becontree estate railway
She grew up 10 minutes away, on the same estate, in a two-bed home that belonged to her parents, who moved from Hackney when their house was bombed in the Blitz. 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. The LCC hoped to build 24,000 homes by 1924. The tenants came from the skilled working class in relatively secure jobs and earning slightly more than the average wage. 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. (Except in the Seven Kings estate areas, there were no other roads in the district prior to the construction. Eventually travel and communications between the different areas of the estate improved, even more so following the reorganisation of London Local Governments in 1965. At first, trains on the Fenchurch StreetSouthend line of the LMS passed through the estate without stopping, but in 1926 the LMS provided Gale Street Halt on the line. The site occupied 3,000 acres of farmland and market gardens, and was entirely rural in character. Click here to remove banner ads from this forum. The line turned south again a little north of Ripple Road, and ran directly to the River Thames, crossing the Tilbury railway line on a temporary timber trestle bridge. It is on the District line between Upney to the west and Dagenham Heathway to the east. Wills went on to undertake another large housing contract for the London County Council, at St Helier in south-west London. There was a westward-facing holding siding here, and a passing loop a little to the north. "You could even go pea and potato picking in the fields nearby. We used to watch the water voles swimming about in them," he wrote. Railway sidings in housing estate construction site. The area was within the Metropolitan Police District. "She loved having the simplest of things - like kitchen cupboards and a stove. 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. A special railway was built especially for the building work. What's he waiting for? The Redondo Railway was incorporated in April 1889. Barry Watson lives with his wife, Shirley, in one of the estate's desirable "suntrap houses" on Wykeham Avenue. The LCC's objectives for Becontree estate sound very self-fulfilling for residents: "Tenants shall be as free as possible to order their lives in their own way, so that they may preserve their originality and that self-reliance shall not be weakened." But the reality was quite different. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. There were eventually trains to Fenchurch Street too, but these were infrequent and badly overcrowded. The main line then turned south-east along what became Parsloes Avenue, turning south at about the intersection with the present Raydons Road. Becontree, Barking & Dagenham 'The world's greatest public housing project' at its inception, Becontree is a gargantuan council estate covering four square miles of former fields, heath and parkland north of Dagenham. "Becontree was among the first of the London County Council's post-war schemes in 1919," says social housing author, John Boughton. 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". Built as a 3' 6" gauge steam road, the Redondo . The Housing Act 1919 permitted the London County Council to build housing outside the County of London and Becontree was constructed between 1921 and 1935 to cottage estate principles in the parishes of Barking, Dagenham and Ilford, then in Essex. The railway, which used standard gauge steam locomotives, operated between 1921 and 1934. [5] Other images from 1928 appear to show completed housing, with no indication of the railway. We used to watch the water voles swimming about in them," he wrote. The West to East route also increased considerably in 1928, enabling the resident to travel from the Chequers (extreme South East) to the Royal Oak (extreme North West) using two buses. The building of the estate caused a huge increase in population density, which led to demands on services and reforms of local government. [17] The wards and councillor allocations were redrawn in 2002.[18]. "People used to fight over who had the best kept garden, now they are merely extra space for cars or rubbish. The total distance was somewhat over 3 miles. The new District Railway's line ran immediately adjacent, on the north side, to the existing LT&S line, and the old and new stations formed a single four-track station unit, renamed Becontree. Please Login or Register. By using this website you imply consent to its use of HTML cookies. Yet the reality was quite different. This page was last updated at 2019-11-08 05:32 UTC. It is perhaps for this reason that Becontree and Dagenham became synonymous. "It was certainly the largest in the UK when planned and developed in the interwar period. Very interesting, are there any houses still have baths in kitchen and is there a house not modernised as it was built Regards Linda, Your email address will not be published. The line continued as far as Wood Lane, where there was another level crossing. [12][13] Barking and Ilford were established as suburbs of London and had been urban districts since 1894. 2023 BBC. You can't change it. 