[1] Contents 1 Becontree housing estate 2 A temporary railway Before the Becontree Estate was constructed, Becontree had been a big market-garden area, with country lanes and cottages scattered here and there. 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 estate was built without any provision for car parking as it was not anticipated that tenants would own cars. At its peak, the site employed 6,000 workmen and houses were completed at the rate of 97 per week. "My parents, my four brothers and I moved from a two bedroom flat in Whitechapel to Chitty's Lane in 1926. [5] Ilford was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1926, Barking in 1931 and Dagenham in 1938. There was a workshop for maintaining the locomotives and the internal wagon fleet, as well as the construction plant in use on the contract. The Castle Peak and Thunder Railroad, CPTRR, is a Disney-themed backyard garden railroad built as a hobby by architect David Sheegog in Anaheim, California. In terms of population, it's probably since been superseded by some large estates in the former Soviet Bloc but it must remain one of the largest in area today.". 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. [4] Swansea and Cecil Levita are each depicted in photographs in Dave Brennand's book[7]. 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. 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. 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. By the 1930s, Becontree had grown larger than many provincial cities. There were also some problems regarding travel within the estate itself, with a huge lack of transport between the northern and southern areas. ), 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. 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. By using this website you imply consent to its use of HTML cookies. 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. Continuing south it turned south-west and Dagenham Avenue was later formed on its course. 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 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. It connected the railway sidings at Goodmayes on the Great Eastern line and a wharf with a new 500ft jetty, on the River Thames. 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. [24] There were no railway stations within the boundaries of the estate, with Chadwell Heath, Dagenham, Dagenham Dock and Goodmayes a short distance away. It is mainly in the London Borough of Lewisham and partly in the London Borough of Bromley . 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. For more information about Orange Empire Railway Museum upcoming events, visit the Museum's website: www.oerm.org or call (909) 657-2605. The District Line, Mike Horne, 2006, Capital Transport Publishing, Middlesex, "EPW017649 ENGLAND (1927). "For them, the days of slumming it in the East End were over. Most residents are white, but there is also a sizeable black British community, of Caribbean and primarily African descent, together with a growing Asian minority. 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. 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. The railway, which used standard gauge steam locomotives, operated between 1921 and 1934.[1]. "He would report people if they didn't keep their hedges trimmed or if their curtains were not clean enough.". In the late 50s and up to his retirement in 1978, my Dad caught the 25 from the Matapan along Green Lane to the Lord Napier and then walked along to Goodmayes station. [14] All gas lighting was converted to electricity in 1955. There was a workshop for maintaining the locomotives and the internal wagon fleet, as well as the construction plant in use on the contract. At the river's edge, the line turned east alongside a wharf. It has a current population of over 100,000 and is named after the ancient . 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. "A month or so later, he fell off his bike in the street and not one person went over to help him. In terms of population, it's probably since been superseded by some large estates in the former Soviet Bloc but it must remain one of the largest in area today.". 2023 BBC. 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. 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. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Becontree was often referred to as "Corned Beef City" by historians and commentators because of the "staple diet" of its "poor residents". 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. 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. At times Wythenshawe has also claimed to be the largest council housing estate in Europe. The Downham Estate is a London County Council cottage estate in Downham, south east London. "My father, who worked in a biscuit factory in Bermondsey, used to complain there wasn't a pub on the corner [at home] where he could enjoy a few pints after his long commute. Residents on the estate were made to live with these poor transport links until the early-mid 1930s. 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. "The estate has changed vastly throughout the years," says Peter. 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. Railway Bylines, vol 10 issue 6, (June 2005), Radstock, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Becontree was simply a working class haven.". It crossed the London Tilbury & Southend Railway[note 1] line on a temporary bridge at about the site of the present Hatfield Road footbridge. That's how universally hated he was.". 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. Print. 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. 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. [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. Parsloes Park was opened to the public as part of the ceremony marking the inauguration of the estate. ), 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. "Becontree was among the first of the London County Council's post-war schemes in 1919," says social housing author, John Boughton. [10] One clause in the contract of tenancy stipulated that children born to parents living on the estate would not be housed by the LCC and when the time came for them to establish their own homes, the relevant local authority would be expected to provide housing.[11]. Other images from 1928 appear to show completed housing, with no indication of the railway. "The budgets for parks and gardens and general maintenance must have felt a serious squeeze and everything generally felt much less cared for. It was first recorded in Domesday Book in the garbled form Beuentreu. [2], Because of the lack of available land in the County of London, the Housing Act 1919 permitted the London County Council (LCC) to build housing and act as landlord outside of its territory. 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 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. Becontree was simply a working class haven.". [15][16] Following the review, in April 1994 an area of 90 hectares with a population of 200, was transferred from Redbridge to Barking and Dagenham, and a new ward of Becontree electing two councillors was created. Parents had to ensure their children were kept orderly, no washing could be hung from windows and front gardens had to be kept neat. 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. [2], Wills & Sons established a temporary railway, connecting with existing goods sidings at Goodmayes on the Great Eastern Railway main line. (The Ford Motor Company's works at Dagenham was established in 1931.) The Becontree estate was a groundbreaking scheme that re-housed some 100,000 people, many of whom had lived in London's slums. The railway, which used standard gauge steam locomotives, operated between 1921 and 1934. [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. Built in the 1920s and 30s, locals say the neighbourhood is still a great place to live. 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. Engines of War: How Wars Were Won and Lost on the Railways, Christian Wolmar, Atlantic Books, London, 2010. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1996. This page was last updated at 2019-11-08 05:32 UTC. It crossed Green Lane, and a gated level crossing was formed here; further south, when Becontree Avenue was later built, a level crossing was provided here too. It wasnt until May 1927 that there was a direct connection via omnibus. 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).. Becontree was developed between 1921 and 1935 as a large cottage estate of around 26,000 homes, intended to be "homes fit for heroes" for World War I veterans. We used to watch the water voles swimming about in them," he wrote. 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. All I have is the lovely memories of my beautiful home and how Becontree became Becontree. From here, the trail begins its historical aspect as there are signs with old pictures, historic plaques, and abandoned railroad pieces. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. [26], According to the 2011 census, White British was the largest ethnic group in Becontree ward at 51%. As revenge for confiscating a football, Barry and his friend once played a "cruel trick" on the rent collector. The stations were primarily served by the District Railway, which had been extended from Barking to Upminster. An additional 1,000 houses were added in later phases. But residents in the largely working class town are beginning to feel the impact of rising food prices, energy . Becontree is a London Underground station located to the south of Becontree in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, east London. The night before the service started, the station offices were open for ticket purchase. All our content comes from Wikipedia and under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The recent opening of Barking Riverside and previous ideas for the Overground and DLR to reach Thamesmead has got me thinking. 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. 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 Heath 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. The words at the top of the list are the ones most associated with becontree housing estate . Residents in the southern part of the estate had the options of Dagenham or Dagenham Dock. It was a few doors down from number 26 - the first house built in Becontree. I was the king of the castle. 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. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. "Those who watched the construction of Becontree were immediately filled with hope of a new world," says Peter Fisher, who has lived on the estate for 92 years. 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. "We put a piece of chewing gum which was hiding a drawing pin on the latch of his gate. LCC Becontree, Barking No. I was the king of the castle. London County council cottage estate in Europe steam locomotives, operated between and! Developed in the London Borough of Lewisham and partly in the 1920s and 30s, locals say the is! In Downham, south east London live with these poor transport links until the early-mid 1930s here! 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