenham Dock railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Dagenham Dock is a National Rail station in the Dagenham Dock neighbourhood of Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, east London. The station is on the Tilbury loop of the London, Tilbury and Southend line, located 10 miles 45 chains (17.0 km) down the line from London Fenchurch Street between Barking to the west and Rainham to the east. The station was opened in 1908 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. The station serves a primarily industrial area adjacent to the River Thames, including the Ford Dagenham site, that is now going through redevelopment as a commercial and residential district. Its three-letter station code is DDK and it is in London fare zone 5. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by c2c. It is an interchange with the East London Transit bus service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Roding</span> River in Essex and Greater London, England

The River Roding rises at Molehill Green, Essex, England, then flows south through Essex and London and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East London Transit</span>

East London Transit (ELT) is a part-segregated bus rapid transit, operated as part of the London Buses network. The East London Transit opened in phases between 2010 and 2013. The scheme for this system was developed by Transport for London to meet the existing and anticipated demand for public transport in East London caused by the Thames Gateway redevelopment, and has been planned to allow for a possible future upgrade to tram operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Riverside</span>

The London Riverside is a redevelopment area on the north side of the River Thames in East London, England. The area was identified as a zone of change following the introduction of the Thames Gateway policy in 1995. Proposals for improvements in the area were at first developed by Havering and Barking and Dagenham councils, with a London Riverside Urban Strategy published in 2002. This was incorporated into the first London Plan published by the Mayor of London in 2004. Between 2004 to 2013 the planning powers in London Riverside and the Lower Lea Valley were the responsibility of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. Planning powers have now reverted to the local councils. Much of the land available for redevelopment is now owned by GLA Land and Property. There is also a London Riverside business improvement district, which covers a smaller area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Borough of Barking</span>

Barking was a local government district, and later civil parish and borough, in southwest Essex, England from 1882 to 1965. It was known as Barking Town from 1882 to 1931. The district included the town of Barking, eastern Beckton and the southwestern part of the Becontree estate. The district was within the Metropolitan Police District and experienced a steady increase in population during its existence. It now forms the western part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the eastern extremity of the London Borough of Newham in Greater London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becontree Heath</span> Human settlement in England

Becontree Heath is an open space in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The name has also been applied to the local area, in particular to the RM8 postal district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barking Riverside</span> Area of Barking, London

Barking Riverside is a mixed-use development in the area of Barking, east London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is being built on land formerly occupied by Barking Power Station, adjacent to the River Thames, and is 10.5 miles (16.9km) east of Charing Cross. The 440 acre brownfield site has planning permission for 10,800 homes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dagenham Dock</span> Human settlement in England

Dagenham Dock is a place in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in London, England. It is located to the south of Dagenham and on the River Thames. It was once the site of a large coaling port and continues to be the location of a small terminal licensed to handle coal off-loading. Today the site is used for a number of river-related uses including a 25 acres (100,000 m2) TDG depot with around 200 tanks for storage of petrol, distillates, aviation fuel, biofuels, tallow, ethanol, fertilisers, urea etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beam Park</span> Neighbourhood in London, England

Beam Park is a new neighbourhood in the south of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the London Borough of Havering. It is named after the River Beam which forms the boundary between the boroughs. It is part of the London Riverside opportunity area and is designated with neighbouring Rainham as a housing zone by the Greater London Authority. It covers an area of 29 hectares. It will include a town centre in the Havering part of the development and will be served by Beam Park railway station. Much of the land previously part of the Ford Dagenham site is being redeveloped as a joint venture between London and Quadrant and Countryside Properties. Planning consent for 3,000 homes was issued in February 2019 and construction began in May 2019. The first residents moved into Beam Park in December 2020. Planning permission was given for 947 additional homes in December 2022

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barking Power Station</span>

Barking Power Station refers to a series of power stations at various sites within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in east London. The original power station site, of the coal-fired A, B and C stations, was at River Road, Creekmouth, on the north bank of the River Thames. These stations were decommissioned by 1981 and were subsequently demolished. The later gas-fired power station was built further down the Thames near Dagenham Dock in the early 1990s. The site of the former power stations is being redeveloped as Barking Riverside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thames View Estate</span> Housing estate in Barking, London

Thames View Estate is a large housing estate in Barking and Dagenham in East London, England.

The Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock was a proposed extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Dagenham Dock in East London, to serve the Barking Riverside development and the wider Thames Gateway area.

There are various formal and informal subdivisions of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and of parts of that borough.

Public transport in the London Borough of Havering, in east London, England, is a mix of National Rail, London Underground, London Overground and Elizabeth line and London Buses services. Rail services are primarily radial to central London with bus services providing most of the orbital connections. The public transport authority is Transport for London and the local authority is Havering London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barking Riverside railway station</span> London Overground station

Barking Riverside is a railway station in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, East London. The station serves the Barking Riverside regeneration area, and was built as part of a £327m extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to the area. It opened on 18 July 2022. It is served by London Overground, and provides interchange with the Thames Clippers boat service from Barking Riverside Pier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Green railway station</span> Proposed Railway Station

Castle Green is a proposed railway station in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Plans for a station at the site, initially called Renwick Road, have been in development since at least 2002. The new station was first proposed to be between Barking and Dagenham Dock on the London, Tilbury and Southend line. In 2017 a station was safeguarded on the extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line between Barking and Barking Riverside. The station would serve the communities of Castle Green, Thames View Estate and new housing developments in the area.

Barking Riverside Pier is a Thames Clippers commuter service pier located on the River Thames at Barking Riverside. Passenger services began on 26 April 2022. The pier provides interchange with Barking Riverside railway station and local bus routes. The pier was brought into use following a renovation of the reinforced concrete coaling jetty previously used by Barking Power Station.

References

  1. "Industries Old and New". Creekmouth Preservation Society. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  2. Creekmouth to Castle Green Study Archived 22 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 Creekmouth Preservation Society
  4. "'The borough of Barking'". A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5 (1966), pp. 235-248. Victoria County History. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  5. "The Village That The Thames Washed Away". Londonist. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  6. Odeen-Isbister, Sara (31 January 2013). "Great Flood anniversary: Memories of devastation in Creekmouth, Barking". Barking and Dagenham Post. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  7. "Thames View Estate". Creekmouth Preservation Society. 12 June 1954. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  8. "Constructing the Barking Barrier". Creekmouth Preservation Society. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  9. Bard of Barking Billy Bragg to join Stone Walk ceremony Archived 12 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "TfL scraps projects and cuts jobs". BBC News. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2020.