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. "Becontree was among the first of the London County Council's post-war schemes in 1919," says social housing author, John Boughton. You can't change it. When built, the development occupied parts of the parishes of Barking, Dagenham and Ilford, with administration split between the three respective urban district councils. DeSantis won't say he's running. Initial candidates were selected by the rent collectors during their weekly rounds and a committee decided on the final prizes, which ranged from ten shillings consolation prizes up to 20 (an average week's rent in 1953 was about 1 18/- (1.90)) for the first prize in each ward, plus a notice placed in the centre of the lawn for the benefit of passers-by. Becontree was often referred to as "Corned Beef City" by historians and commentators because of the "staple diet" of its "poor residents". The Becontree Estate Railway was a temporary railway system built in the area between Chadwell Heath and the River Thames to facilitate the construction of what became known as the Becontree Estate. Read about our approach to external linking. Walking through the estate today, dozens of cars line pavements, wheelie bins rest against the front of garden walls, and satellite dishes are dotted on roofs. The creation of a very large area of urban housing generated a demand for public transport for the residents; many workers continued in their former employment in East London. ), 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. "You could even go pea and potato picking in the fields nearby. She'd never let me open the fruit cupboard in case I got dirt on it.". The LCC provided eleven garages for rent in 1937 and a further eighty in 1951. The houses had their old fireplaces converted for use with smokeless fuel, which included fixed gas pokers in the hearths. 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". Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi and Albanian are among the minority languages spoken. The only way for a resident of the northern area to get to the southern area (and vice versa) was either walking or travelling via Bus to Barking and changing 6d or 8d for a single fare. As far as my mum was concerned, it was heaven - though she had difficulty making a house look a home with our somewhat meagre possessions. The Downham Estate provides an example of the programme of building council housing occurring in Britain between the First and Second World Wars. Then the train to Stratford change to underground to Moorgate for work then back again. Parents had to ensure their children were kept orderly, no washing could be hung from windows and front gardens had to be kept neat. Other images from 1928 appear to show completed housing, with no indication of the railway. (The Ford Motor Company's works at Dagenham was established in 1931.) That's how universally hated he was.". There was a workshop for maintaining the locomotives and the internal wagon fleet, as well as the construction plant in use on the contract. Becontree is a London Underground station located to the south of Becontree in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, east London. . Although the estate regulations stipulated that the gardens must be maintained in order, more than a few degenerated into virtual jungles. Its near-identical streets, whose houses once all looked the same, now have a sense of ownership about them: one house is painted pink, another is coated in trails of wisteria. [14] After the Second World War Dagenham also provided elementary education. "It was certainly the largest in the UK when planned and developed in the interwar period. The Becontree Estate was developed between 1921 and 1932 by the London County Council as a large council estate of 27,000 homes, intended as 'homes for heroes' after World War I. It is located 11 miles (17.7km) east-northeast of Charing Cross and was constructed in the interwar period as the largest public housing estate in the world. Alexander's daughter Christina said while her father's memories of the estate were mostly happy ones, he had considered it a "dump" in the years before his death. With the trends towards smaller families and more people living alone, Becontrees population is now much smaller than originally envisaged. One has to wonder what the next hundred years will see.". [5], 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. But all was not rosy. One has to wonder what the next hundred years will see.". 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. 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. (See a outline of the RM8 postcode area on Google Maps.). It crossed the London Tilbury & Southend Railway[note 1] line on a temporary bridge at about the site of the present Hatfield Road footbridge. [6][7] Private home ownership in the area has grown, and Wythenshawe has continued to expand. She collected local materials and then created a fire . "But that's life. A good indication of the railway alignment in 1927 is at [2] image no 017649. As revenge for confiscating a football, Barry and his friend once played a "cruel trick" on the rent collector. The estate took 15 years to complete. It was renamed "Henry Green" in 1953, after the first headmaster after the secondary school opened in 1925. 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. [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]. To the north, the common land of Becontree Heath was probably the meeting place of the court of the Becontree hundred, the medieval administrative division that extended as far as Havering. The Becontree estate was a groundbreaking scheme that re-housed some 100,000 people, many of whom had lived in London's slums. Crescents, cul-de-sacs and indoor toilets were but a dream for the residents of London's slums in 1919. "The estate has changed vastly throughout the years," says Peter. An additional 1,000 houses were added in later phases. "The estate has changed vastly throughout the years," says Peter. 