"MY "BARKING TOWN"" a Barking Town Travel Page by MikeStarr5

Strange as the name "Barking" may seem, my research has shown me that we are anything but unique. If you do a search on Virtual Tourist you will find both a Barking and "Barking Town" in East London - Essentially these are both the same place and information about the two should perhaps be amalgamated.

Further afield but still in the UK, there is village called Barking in the county of Suffolk. Over the pond in America, you can find another Barking near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

My "Barking Town" is situated roughly 10 miles to the east of Central London. It's not the most obvious London suburb to visit while you are in England but for those who take the time and make the effort, Barking Town has many hidden gems and a rich history to explore.

There is another great advantage to staying here and that is the cost. We have a clutch of reasonably priced hotels and Bed and Breakfast places. These charge a mere fraction of Central London prices. However, in less than 25 minutes you can be at the Tower of London and in another 15 you are the heart of the West End.

Food lovers will not be disappointed either as Barking Town Centre is a Mecca for very cheap places to eat (especially if you like Asian or Oriental food.)

Those who like proper English beer, as opposed to fizzy continental lager will also be delighted to learn that CAMRA (Campagn for Real Ale) has bestowed the honour of London Pub of the Year 2007 on Barking Town's "The Britannia" (see my "Nightlife" and "Local Customs" tips for further details). While you are in that part of town, why not have a stroll around Barking's brand new, award winning, ultra modern Mediterranean style village in "Tanner Street" (See My Things To Do Tip".)

But please don't think of Barking Town as just somewhere cheap to sleep and eat and drink excellent beer, there's a diverse selection of museums, sculptures, markets and other things to please our visitors.

Barking is an ancient market town with a bustling modern day market which still thrives today. It was founded in 666AD by the then Bishop of London. Barking Abbey was built but later destroyed. A picturesque Norman church called St Margaret's was built on its ruins and it is there that Captain Cook married in 1762. Around 700 years previously in 1066, William the Conqueror had established his first council in Barking Abbey.

FISHING

Throughout its history, fishing has always been an important industry to Barking Town. Unfortunately by 1900, it had ceased to exist as a working fishing port, leaving only a few street and pub names as a reminder of its former importance to the town. But to commemorate this, a large and very impressive modern sculpture called "The Catch" has been errected near the town centre (See my "Things to Do Tip" for full details.

I have given a brief summary of Barking Town's history both here and in some of my tips but those who wish to can research further on Ian Vickers excellent website www.barkingdagenhamlocalhistory.net

My thanks to Ian for all his hard work.

Last Updated 15th November 2007 - To be continued as and when time permits .......