About Barking in Essex

Barking is a town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, England. It is located 8.8 miles (14.2 km) east of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a fishing and market town in Essex and formed an ancient parish. Its economic history is characterised by a shift from fishing to market gardening to intensive industrialisation.

The town of Barking was first recorded in a charter of 842 as Berecingum and was an important trading centre for fish, salt and grain. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it had become the largest town in Essex with a population of over 1,000. It remained a small market town until the 19th century when the development of the London docks and railways led to an increase in trade and population.

The town has a long history of religious diversity and is home to a number of churches, mosques and temples. It has also been an important site for political protest; the suffragettes held their first major demonstration in Barking in 1912 and the town was also the site of the 1968 anti-Vietnam War protests.

Barking is located on the north bank of the River Thames, east of London. It is bordered by Dagenham to the east, Ilford to the west, Thamesmead to the south and Becontree Heath to the north. The town centre is located just south of the A13 road which links Barking with London.

The town has a variety of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes as well as a theatre, cinema and library. There are also a number of parks and open spaces including Abbey Green, Barking Park and Tower Gardens.