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. But thanks to chancellor Lloyd George's revolutionary scheme to make "homes fit for heroes", Becontree - the first and largest council estate in the UK - made those fantasies a reality. 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. [20] Lines were connected from nearby exchanges until the DOMinion exchange was opened within the estate. 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. It is likely that the main line itself was moved to suit the progress of the work. The line turned south again a little north of Ripple Road, and ran directly to the River Thames, crossing the Tilbury railway line on a temporary timber trestle bridge. It was a few doors down from number 26 - the first house built in Becontree. The second-largest was Black African, at 13%. At Heathway Station alone, the queue was huge and over 2,000 workmans tickets were sold for the following day, demonstrating just how necessary the extension was. It was estimated that 35% of the estate's workers travelled between 5 and 10 miles to work, and 32% 10 to 15 miles[7] 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. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [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. Before the Becontree Estate was constructed, Becontree had been a big market-garden area, with country lanes and cottages scattered here and there. But he conceded that the estate was unfinished when he moved from Poplar to 5 Manor Square when he was five years old and how the property had no fences and no garden, as it was still "littered with builders' equipment". In 1932 (when the line was doubled with the addition of two electrified tracks) Gale Street Halt became Becontree station and a new station was added at Heathway. All I have is the lovely memories of my beautiful home and how Becontree became Becontree. In 1926 the London County Council offered land free to the District Railway if they agreed to extent their line to Becontree. It was anticipated that the mergers of existing boroughs might produce unsatisfactory boundaries in some places and a Local Government Boundary Commission for England was established by the Local Government Act 1972 to review periodically the boundaries of Greater London and the London boroughs. 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. That's how universally hated he was.". It is mainly in the London Borough of Lewisham and partly in the London Borough of Bromley . It was compulsorily purchased. As far as my mum was concerned, it was heaven - though she had difficulty making a house look a home with our somewhat meagre possessions. If part of the journey did eventually include a bus too, the cost could increase by 2d to 4d per day. "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.". The LT&S service continued in operation until 1962, from which time only the District Line trainsnowadays the District Line of Transport for Londonserve the station. Report as Inappropriate. Approximately 50% of the estate was in Dagenham, 33% in Barking and 17% in Ilford. "Some of Becontree was but a muddy lane with a ditch running its length and filled with water. 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. Alexander McDonald, who lived on the estate from 1921 until he was 81, wrote in his memoirs that he had never heard it referred to by that name. Barking was renamed Barking and Dagenham in 1980. Becontree / bkntri / or / bikntri / [notes 1] is an area of approximately 4 square miles (10 km 2) in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Services such as education and libraries were provided by Essex County Council throughout the estate. [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. 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. In addition, two gravel pits were created within the area of the construction itself, and these were served by short branches of the rail network. [8], The LCC built the estate to rehouse people from London's East End, who were displaced by slum clearance. Your email address will not be published. 01 March 2021 The Becontree estate was once described as the largest social housing estate in the world. It was a few doors down from number 26 - the first house built in Becontree. GWI, in turn, selected its Pittsburg and Shawmut . It is located 11 miles (17.7 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross and was constructed in the interwar period as the largest public housing estate in the world. With a population of over 100,000, it was, and remains, the largest public housing development in the world. It gained urban district status in 1926. Residents in the southern part of the estate had the options of Dagenham or Dagenham Dock. The recent opening of Barking Riverside and previous ideas for the Overground and DLR to reach Thamesmead has got me thinking. "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. [4], The very first houses completed, in Chittys Lane, are recognisable by a blue council plaque embedded in the wall. 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. 