Local Studies Information Sheet No.16, available at, Eastern Main Lines; Ilford to Shenfield, Dave Brennand, 2002, Middleton Press, Midhurst, Becontree and Dagenham, A Report Made for the Pilgrim Trust, Terence Young, Becontree Social Survey Committee, London 1934. Adjacent to Wills depot at Chadwell Heath, there was a four-track engine shed, capable of accommodating all the locomotives. Though the heaths name was sometimes spelled Beacontree, it had no original connection with beacons but is likely to have referred to the tree of a man called Beohha. On top of that piece of chewing gum was some cat poo - and I bet you can imagine what happened," he said mimicking someone sucking their thumb in pain. If you have read our article about education on the Becontree Estate, you may get the idea that the London County Council was not always prepared in serving the needs of Becontree residents during the early years. ), Experience in trench warfare in Belgium and France during World War I had shown that temporary railway systems were efficient in bringing and removing materials in difficult terrain. However, the demand for housing meant that a further 800 homes were built in 1937. The site occupied 3,000 acres of farmland and market gardens, and was entirely rural in character. [26], According to the 2011 census, White British was the largest ethnic group in Becontree ward at 51%. Running east to near Chadwell Heath, it then turned broadly south through the future estate, to a 500 feet (150m) jetty on the Thames, a little to the west of the area known as Horse Shoe Corner. Report as Inappropriate. In 1945, the Huntington Estate sold the Los Angeles Railway to the infamous National City Lines that promptly renamed it Los Angeles Transit Lines, and started dismantling the streetcar lines. "Banishing London's slums: The interwar cottage estates", Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, Local Government Boundary Commission for England, Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, List of schools in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, "Becontree Estate Bus Tour, Dagenham | Open House London 2017", "Dagenham: Introduction and manors | British History Online", "Wythenshawe - Latest news updates, pictures, video, reaction - Manchester Evening News", "London County Council (Money) Bill (By Order) (Hansard, 22 May 1957)", The Boundaries of Greater London and The London Boroughs, Local Government Boundary Commission For England: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, "The East London Boroughs (London Borough Boundaries) Order 1993", "The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000", "Telephone Service, Dagenham (Hansard, 2 February 1955)", "Dominion and Rainham Exchanges (Hansard, 26 March 1958)", "Ward Profiles and Atlas London Datastore", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Becontree&oldid=1141796439, Districts of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 21:17. Crescents, cul-de-sacs and indoor toilets were but a dream for the residents of London's slums in 1919. Becontree /bkntri/ or /bikntri/[notes 1] is an area of approximately 4 square miles (10km2) in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Most of the estates houses were constructed in red brick with tiled roofs, although many of the walls have since been pebble-dashed or stone-clad. Sprawling across four square miles of Barking and Dagenham in east London, Becontree has neither the strident architectural drama of a place like Thamesmead, nor the quaint bucolic charm of a. When the Becontree Estate was officially opened in 1935, it consisted of 27,000 new homes built on 3,000 acres of former market garden land - and these homes housed 120,000 people - making the estate the largest social housing estate in the world at that time. Residents competed every year to win the best kept garden competition, Becontree was the first council house estate to be built under the Addison Act, The estate under construction in 1927 - it would eventually cover four square miles, The Becontree tenants handbook contained 20 conditions, ranging from parental responsibility for the orderly conduct of children to requiring that no washing was hung from windows, The gardens were a source of pride for many, Crowds flocked to the opening ceremony of Becontree in the 1920s, The estate, which was finally completed in 1935, is still considered to be the largest in Europe, Windows were to be cleaned once a week, doorsteps must be scrubbed and children were banned from playing in communal gardens, Many of the homes, once identical, now have character, Barry Watson has lived in one of the estate's "suntrap houses" on Wykeham Avenue since the 1940s, Alexander McDonald's family moved to 5 Manor Square in 1921, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. [29] The median house price in 2014 in Becontree ward was 210,000, which along with the borough is one of the lowest in Greater London.