Becontree
Becontree | |
---|---|
Houses built by the London County Council | |
Location within Greater London | |
Area | 4 sq mi (10 km2) |
Population | 95,862 (2011 wards) |
• Density | 23,966/sq mi (9,253/km2) |
OS grid reference | TQ485855 |
• Charing Cross | 11 mi (18 km) WSW |
London borough | |
Ceremonial county | Greater London |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | DAGENHAM |
Postcode district | RM8 |
Dialling code | 020 |
Police | Metropolitan |
Fire | London |
Ambulance | London |
UK Parliament | |
London Assembly | |
Becontree . The official completion of the estate was celebrated in 1935, by which time the estate had a population of around 100,000 people in 26,000 homes.
The building of the estate caused a huge increase in population density, which led to demands on services and reforms of local government. An additional 1,000 houses were added in later phases. The estate had no industrial and very little commercial development until the May & Baker and Ford Dagenham sites opened nearby, and a shopping area was built at Heathway. The estate has formed part of Greater London since 1965, when the Barking section was combined with Dagenham, and has been within a single London borough since boundary changes caused the Ilford section to be transferred from Redbridge to Barking and Dagenham in 1994.
History
Toponymy
The estate is named after the ancient Becontree Hundred, which historically covered the area. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name is Old English and means 'tree of a man named Beohha'.[1] The tree would have stood on Becontree Heath, just outside the eastern boundary of the estate. The majority of the estate was in the parish of Dagenham and the whole estate is in the Dagenham post town, and the two names are used interchangeably.[2]
Building of the estate
Because of the lack of available land in the County of London, the
Most of the land at that time was
Estate name | Area | No of dwellings | Population 1938 | Population density |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pre-1914 | ||||
Norbury | 11 | 218 | 867 | 19.8 per acre (49/ha) |
Old Oak | 32 | 736 | 3519 | 23 per acre (57/ha) |
Totterdown Fields | 39 | 1262 | — | 32.4 per acre (80/ha) |
Tower Gardens White Hart Lane |
98 | 783 | 5936 | 8 per acre (20/ha) |
1919–1923 | ||||
Becontree | 2770 | 25769[a] | 115652 | 9.3 per acre (23/ha) |
Bellingham | 252 | 2673 | 12004 | 10.6 per acre (26/ha) |
Castelnau | 51 | 644 | 2851 | 12.6 per acre (31/ha) |
Dover House Estate Roehampton Estate |
147 | 1212 | 5383 | 8.2 per acre (20/ha) |
1924–1933 | ||||
Downham | 600 | 7096 | 30032 | 11.8 per acre (29/ha) |
Mottingham | 202 | 2337 | 9009 | 11.6 per acre (29/ha) |
St Helier | 825 | 9068 | 39877 | 11 per acre (27/ha) |
Watling | 386 | 4034 | 19110 | 10.5 per acre (26/ha) |
Wormholt | 68 | 783 | 4078 | 11.5 per acre (28/ha) |
1934–1939 | ||||
Chingford[b] | 217 | 1540 | — | 7.1 per acre (18/ha) |
Hanwell (Ealing) | 140 | 1587 | 6732 | 11.3 per acre (28/ha) |
Headstone Lane | 142 | n.a | 5000 | |
Kenmore Park | 58 | 654 | 2078 | 11.3 per acre (28/ha) |
Thornhill (Royal Borough of Greenwich) |
21 | 380 | 1598 | 18.1 per acre (45/ha) |
Whitefoot Lane (Downham) | 49 | n.a | n.a. | |
Source:
|
The very first houses completed, in Chittys Lane, are recognisable by a blue council plaque embedded in the wall. The construction was an enormous civil engineering project. A
Phase | Dates | Location | Houses built | Cumulative total |
---|---|---|---|---|
I | 1921–1924 | Ilford (some in Dagenham) | 3,000 | 3,000 |
II | 1924–1930 | Dagenham (some in Ilford) | 15,000 | 18,000 |
III | 1930–1935 | Barking | 7,736 | 25,736 |
Additional | 1937 | 800 | 26,536 | |
Heath Park | 1949–1951 | Dagenham | 600 | 27,136 |
On 13 July 1935 the official completion of the estate was celebrated with the ceremonial opening of Parsloes Park by MP Christopher Addison. However, the demand for housing meant that a further 800 homes were built in 1937. With a population of 115,652, it was the largest public housing development in the world. 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.[4]
Wythenshawe, in Manchester with an area of approximately 11 square miles (28 km2), is larger but the population density is lower. At times Wythenshawe has also claimed to be the largest council housing estate in Europe.[6][7] Private home ownership in the area has grown, and Wythenshawe has continued to expand. [8]
First tenants
The LCC built the estate to rehouse people from London's
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. Although the estate regulations stipulated that the gardens must be maintained in order, more than a few degenerated into virtual jungles. However, to encourage the application of this rule, prizes were awarded for the best kept gardens. 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.
