Description
Barkingside was part of the municipal borough of Ilford, which once lay within the large estate lands belonging to Barking Abbey. In the 1880s the hamlet consisted of a few houses and cottages, the church, public houses and the charitable institution of Dr Barnardo, but even into the 1920s the area was quite rural. Barkingside Recreation Ground dates from the early C20th. Near the entrance on Cranbrook Road is a drinking fountain presented in 1906 by Cllr W P Griggs, JP and Chairman of Ilford UDC's Parks Committee.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Cranbrook Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Cranbrook Road/Mossford Green, Barkingside, Ilford |
| Postcode | IG6 |
| What3Words | ///event.paths.later |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Redbridge |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Daily 8am-dusk (check site owner for closing time); closed Christmas Day |
| Facilities | Children's play areas, 2 cricket pitches, 2 football pitches, tennis courts, toilets. Barkingside Cricket Club |
| Public Transport | Tube: Barkingside (Central). Bus: 129, 150, 167, 247, 275. |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Barkingside was part of the municipal borough of Ilford, which once lay within the large estate lands belonging to Barking Abbey. Its position in relation to the Hainault Forest may have been the reason for the name Barkingside despite its distance from Barking. In the 1880s the hamlet consisted of a few houses and labourers' cottages, the church, public houses and the charitable institution of Dr Barnardo, but even into the 1920s the surrounding area was quite rural. Barkingside station opened in 1903. Barkingside Recreation Ground was originally called Cranbrook Park, and dates from c.1906. Near the entrance on Cranbrook Road is a drinking fountain that was presented in 1906 to Cranbrook Park by Cllr W P Griggs, JP and Chairman of Ilford UDC's Parks Committee. The park had a children's playground and was the venue for regular local flower shows in the 1940s (and later?). The park is largely laid to grass with perimeter trees, and retains its iron railings and gates.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ442897 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Redbridge |
| Site Management | Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure Ltd |
| Dates | early C20th |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Redbridge |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Open Space |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Holy Trinity Barkingside Churchyard is among the oldest burial grounds in Barkingside, now closed to burials. The church is marked on early C19th plans as 'Mosfoot' parish church. In the churchyard are numerous headstones, and a few chest tombs and monuments; the earliest surviving grave dates from c.1790. The churchyard is adjacent to Barkingside Cemetery; it has notable horse chestnut and willow, and the boundary to Mossford Green has a low brick perimeter wall and simple iron entrance gate with arch/light. The present church, a yellow brick building in Norman style, was rebuilt in 1839-40 to designs of Edward Blore, and extended twice since. The chancel was added in c.1898, and the north and west vestries were added in the C20th.
Barkingside Cemetery is a municipal cemetery, which opened in 1922/23. In 1954 when the cemetery had become full an extension was opened to the west, Barkingside Garden of Rest. It is laid out on a simple grid with wide paths and some covered seats. A small hedged plot on the north east side is reserved for deceased members of Dr Barnardo's Village Home, which had been established in 1875, at which time Barkingside was a small village. Barkingside Station opened in 1903 and the area gradually became built up.
Dr Barnardo's Village Home for Girls was founded here in 1875, built on part of the estate of Mossford Lodge where Dr Barnardo and his wife Syrie set up home in 1875. Barnardo had the entirely new idea of providing individual 'cottages' for destitute girls of different ages, each supervised by a house mother. The planned community was built around a series of village greens and at one time was home to over 1,000 girls on a site of 60 acres, with schools, a children's church and other facilities; boys were admitted in the 1930s. Some of the first cottages were named after flowers and plants, and the children undertook gardening duties. Dr Barnardo was buried here in 1905, his large memorial located in the grounds. In 1991 the village officially closed as a children's home, and the site is much reduced today although part of the original greens survive. Among fine trees are Scots pines and oak, garden areas include roses and ornamental shrub, and there are 3 Victorian fountains.