[28]. [25] The first secondary school to be built was "Green Lane" in 1923, but it later became a primary school. The four square mile estate, which was finally completed in 1935, is still considered to be the largest in the UK, followed by the Wythenshawe estate in Manchester. The estate has formed part of Greater London since 1965, when the Barking section was combined with Dagenham, and has been within a single London borough since boundary changes caused the Ilford section to be transferred from Redbridge to Barking and Dagenham in 1994. The name Becontree was not used for a settlement at that time, but the estate was named after the ancient Becontree hundred, which historically covered the area. DeSantis won't say he's running. [28] In addition, the figures for Parsloes ward, which also covers parts of Becontree, were 61%, 14%, and 30.9% respectively. Privet hedges (referred to as "evergreens" or "evers") were planted along the pavements at the end of every front garden and during the spring and summer months a squad of gardeners were employed to keep them in regulation height. Electricity was supplied by the County of London Electric Supply Company in Dagenham and the electricity services of Barking and Ilford municipal corporations in those sections. The stations were primarily served by the District Railway, which had been extended from Barking to Upminster. "I agree that there were some very poor people [living there] but there were many more men who had jobs to go to.". If we told you they had 4-5 different stations to travel to London, you may think thats pretty good going. "Our house was gigantic - it had a big kitchen, a well-kept garden that ran all the way around the back and the front. The total distance was somewhat over 3 miles. "It was such an innovative scheme that King George V visited the estate in 1923, when he had tea with one of the early tenants," remembers Bill Jennings, who moved to the estate in 1954. Wills & Sons acquired a fleet of thirteen industrial locomotives for the work, and also a number of wagons for the internal conveyance of materials from the gravel pits and from the jetty; materials arriving via the main line railway were conveyed in the carriers' wagons, but these could not be detained on the Estate network unless a demurrage charge was paid. A brief history of the Becontree estate Built on an unprecedented scale, the Becontree estate is a cottage estate in east London with a radical past rooted in Garden Cities principles. Other residents used the LMS steam lines, particularly as the population increased and private housing stretched along the LMS Barking to Dagenham and Southend lines. The first review of boundaries in London commenced on 1 April 1987 and reported in 1992. "You could even go pea and potato picking in the fields nearby. The four square mile estate, which was finally completed in 1935, is still considered to be the largest in the UK, followed by the Wythenshawe estate in Manchester. Much of this area was part of Parsloes, once the largest manor in Dagenham and the property of the Passelewe family in 1257. Were you ever told stories about the difficulties in travelling to work? [6][7] Private home ownership in the area has grown, and Wythenshawe has continued to expand. Residents commuted to Inner London for work, until the May & Baker and Ford Dagenham sites opened nearby. "He would report people if they didn't keep their hedges trimmed or if their curtains were not clean enough.". Railway sidings in housing estate construction site. "One abiding memory of my childhood was my grandmother's fear of the 'terrifying weasel-looking' rent collector," says Barry, 77. The name is Old English and means 'tree of a man named Beohha'. Residents in the southern part of the estate had the options of Dagenham or Dagenham Dock. Becontree was often referred to as "Corned Beef City" by historians and commentators because of the "staple diet" of its "poor residents". We used to watch the water voles swimming about in them," he wrote. The railway remained property of his estate. But residents in the largely working class town are beginning to feel the impact of rising food prices, energy . Another ran south-west from Wood Lane; its alignment became Porters Avenue; it turned into another gravel pit, which is now the pond in Parsloes Park. Crescents, cul-de-sacs and indoor toilets were but a dream for the residents of London's slums in 1919. "People used to fight over who had the best kept garden, now they are merely extra space for cars or rubbish. "People used to fight over who had the best kept garden, now they are merely extra space for cars or rubbish. Some families moved out of the area for that very reason.". Then into Liverpool Street, and onwards to Bond Street where his offices were located. The railway, which used standard gauge steam locomotives, operated between 1921 and 1934.