Industrial History Online
Barking Town Quay
Key Words :- quay
Address :- London, Greater London
Grid Ref :- TQ 43962 83720
Co-ordinates :- Lat 51.534037 , Long 0.074193
Local Authority :- Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council
Pre 1974 County :- Essex
Description and History of Site:-
Once used by large fishing fleet. Brick quay wall, probably C19th, topped by modern reinforced-concrete flood wall. In public highway is 2-metre wide strip of granite setts with iron-mooring rings, sockets (4 posts?), and short length of double rail track for travelling crane. Berths for barges on riverbed. Important place for cleaning bottom of barges.
Information from John Lewis: 'A wharf of some kind must have existed here near Barking Abbey from its foundation as the river would have been the main form of transport. As manorial property the wharf was maintained by the Abbey until the Dissolution, since when the responsibility for its upkeep was held by the parish and its ownership has now descended to the present Borough. One of the main uses of the quay in the 19th and early 19th centuries as for the landing of London's sewage and offal to be used as agricultural manure in the local market gardens, much to the annoyance of Barking townsfolk.'
In 1998, as part of an attempt to revitalise the town's riverfront area, the Town Quay was given a complete facelift with a concrete raised seating platform and new street lights depicting the town's fishing and maritime history. Unfortunately, this work obliterated the remains (granite setts, barge mooring rings and the railtrack) of the quay's industrial use.
Further Reading and References:-
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Grid Ref :- TQ 43962 83720
Co-ordinates :- Lat 51.534037 , Long 0.074193
Local Authority :- Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council
Pre 1974 County :- Essex
Once used by large fishing fleet. Brick quay wall, probably C19th, topped by modern reinforced-concrete flood wall. In public highway is 2-metre wide strip of granite setts with iron-mooring rings, sockets (4 posts?), and short length of double rail track for travelling crane. Berths for barges on riverbed. Important place for cleaning bottom of barges.
Information from John Lewis: 'A wharf of some kind must have existed here near Barking Abbey from its foundation as the river would have been the main form of transport. As manorial property the wharf was maintained by the Abbey until the Dissolution, since when the responsibility for its upkeep was held by the parish and its ownership has now descended to the present Borough. One of the main uses of the quay in the 19th and early 19th centuries as for the landing of London's sewage and offal to be used as agricultural manure in the local market gardens, much to the annoyance of Barking townsfolk.'
In 1998, as part of an attempt to revitalise the town's riverfront area, the Town Quay was given a complete facelift with a concrete raised seating platform and new street lights depicting the town's fishing and maritime history. Unfortunately, this work obliterated the remains (granite setts, barge mooring rings and the railtrack) of the quay's industrial use.
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Contributor :- GLIAS Database - 2 June 2018
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © GLIAS Database
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © GLIAS Database