Barking - a surprising place

Eastbury Manor House, Barking

Barking is over in East London. Before London spread, Barking was in the county of Essex. It's going to places in the outer reaches of the city that you realise just how big London is.

Eastbury Manor House is just outside the centre of Barking. The nearest tube station is Upney on the District Line or the Overground. I'd found the manor house by accident while online, and knowing the day was going to be cold, I decided spending some time inside a nice warm house would break up the day. The house is a short walk from the station, and their excellent instructions meant I didn't get lost! When I turned off the main road, the house was in front of me. My first reaction was, wow! I really didn't expect it.

Main hall downstairs with Tudor wedding feature over fireplace

Lots of information all around the house

Turret stairs

First floor

The house is owned by National Trust, but unusually it was free to National Art Pass members, so I got in for free. Apparently Eastbury was the Trust's first London property. These days it is surrounded by estates, but back in the day, it had large grounds incorporating the old Abbey. This is a quirky house, unusual. You think you've seen everything and then find another room or two. The staff were lovely, the cafe was great (I had a good home cooked meal there) and the toilets get the thumbs up. It was one of the best places I have visited in a long time and gets 10/10 from me.

View from a window today

Before the estate was built

I had the house almost to myself as it was very quiet. I enjoyed wandering the rooms, reading the many and informative histories of the building and the people who lived and worked there. There is a garden with several recesses in the surrounding walls where wicker bee hives (called skeps) where kept. To the side is a kitchen garden and courtyard for the cafe. The cafe itself is in the old kitchens, and there is a large fireplace and a hot food cupboard beside it. In reception there are a few things on sale, but not a book about the house. However, their website sets out the history, along with events coming up.

Where the 'skeps' were kept in the wall in the garden

Back view of the house

Second floor

The painted room

Cafe

Kitchen garden and courtyard for cafe

After leaving the house, I caught the tube back to Barking to go in search of the grounds on which the Abbey stood. This I found at the bottom of the main street, having walked through the huge open air market. The Abbey was founded in 666 and apparently in 1066-67 William the Conqueror resided there. The Curfew Tower still exists, but the Abbey itself is gone. St Margaret's Parish Church stands on the site of Barking Abbey.

Curfew Tower

St Margaret's Church

Barking Town Hall

Folly wall. Not as ancient as it looks. This was built to show the brickwork of old Barking.

Open air market, Barking

Shopping centre near the station

I retraced my steps to Barking tube and took the Overground to Barking Riverside, a new development huging the River Thames. The ride out reminded me of being on the Docklands Light Railway and seeing places I'd never known about before. The reality of Barking Riverside is rather an isolated place with lots of new apartments, a large school and not much else. Building is still taking place, and as the site is large (ideal for redeveopment, as they say), it is going to be a number of years before this place becomes a community. I didn't venture into the area where the apartments are, but instead made my way down to the river. Not much of path as yet, and I'm assuming that might be rectified in the future. At the moment it is stony or grass with warning signs of deep drops!

View from the platform at Barking Riverside

I headed for the pier where I'd read one could catch the Uber Clipper back to London. I had just missed a sailing, and I knew the next one wouldn't be for an hour. There was a cold wind blowing. I'd seen a restaurant/bar by the river and thought I'd get myself a hot chocolate, only to discover that the place only opened Friday to Sunday and then after 4pm. There was nothing else here. I bought my ticket from the machine (concessions get a half price ticket if you have a Freedom Pass) and returned to the station in case I'd missed something there, but no. I stood around inside the station for a while away from the wind, before venturing back to the river to take more photos.

On the orange line, far east of London

Pier

Finally I walked down the gangway towards the pier head. Here there was at least somewhere to wait with seats away from the cold. By then I only had about 19 mintues to wait it out. Was it worth the visit? Yes, it was. What saved it was the views into the lowering sun over the river and the ride back to Embankment.

The trip took just over an hour. The boat was practically empty until we got nearer London with its tourists spots, and there was a cafe, so I got my hot chocolate. It was lovely to sit back and enjoy the ride in the warm and one of the highlights was passing through the Thames Barrier.