Local government
When built, the development occupied parts of the parishes of
The area was within the
Services
All houses were supplied with gas by the
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". It is perhaps for this reason that Becontree and Dagenham became synonymous.[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.[20] Lines were connected from nearby exchanges until the DOMinion exchange was opened within the estate. In 1954 it had 1,337 lines, increasing to 1,620 in 1955 and by 1958 it had 2,700 lines.[21][22]
The original LCC plan anticipated a civic and commercial centre around Parsloes Park. However, LCC was only a landlord in the area and had limited ability to influence commercial development and had no control over local government.
The estate was built without any provision for
Over the 15-year period of the building of the estate, the school-aged population rose rapidly to 25,000 while there were only 4 secondary schools nearby: 3 in Chadwell Heath and 1 at Becontree Heath, which meant that many children could not attend school.[25] The first secondary school to be built was "Green Lane" in 1923, but it later became a primary school. It was renamed "Henry Green" in 1953, after the first headmaster after the secondary school opened in 1925.
Another improvement was after the 1952
Economic development
Initially the estate had no industrial and very little commercial development planned to support the population. Residents commuted to Inner London for work, until the May & Baker and Ford Dagenham sites opened nearby.[26]
Demography
According to the 2011 census, White British was the largest ethnic group in Becontree ward at 51%. The second-largest was Black African, at 13%.
Governance
The estate is within the Becontree, Eastbrook, Goresbrook, Heath, Mayesbrook, Parsloes, River, Valence and Village (2010) wards - 9 of the 17 in Barking and Dagenham - see Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council.
Culture
East London has a long history of brass bands, and Becontree Brass Band was founded in 1981 as an amalgamation of several local bands.
The Dagenham Girl Pipers were formed in 1930 as the first female pipe band in the world and are still in existence.
Education
The area is served by 26 primary schools, and thirteen secondary schools of which three are free schools and one, Elutec, is a University technical college.
Transport
Becontree tube station is served by London Buses Routes 62 and 145. Martins Corner is also served by routes 5, 62, 145, 364, EL2, and night bus N15.
The Becontree estate itself is served by routes 62, 128, 150, 364, and 368.
The area has local bus connections towards Dagenham Heathway, Dagenham Dock, Barking, Ilford, Goodmayes, and Romford.
Notable residents
- Alf Ramsey[30]
- Terry Venables[30]
- Max Bygraves[30]
- Dudley Moore[30]
- Sandie Shaw[30]
- George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury[30]
See also
- List of large council estates in the UK
Notes
- ISBN 9781405881180.). The dialectologist Peter Wright wrote in 1981 that /ˈbiːkəntriː/is the traditional pronunciation in the cockney dialect (Wright, Peter (1981). Cockney Dialect and Slang. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 75.)
- ^ This was known as a 'Part III authority' under the Education Act 1902 and an 'excepted district' under the Education Act 1944.
References
- ^ Mills, D. (2000). Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford.
- ^ Gayler, Hugh J. Geographical excursions in London. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1996. Print
- ^ "Homes For Heros". Locallocalhistory.co.uk. 13 January 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "Becontree Estate Bus Tour, Dagenham | Open House London 2017". openhouselondon.open-city.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018. The chief architect of the LCC, who was ultimately responsible for the scheme was G. Topham Forrest
- ^ a b "Dagenham: Introduction and manors | British History Online". British-history.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "All About Wythenshawe". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Deakin, Derick. "History of the Estate". Wythit. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2006.
- ^ "Wythenshawe - Latest news updates, pictures, video, reaction - Manchester Evening News". www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Jackson, p. 297.
- ^ Eveleigh, David J (7 March 2014). "Evolution of Building Elements". uwe 6 The Services of Victorian and Edwardian Houses 1850-1914. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "London County Council (Money) Bill (By Order) (Hansard, 22 May 1957)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 22 May 1957. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "Becontree Estate". Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-04-902003-0, p. 115.
- ^ ISBN 978-0415418263.
- ^ The Boundaries of Greater London and The London Boroughs (PDF) (Report). Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- ^ Local Government Boundary Commission For England: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (PDF) (Report). Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 7 May 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "The East London Boroughs (London Borough Boundaries) Order 1993". Legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000". Legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ISBN 071003914X.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-820650-7.
- ^ "Telephone Service, Dagenham (Hansard, 2 February 1955)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 2 February 1955. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "Dominion and Rainham Exchanges (Hansard, 26 March 1958)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 26 March 1958. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ISBN 0300107013.
- ^ Jackson, p. 290 and Plate 22, opposite p. 321.
- ^ Jackson, p. 299: "Before [September 1923], with virtually no places available in existing schools, the children of the Becontree tenants ran wild all day, no doubt having a marvellous time".
- ISBN 014010593X.
- ^ Good Stuff IT Services (2011). "Becontree". UK Census Data. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Ward Profiles and Atlas – London Datastore". Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ Good Stuff IT Services (2011). "Parsloes". UK Census Data. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Barton, Laura (8 October 2009). "Barton's Britain: The Becontree estate". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.