BARKING & DAGENHAM IS IN East London on the north bank of the River Thames and within the M25 London orbital motorway.

Our neighbours are Redbridge, Newham and Havering.

Over 150 000 people live in Barking & Dagenham, which is one of the smaller Boroughs in the area.

Whenever you travel through Barking & Dagenham, chances are you’ll be on the A13. Recently the A13 Artscape has seen a smattering of hi-tech sculptures springing up along the roads entries and exits. The idea began in 1996, when artist Tom de Paor was approached by the council. “Highlights” include Holding Pattern (a light sculpture, visible from the air by planes flying to City Airport and Madonna’s Bra (not its real name, but a pretty accurate description of it appearance).

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Eastbury Manor House was built on rural land in the west of the borough. Eastbury was one of several manors in the Barking, Dagenham and Ilford areas. This land formed the Manor of Barking, which belonged to Barking Abbey, once the largest estate in Essex. The precise date of construction of the present Eastbury House is uncertain. Building work is believed to have taken place during the time of Henry VIII, who was the Lord of Barking.