[1]. It was a novel idea and one that attracted attention from royalty to famous people who took up residence, including singer Sandie Shaw, England football manager Sir Alf Ramsey and footballer Bobby Moore. ", Peter's family was one of the first to move into Dagenham's newly built estate in east London, taking up residence in 19 Chitty's Lane. Had the line of the Claybury railway/tramway been followed in 1893, the development of NE London would have been radically different Forum Rules, Information & How To Do Tutorials, Signal & Railway Simulations and Modelling, Other London Underground & TfL Railways Matters. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1996. Between 1921 and 1932 the London County Council developed a public housing estate on land between Barking and Dagenham: when completed it consisted of 27,000 dwellings. In 1926 the London County Council offered land free to the District Railway if they agreed to extent their line to Becontree. All I have is the lovely memories of my beautiful home and how Becontree became Becontree. In the 60s i got the 62 bus from valance avenue to chadwell heath. They were only able to achieve 3,000 and the works were extended into three phases lasting until 1935. The second-largest was Black African, at 13%. They planned quadrupling of their line and this was inaugurated on 12 September 1932. "It was such an innovative scheme that King George V visited the estate in 1923, when he had tea with one of the early tenants," remembers Bill Jennings, who moved to the estate in 1954. Some did persist as supply routes (like the Surrey asylums railway Wikipedia: Horton Light Railway) but most were simply taken up and reused. As revenge for confiscating a football, Barry and his friend once played a "cruel trick" on the rent collector. There was a workshop for maintaining the locomotives and the internal wagon fleet, as well as the construction plant in use on the contract. [20] Lines were connected from nearby exchanges until the DOMinion exchange was opened within the estate. As revenge for confiscating a football, Barry and his friend once played a "cruel trick" on the rent collector. [1] Contents 1 Becontree housing estate 2 A temporary railway [12][13] Barking and Ilford were established as suburbs of London and had been urban districts since 1894. [1] Contents 1 Becontree housing estate 2 A temporary railway 01 March 2021 The Becontree estate was once described as the largest social housing estate in the world. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. The London Tilbury & Southend Railway company was purchased by the, Currently (2012) "On display at Ingrow West awaiting overhaul". All houses were supplied with gas by the Gas Light and Coke Company; most had gas lighting and some were fitted with electric lighting. The railway, which used standard gauge steam locomotives, operated between 1921 and 1934. He recalls how London County Council attempted to discourage heavy drinking by refusing to build no more than six pubs on the estate and how residents had to adhere to strict rules. Various schemes were discussed locally to improve services as complaints increased. But alas, this was not for too long. [1] The tree would have stood on Becontree Heath, just outside the eastern boundary of the estate. At the time Peter and his family moved in, Becontree was proclaimed the world's largest council estate, with 26,000 homes. Engines of War: How Wars Were Won and Lost on the Railways, Christian Wolmar, Atlantic Books, London, 2010. What stands out even with the temporary railways like Becontree Estate and others would be how it unintentionally influences later planners investigating railway schemes, at least in terms of nearby location (if nothing else) the Claybury railway example brings to mind yet another stillborn (albeit high-speed) rail scheme running through south of Claybury Park in parallel to the unbuilt M12. The estate is named after the ancient Becontree Hundred, which historically covered the area. The London County Council were ambitious to create a township complete in itself, including integrated transport. (See a outline of the RM8 postcode area on Google Maps.). The 1960 report of the commission recommended that Barking and Dagenham should form as a single London borough and this became the London Borough of Barking in 1965 following the London Government Act 1963. "Some of Becontree was but a muddy lane with a ditch running its length and filled with water. Between 1924 and 1930 a further 15,000 houses were built, followed by 7,736 more by 1935, Today, there are more than 27,000 houses on the estate. You can't change it. ", Peter's family was one of the first to move into Dagenham's newly built estate in east London, taking up residence in 19 Chitty's Lane. The first residents were almost all relatively prosperous working-class