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. ", Inquest into death of first UK child Covid victim from Brixton, Search teams using every resource they can in hunt for Constance Martens baby, Womens History Month 2023: How to celebrate in London, from talks and tours to comedy nights, London bus: New advanced digital displays to be trialled on 63 route, Ed Sheeran announces surprise UK and Europe tour for 2023 - how to get tickets and full list of dates, LIVE: Hackney Central closed as man taken to hospital and armed police present, Greek transport minister resigns after deadly train crash, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The final incarnation of Parsloes manor house was demolished in 1925 owing to its dilapidated condition. In addition, two gravel pits were created within the area of the construction itself, and these were served by short branches of the rail network. According to research published in 2015, the RM8 postcode area which is mostly Becontree was at that time the most burgled place in Britain, where householders were 55 times more likely to be victims of theft than they were in Dundee. On 18 June 1919 the London County Council's Standing Committee on the Housing of the Working Classes resolved to build 29,000 dwellings to accommodate 145,000 people within 5 years, of which 24,000 were to be at Becontree. 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. Advertisements help keep Hidden London going. However, LCC was only a landlord in the area and had limited ability to influence commercial development and had no control over local government. 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. [1]Contents1 Becontree housing estate2 A temporary railway3 The route4 Locomotives5 Dismantling6 Public . During the early years of the estate, residents could travel to London via Chadwell Heath or Goodmayes both to the north of the estate. 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. For more information about Orange Empire Railway Museum upcoming events, visit the Museum's website: www.oerm.org or call (909) 657-2605. Once again, every train in rush hour was completely overcrowded. Of course, the Central Line Leytonstone- Newbury Park section part of the Loop was built ***under** Eastern Avenue in the late 30sa rail and road scheme rarely depending on each other. "He would report people if they didn't keep their hedges trimmed or if their curtains were not clean enough.". 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. 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. "For them, the days of slumming it in the East End were over. "A month or so later, he fell off his bike in the street and not one person went over to help him. But the LCCs ambitions could not be fully realised on an estate so lacking in education, healthcare and social facilities; and the housing, though adequate, was plain and monotonous. The first residents moved onto Chittys Lane in 1921, yet there were actually no transport services into the estate until December 1922, when the first bus linked the northern part of the Estate with Ilford. Yet there were no direct buses to take residents to these stations and it could be a rather long walk for some, especially as the estate grew. At the river's edge, the line turned east alongside a wharf. The Dagenham Girl Pipers were formed in 1930 as the first female pipe band in the world and are still in existence. General Motors, Standard Oil of California, and Firestone Tire were among the shareholders, hence the term . Below is a list of becontree housing estate railway words - that is, words related to becontree housing estate railway. Ilford became part of the new London Borough of Redbridge. By the 1930s, Becontree had grown larger than many provincial cities. Welcome Guest. Berkshire and Eastern Railroad (B&E) is a shortline railroad in New England and New York, using tracks owned by Pan Am Southern.Pan Am Southern is jointly owned by CSX Transportation (CSXT) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS).. "One abiding memory of my childhood was my grandmother's fear of the 'terrifying weasel-looking' rent collector," says Barry, 77. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. Most residents living on the Becontree estate had to travel to London each day for work, with the exception of a few employed locally, such as those in the building industry. Initially the estate had no industrial and very little commercial development planned to support the population. Some of the estates early drawbacks have been overcome but the township is still not well-endowed with amenities. "We put a piece of chewing gum which was hiding a drawing pin on the latch of his gate. The Downham Estate is a London County Council cottage estate in Downham, south east London. Maurice : Friday 11th of January 2013 07:27:22 AM: User Comment Contributions . And badly overcrowded Oil of California, and a further eighty in 1951 12... Who were displaced by slum clearance world Wars came from the skilled working class in relatively jobs. 14 ] after the secondary school opened in 1925 the line continued as far as Wood Lane, where was. Of the railway alignment in 1927 is at [ 2 ] image no 017649 3,000 acres of and... The railway, which included fixed gas pokers in the Seven Kings estate areas, there were trains... And Ilford were established as suburbs of London and had been urban districts since 1894 of whom lived. 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Pokers in the fields nearby the Ford Motor Company 's works at Dagenham was in! At 13 % south-west London train in rush hour was completely overcrowded help him related to Becontree housing in!