Description
In 1868 the Gas Light and Coke Company acquired land here and opened its new works in 1870, called Beckton after the Governor of the Company. Housing was built in the area for the local workforce and in 1901 Beckton Park was opened by East Ham Borough Council. It once had a bandstand and lake, but has been remodelled. An avenue of plane trees flanks a tarmac path from Manor Way to the Stroud Centre where there are rose beds and spring bulbs. The park is now part of Beckton District Park.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Savage Gardens; Beckton Public Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Savage Gardens/Manor Way, East Ham |
| Postcode | E6 |
| What3Words | ///arena.plank.discouraged |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Newham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | dawn to dusk |
| Facilities | Play area, bowling green, cricket pitch, football pitch, multi-use games area, tennis court, changing room |
| Public Transport | DLR: Beckton. Bus: 101, 300, 678. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In 1868 the Gas Light and Coke Company acquired nearly 220 hectares of former marsh pastureland here and opened its new gasworks in 1870. Named Beckton after the Governor of the Company, Simon Adams Beck, this became the largest such facility in Europe, catering for 4.5 million customers. As a result of this, housing was soon needed for the new workforce and the New Beckton estate was built in 1881. In 1901 East Ham Borough Council provided its first municipal housing project consisting of a row of 143 tenements for local workers along the embryo park at Savage Gardens. The Municipal Dwellings of Savage Gardens were named after Councillor Savage JP and were opened by Councillor John Brooks on 7 February 1901. The public park was laid out to the west of East Ham Manor Way, running along the entire southern side of Savage Gardens, and had a lake and bandstand. The original gate pillars remain but the railings are of later date. The park was remodelled in later years; it has a new pavilion, and is now part of Beckton District Park.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ430811 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 6.68 |
| Site Ownership | LB Newham |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | c.1901 |
| 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 | Newham |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
St Mary Magdalene Church was built in c.1130 and is one of the oldest in the country, its churchyard one of the largest in London. The ancient parish church indicates where the medieval settlement o East Ham was centred; it is also near the site of a Roman cemetery discovered in 1864. The churchyard was officially closed for burials in 1974 and was a wilderness until its value as a wildlife reserve was realised in c.1977. It is now managed as East Ham Nature Reserve and is an important teaching resource for Newham schools. In 1981 hedges were planted, a copse of Scots pines was planted and the Visitors Centre was built. It is an important haven for wildlife and is home to a large population of lizards and slow worms.
Royal Victoria Gardens were opened by the LCC in 1890 on land acquired with funds raised through public subscription. The former marshland had been acquired by George Bidder's North Woolwich Land Company in the 1840s and was rapidly developed for industrial use, encouraged by new rail and ferry links. In 1850 the proprietor of the Pavilion Hotel expanded his hotel and laid out tea gardens, which he opened in 1851 as the Royal Pavilion Pleasure Gardens. Crowds of visitors were attracted to its numerous entertainments but in the early 1880s it began to make a loss, but the site was saved from development. The public gardens were completely redesigned, with little remaining of the pleasure gardens apart from the riverside terraces and central walk. There were a series of cells of a different character or activity, and a bandstand in the centre of the southern terrace. The Gardens suffered bomb damage during 1940 and little of the Victorian layout remains today.
King George V Park opened in 1982, its name deriving from the King George V Dock, third of the Royal Docks, which opened in 1921. After closure of the Royal Docks in 1981, much of the area was subject to regeneration. Within the park was the former Newham City Farm, which predated the park but was closed in 2022. In 2024 Newham Council approved its Beckton Parks Masterplan that proposes significant improvements to a swathe of Beckton's green spaces, encompassing King George V Park, the former city farm site, New Beckton Park and Beckton District Park, North and South.