Description
Dagenham Park opened in 1931 on land purchased by Dagenham UDC. The land was once part of the Manor of East Hall, which dated back to at least the C14th. The park was laid out with children's playground, drinking fountain, bandstand, rose beds, formal planting, bowling green, a Sports Arena with stands and pavilion, tennis courts and a putting green. Over the years various facilities were added to the park including a new stadium stand in 1950 and new children's playground in 1961. The park lodge remains near the original entrance gates.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Dagenham Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Vicarage Road/Ballards Road/Siviter Way, Dagenham |
| Postcode | RM10 |
| What3Words | ///insect.putty.ashes |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Barking & Dagenham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted - a public footpath runs through the park |
| Facilities | Car park; children's play area, football pitches, tennis courts, basketball court, bowling green, BMX track, multi-purpose sports pavilion |
| Events | Children's events |
| Public Transport | Tube: Dagenham East (District). Bus: 145. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In 1928 Dagenham Urban District Council purchased 69 acres under a Special Act of Parliament for the creation of Dagenham Park and The Leys (q.v.). The Manor of East Hall was in the area of what is now Old Dagenham Park; there are records of a John of East Hall in 1321 and in the C14th and C15th East Hall may have formed part of the Manor of Dagenhams or Jenkins, but in 1442 it was sold and became part of the Manor of Valence, the largest estate in Dagenham. East Hall manor house was demolished in 1792. The Valence estate had various owners; it was acquired in the C15th by Oriel College Oxford, and between 1475 and 1867 was owned by the Dean and Canons of Windsor when it was vested in the Ecclesiastical (later Church) Commissioners. Parts of the estate, including East Hall, were sold in the late C19th.
Plans of the new park, opened in 1931, show children's playground, drinking fountain, bandstand, rose beds, formal planting, bowling green, a Sports Arena with stands and pavilion, tennis courts and a putting green. The Leys open-air swimming pool, 165 ft by 75 ft and which boasted that 1,200 bathers could bathe in it, was opened in 1939 on a 3-acre site, with a superior filtration plant capable of purifying the pool every 6 hours, but unfortunately destroyed by enemy action in October 1940. The pool was eventually closed. Various new facilities accrued to the park over the years, including a new stadium stand in 1950 and new children's playground in 1961. Games Festivals were regularly held in the park. The 1930s Dagenham branch library - Rectory Library - stands just outside the park's north west corner.
Plans of the new park, opened in 1931, show children's playground, drinking fountain, bandstand, rose beds, formal planting, bowling green, a Sports Arena with stands and pavilion, tennis courts and a putting green. The Leys open-air swimming pool, 165 ft by 75 ft and which boasted that 1,200 bathers could bathe in it, was opened in 1939 on a 3-acre site, with a superior filtration plant capable of purifying the pool every 6 hours, but unfortunately destroyed by enemy action in October 1940. The pool was eventually closed. Various new facilities accrued to the park over the years, including a new stadium stand in 1950 and new children's playground in 1961. Games Festivals were regularly held in the park. The 1930s Dagenham branch library - Rectory Library - stands just outside the park's north west corner.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ497843 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 13.31 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barking & Dagenham |
| Site Management | Parks & Countryside Ranger Service |
| Dates | 1928-1931 |
| 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 | Barking & Dagenham |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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
The Leys is an open area of grassland with trees, shrubs and the Wantz stream running through it. It was formerly meadowland of Leys Farm, and once part of the Manor of East Hall, which dated back to at least the C14th. The site was purchased by Dagenham UDC in 1928 to provide for public recreation and at one time had a fine open-air swimming pool, which opened in 1939. The filtration plant was destroyed in WWII in 1940 and the pool eventually closed.
St Peter and St Paul's parish church dates back to the early C13th and was in the heart of Dagenham Village, one of the earliest Saxon settlements in Essex. The churchyard was originally c.1 acre but was extended to the south in the C19th. It was in use for burials until the 1990s, and has numerous tombs, including twenty dating from the C17th. The area around the church is neatly tended, while the area beyond is in a more natural state as the churchyard has been maintained for wildlife since the 1990s.
King George's Field is an enclosed grassed area laid out by Dagenham Borough Council in 1953 with a grant of £2,000 from King George's Fields Foundation to lay out the 2.1 acre site. The Foundation was set up as a memorial following the death of George V on 30 January 1936 and provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was dissolved in 1965. The small park was ‘to be laid out ... with provision for gardening facilities for Marsh Green School'. The gate piers have the characteristic heraldic stone plaques that denote all King George's Fields.
