Barking Park

Barking Town Urban District Council Recreation Ground opened to the public in April 1898, the first municipal park provided as the Barking New Town area was developing following the arrival of the railway. By the 1950s the park was being described as 'probably the finest municipal park in East London'. The original layout and features included ornamental gardens, a bandstand, bowling green and tennis courts, and a large boating lake with duck nesting islands. The Park Keeper's Lodge at the south-west corner was built in 1902. Planting included alleys of London plane and Robinia, and other exotic trees still found in the park include maidenhair and foxglove trees; an avenue of horse chestnut trees was planted by Prince George on his visit to the park in the mid 1930s. The original layout had included a small central nursery that was later expanded.

The oldest part of the park landscaping is by the lake, which was formed by damming the Loxford Water that runs in a separate channel adjacent and forms the boundary with LB Redbridge. Additional features were provided over the years and included a miniature railway in the 1930s; children's paddling pool; 18 hole putting green; football pitches as well as more bowling greens, pavilions, and toilets. An Open Air Swimming Pool or Lido, designed by Mr R A Lay, Engineer & Surveyor to the Council, was built with funds raised from the Minister of Health and the Unemployment Grants Committee, at a cost of £13,000. Ornamental cascades provided for the aeration of the water. The lake was extended at this time and today is some 910m long. The Lido was opened on 2 May 1931 to music from Beckton Gas Light Military Band, and exhibitions of swimming and 'high and fancy diving', races and a water polo match. The Lido and boating lake were popular and well used, and at one time a converted paddle steamer, The Phoenix, was an attraction on the lake.

In the north-west of the park is the Barking Park War Memorial, which was listed in 2015, an impressive Portland stone monument now dedicated to those from Barking who lost their lives during both world wars. The memorial was erected in 1919 and comprises a three-stepped flagstone pavement with a centrally positioned pylon and curved, flanking walls. The pylon features a centrally-positioned stone laurel wreath carved in relief flanked by the inscribed and gilt dates '1914-1918'. A plaque below the wreath reads IN GRATITUDE TO ALL/ WHO SERVED, AND IN HONOUR/ OF THE MEN OF BARKING WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR. Inscribed and gilded below this plaque are the dates '1939-1945'. The war memorial was unveiled by the Revd. Avison Terry Scott on 25 March 1922 and dedicated by the Suffragan Bishop of Barking. It was designed by distinguished local architect C J Dawson FRIBA (1850-1933), who was consultant architect to Barking Borough Council between 1899-1923 and was responsible for the design of Barking Park and its boating lake. The memorial masons were Messrs Samuel Baymouth & Sons and it was constructed by local builder J Clement. Originally the names were incised into stone tablets, but due to weathering these had become illegible by 1992, when a new plaque was added to honour the lost names. A further plaque was added in October 2000 and 14 bronze plaques with enamelled lettering to replace the original name tablets, which were unveiled at a re-dedication service on 5 August 2001. Following research, an additional 385 names were added to the memorial at this time. The War Memorial was restored in 2008 and is now listed Grade II. 

In October 1931 a large pageant was held for the Charter Celebrations to mark the granting of borough status to Barking, which included a Historic Pageant and an Industrial Exhibition both held in the park, the latter in a specially constructed exhibition hall measuring 13,000 sq ft. The Charter was presented by HRH Prince George.

Although the 1970s saw some new facilities, including an Indoor Bowls Centre and Sports Pavilion, other features including the Lido, which closed in 1988, and the central glasshouses have been lost, although the park in 2010 underwent restoration with funding from HLF, which was secured in February 2008, with a completion date of Spring/Summer 2011. Consultation on seating, skate areas and planting proposals were undertaken with the local community including the Friends of Barking Park. The planting provides seasonal colour and variation whilst reflecting the late Victorian layout of the ornamental area. Consultation with groups such as Abbey Children's Centre, Barking and Dagenham Youth Forum and local special need groups took place for the relocated play areas, Skate Park and for a new wet play area located on the site of the former Lido.

The Barking Park Light Railway, which had closed in 2006, was formally re-opened to the public on Saturday 11 April 2009, with a community open day to celebrate the event. It runs from the main gates in Longbridge Road to the boating lake and is a 7¼ inch gauge railway, with a 'Drewery' type locomotive that was hand-built in Kings Lynn by a model engineer, and a 'Class 15' built from a modified kit. The passenger carriages are all handmade.