Creekmouthis an area ofBarkingineast London,England. It is best known for its largeindustrial estate.[1]The industrial area around River Road and Thames Road is one of theLondon Borough of Barking and Dagenham's largest employment areas. Creekmouth has a wide range of businesses from small local manufacturers to major multi-national companies.[2]
| Creekmouth | |
|---|---|
 Barking Creektidal barrier from the Creekmouth industrial estate | |
  Creekmouth Location withinGreater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ457448 |
| •Charing Cross | 10 mi (16 km)W |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BARKING |
| Postcode district | IG11 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
History
editThe Creekmouth Village as it was known, was built not far from theThamesandRodingriverbanks in the 1850s by John Bennett Lawes, primarily for workers at his factory, the Lawes Chemical and Fertiliser Company.[3]The village consisted of two rows of small houses, approximately fifty in total, and had its own school, Mission Hall, shop and apublic housecalled The Crooked Billet, which is mentioned in records going back to 1719. The village community was very isolated.
Most people who lived here worked for the chemical factory, or on the river, on the barges or asLightermen.The area was surrounded by marshes and fields full of grazing cows and horses.[3]For much of the 20th century Creekmouth was the location of the formerBarking Power Station;[4]the current station is further east nearDagenham Dock.
The1953 North Sea floodstruck the village hard - with the sea surge flooding the entirety of the village to a height of 3 feet (0.91 m).[5]Although no one lost their lives,[6]the village at Creekmouth was demolished soon after. Residents were rehoused on the nearbyThames View Estate.[7]Subsequently, theBarking Creektidal barrier was constructed in the early 1980s as part of the wider flood defences of London.[8]
Governance
editThe local authority isBarking and Dagenham London Borough Council.The area is within theThames ward,which returns three councillors. For elections to the London Assembly it is part of theCity and Eastconstituency. For elections to the UK Parliament it is within theBarkingconstituency.
Geography
editThe regeneration project, costing £290,000 was started in 2005 and has seen the Environment Agency work in partnership with local charity the Creekmouth Preservation Society to transform disused land at theBarking Barrierinto a green space.
Billy Bragg,poet and musician, originally from nearby Barking, helped local children from Thames View Junior School plant over 500 wild flower bulbs at the "Creekmouth Open Space" at the Barking Barrier on 28 November 2007.[9]
Transport
editCreekmouth is served by theEast London Transitbus serviceEL3,which runs betweenLittle HeathandBarking Riversideand theEast London Transitroutes EL1 and EL2 serve nearbyThames View,to the north of Creekmouth with routes toBarking,Ilford,Barking RiversideandDagenham Dock
ACreekmouth DLR stationwas proposed on theDagenham Dockextension of theDocklands Light Railway,however this was cancelled in 2008.[10]
References
edit- ^"Industries Old and New".Creekmouth Preservation Society.16 December 2014.Retrieved15 April2020.
- ^Creekmouth to Castle Green StudyArchived22 November 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^abCreekmouth Preservation Society
- ^"'The borough of Barking'".A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5 (1966), pp. 235-248.Victoria County History.Retrieved5 December2007.
- ^"The Village That The Thames Washed Away".Londonist.10 February 2017.Retrieved15 April2020.
- ^Odeen-Isbister, Sara (31 January 2013)."Great Flood anniversary: Memories of devastation in Creekmouth, Barking".Barking and Dagenham Post.Retrieved15 April2020.
- ^"Thames View Estate".Creekmouth Preservation Society.12 June 1954.Retrieved15 April2020.
- ^"Constructing the Barking Barrier".Creekmouth Preservation Society.27 January 2015.Retrieved15 April2020.
- ^Bard of Barking Billy Bragg to join Stone Walk ceremonyArchived12 May 2008 at theWayback Machine
- ^"TfL scraps projects and cuts jobs".BBC News.6 November 2008.Retrieved15 April2020.