families, such as factory workers and busmen. Between 1921 and 1932 the London County Council developed a public housing estate on land between Barking and Dagenham: when completed it consisted of 27,000 dwellings. The allure of a spacious home with running water, two to four bedrooms and a parlour was hugely appealing, despite conditions that windows were to be cleaned once a week, doorsteps must be scrubbed and children were banned from playing in communal gardens. [19] In 1927 the LCC was reluctant to agree that the Postmaster General should provide subscriber telephone lines to the estate, as it was considered incongruous for residents of a subsidised housing scheme to be able to afford such a luxury. The words at the top of the list are the ones most associated with becontree housing estate . Read about our approach to external linking. Another improvement was after the 1952 smog, when the estate was declared a smokeless zone. Running from the sidings on the up side (south) of the line at the eastern end of Goodmayes station, the line ran parallel eastwards almost to Chadwell passenger station and then crossing the area now occupied by the station car park and turning south to cross Chitty's Lane (now Station Road) on a skew, and heading almost due south; its alignment is the present day Valence Avenue: the railway came first, and the new road was formed as an early dual carriageway, straddling the railway line, which was in a central reservation. [5] Other images from 1928 appear to show completed housing, with no indication of the railway. Part of a larger PRC estate around Huntsman Road, This was known as a 'Part III authority' under the, Gayler, Hugh J. Geographical excursions in London. Read about our approach to external linking. [14] The plan was not followed and Dagenham Civic Centre opened in 1937 outside the eastern boundary of the estate. [24] There were no railway stations within the boundaries of the estate, with Chadwell Heath, Dagenham, Dagenham Dock and Goodmayes a short distance away. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. It gained urban district status in 1926. The Midland Railway (owners of the LT&S line) responded by opening Gale Street Halt where Gale Street crossed its line, in 1926, but its capacity was limited. These days, we have regular services around the local area and into London much more regular, but definitely still busy! The main line then turned south-east along what became Parsloes Avenue, turning south at about the intersection with the present Raydons Road. ), Experience in trench warfare in Belgium and France during World War I had shown that temporary railway systems were efficient in bringing and removing materials in difficult terrain. "Mahatma Ghandi once spent the night at Kingsley Hall [community centre], leaving a portrait of himself and a spinning wheel as gifts to the community.". [8], The LCC built the estate to rehouse people from London's East End, who were displaced by slum clearance. Below is a list of becontree housing estate railway words - that is, words related to becontree housing estate railway. "You could even go pea and potato picking in the fields nearby. It is mainly in the London Borough of Lewisham and partly in the London Borough of Bromley . The General Post Office placed the entire estate in the Dagenham post town, including the Barking and Ilford sections, giving all residents postal addresses of "Dagenham, Essex". Residents on the estate were made to live with these poor transport links until the early-mid 1930s. After the temporary Becontree Estate Railway was dismantled in 1934, has it ever been established if there was an unstated intention by subsequent planners to eventually establish an indirect north-south successor route of sorts to further improve rail connectivity in the area? (Except in the Seven Kings estate areas, there were no other roads in the district prior to the construction. In 1933 and 1934 Wills auctioned off much of the fleet; the locomotive Lord Mayor was finally engaged on recovering material from the track and wharf. The line continued as far as Wood Lane, where there was another level crossing. (The Ford Motor Company's works at Dagenham was established in 1931.) After the Second World War, between 1949 and 1951, 600 additional houses were built by the LCC in Dagenham in an area called Heath Park, adjacent to the estate. 2023 BBC. The area was within the Metropolitan Police District. East London has a long history of brass bands, and Becontree Brass Band was founded in 1981 as an amalgamation of several local bands. A century later, its residents reflect on living in a "working class haven". It was estimated that 35% of the estate's workers travelled between 5 and 10 miles to work, and 32% 10 to 15 miles[8] A The established stations at Chadwell Heath and Goodmayes were already competent, but to the south of the new estate the LT&S line had no station. The top 4 are: standard gauge, world war i, demurrage and great eastern railway.You can get the definition(s) of a word in the list below by tapping the question-mark icon next to it. Many of the first residents came from Limehouse, where a slum clearance programme was under way at the time. Eventually travel and communications between the different areas of the estate improved, even more so following the reorganisation of London Local Governments in 1965. