Barking
Barking is a town and district within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It's 14.2 km east of Charing Cross and is amongst the 35 key centres named in the London Plan. Historically, it had been a fishing settlement in Essex and an ancient parish. After that it moved to market gardening and industrial development to the south, beside the River Thames.
Barking quickly evolved into a bigger town and its rail station opened in 1854. It's been served by the London Underground since 1908. In the course of the twentieth century, when there was considerable suburban growth of London, Barking expanded and increased in population. This was mainly resulting from the building of the London County Council estate at Becontree in the 1920s. Barking became a municipal borough in 1931 and part of Greater London in 1965.
Rejuvenation designs were showcased in 2007, preparing to change the town square contained in the Mayor of London's 100 Public Places.