London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is a London borough in East London. It lies around 9 miles (14.4 km) east of Central London. It is an Outer London borough and the south is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway; an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. At the 2011 census it had a population of 187,000, the majority of which are within the Becontree estate. The borough's three main towns are Barking, Chadwell Heath and Dagenham. The local authority is the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council. Barking and Dagenham was one of six London boroughs to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. History The London Borough of Barking was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covered almost all the area of the Municipal Borough of Barking and the greater part of the area of the Municipal Borough of Dagenham, both of which were abolished by the same act. At the time of its creation the combined population of Barking and Dagenham was around 180,000, the northern tip of Dagenham having been incorporated into Redbridge and a small area of Barking in Newham. The borough was renamed Barking and Dagenham in 1980. In 1994, the borough was expanded to cover the Becontree estate that until then had been within the Borough of Redbridge. The area covered by Mayesbrook Park in the Borough was once part of the historic Manor of Jenkins, seat of the Fanshawe family. Historic records of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and predecessor bodies the Borough of Barking and the Borough of Dagenham are held at the Barking and Dagenham Archive Service, Valence House Museum. There are a total of 52 listed buildings located within the borough's boundaries. The Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings in the borough include Eastbury Manor House, the Church of Peter and Paul, Dagenham and Valence House.