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It was compulsorily purchased. [notes 2] Before the Second World War Barking and Ilford, but not Dagenham, were providing elementary education. It was very common before the days of derv-powered equipment to build temporary railways to enable huge civil engineering projects. Union Pacific, based in Omaha and founded 160 years ago, oversees about 3,200 miles of railway in California. Maurice : Friday 11th of January 2013 07:28:27 AM: Becontree Estate Railway . The Becontree Estate was influenced by the Garden City movement initiated by Ebenezer Howard in 1898 and Ewelina came from a similar, yet much smaller Garden City herself. A total of thirteen locomotives operated on the railway; they were all industrial type saddle tank locomotives, some of them purchased new for the work: There is a photograph of Lord Mayor in action at. Valence House, the districts only other piece of heritage, was preserved as a showpiece for the Becontree estate and is now home to a highly regarded local history museum. Becontree was simply a working class haven.". [3], As well as bringing materials in by train via Goodmayes, gravel and aggregate were brought in to the jetty; this was 500 feet long and capable of handling seven barges; there were four steam cranes.[4]. (Except in the Seven Kings estate areas, there were no other roads in the district prior to the construction. Jackson, p. 299: "Before [September 1923], with virtually no places available in existing schools, the children of the Becontree tenants ran wild all day, no doubt having a marvellous time". With a population of over 100,000, it remains the largest public housing development in the world. "It was certainly the largest in the UK when planned and developed in the interwar period. At times Wythenshawe has also claimed to be the largest council housing estate in Europe. Begun in 1921, Becontree was the flagship of the London County Councils cottage estate housebuilding programme and was intended to accommodate 100,000 people. I doubt whether many of them were engineered other than on a cheap and dirty basis, so I don't think any would have been laid out with any kind of permanent use in mind. Orange Empire Railway Museum is located at 2201 South "A" Street in Perris (17 miles south of Riverside on Highway 215). The District Line, Mike Horne, 2006, Capital Transport Publishing, Middlesex, "EPW017649 ENGLAND (1927). If families failed to meet these standards, they faced being thrown out of their homes. The Becontree estate was a groundbreaking scheme that re-housed some 100,000 people, many of whom had lived in London's slums. If mathematical, chemical, physical and other formulas are not displayed correctly on this page, please useFirefox or Safari, The London Tilbury & Southend Railway company was purchased by the, Currently (2012) "On display at Ingrow West awaiting overhaul". Please support this website by adding it to the whitelist in your ad blocker. The Becontree Estate remains the largest public housing development in the world. You can't change it. CPTRR Website 2022 A century later, its residents reflect on living in a "working class haven". The first such homes were built at Becontree in 1921, on what was then the market gardens of Dagenham Village. However, residents would have to endure a muddy 20-minute walk to Dagenham Dock Station, to then be greeted by poor service and only one train per hour during rush hour. Adjacent to Wills depot at Chadwell Heath, there was a four-track engine shed, capable of accommodating all the locomotives. Wills & Sons acquired a fleet of thirteen industrial locomotives for the work, and also a number of wagons for the internal conveyance of materials from the gravel pits and from the jetty; materials arriving via the main line railway were conveyed in the carriers' wagons, but these could not be detained on the Estate network unless a demurrage charge was paid. Barry Watson lives with his wife, Shirley, in one of the estate's desirable "suntrap houses" on Wykeham Avenue. The route of the main line of the railway is shown on the diagram; numerous spurs and short branches were added as work locations moved around. Its principal backers, J. C. Ainsworth, George Ainsworth, and R. R. Thompson, had been involved in lumber and shipping enterprises in the Pacific Northwest and saw the line as a connection between a deep water anchorage at Redondo and Los Angeles. [9] Prospective tenants were interviewed by London County Council officials in their homes to check their suitability and the size of family, their domestic standards and financial resources. She'd never let me open the fruit cupboard in case I got dirt on it.". [9] The new frequent services were operated by the electric trains of the Metropolitan District Railway, which was incorporated into the London Passenger Transport Board the following year. One has to wonder what the next hundred years will see.". Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi and Albanian are among the minority languages spoken. 5/6d per week. LCC Becontree, Barking No. It was considered to form part of the Greater London conurbation for census reporting and in 1957 formed part of the review area of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London. The area had a very limited transport network; although three railway lines crossed from west to east, the very limited road system consisted of country lanesshown in grey on the diagram. It was a few doors down from number 26 - the first house built in Becontree. [6], There were two semi-permanent branches: one led eastwards to a gravel pit near the site of Valence Moat; the pit yielded 600,000 tons of sand and gravel before exhaustion, after which it was filled in with domestic refuse. Maurice : Friday 11th of January 2013 07:27:22 AM: User Comment Contributions . Some of the estates early drawbacks have been overcome but the township is still not well-endowed with amenities. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The night before the service started, the station offices were open for ticket purchase. At the age of four, he recalls his mother telling him they were "going on an adventure to a new life, away from disease and plague.". All content Hidden London 20052023, except where stated otherwise. Report as Inappropriate. Continuing south it turned south-west and Dagenham Avenue was later formed on its course. But all was not rosy. Each property would have front and back gardens, hot and cold water, one or two living rooms, a scullery and indoor bathrooms and toilets, By 1921, 4,000 houses had been completed and the first tenants moved into Becontree at the end of that year. [14] After the Second World War Dagenham also provided elementary education. "It was just like being in the countryside - the air was so fresh, despite some construction work still taking place," says Peter. By using this website you imply consent to its use of HTML cookies. Initially the estate had no industrial and very little commercial development planned to support the population. [3], Goodmayes and Chadwell Heath were the interchange points with the existing main line network; at that time the Great Eastern main line was already quadruple track, and extensive goods sidings were available at Goodmayes.[7]. Each property would have front and back gardens, hot and cold water, one or two living rooms, a scullery and indoor bathrooms and toilets, By 1921, 4,000 houses had been completed and the first tenants moved into Becontree at the end of that year. Becontree is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham - and is located 11 miles to the east of central London and a mile or so south of London Shoes-Romford base. Built in the 1920s and 30s, locals say the neighbourhood is still a great place to live. Smells of grass, freshly grown flowers and the surrounding acres of fields were a stark contrast to the toxic smog in the city. Used to take about an hour/75 mins. On top of that piece of chewing gum was some cat poo - and I bet you can imagine what happened," he said mimicking someone sucking their thumb in pain. The allure of a spacious home with running water, two to four bedrooms and a parlour was hugely appealing, despite conditions that windows were to be cleaned once a week, doorsteps must be scrubbed and children were banned from playing in communal gardens. The railway, which used standard gauge steam locomotives, operated between 1921 and 1934. Working-class Housing in England Between the Wars: The Becontree Estate (Oxford Historical Monographs), Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Licence, Brewers Dictionary of London Phrase & Fable. It cost me 15/- for a weekly ticket plus bus fare. Parents had to ensure their children were kept orderly, no washing could be hung from windows and front gardens had to be kept neat. "It was certainly the largest in the UK when planned and developed in the interwar period. Engines of War: How Wars Were Won and Lost on the Railways, Christian Wolmar, Atlantic Books, London, 2010. [1]Contents1 Becontree housing estate2 A temporary railway3 The route4 Locomotives5 Dismantling6 Public . Before the Becontree Estate was constructed, Becontree had been a big market-garden area, with country lanes and cottages scattered here and there.