It’s a well known reality that Essex has some extraordinary history connected to it, the Romans lived in Colchester, and Epping Forest has been the topic of historic tales.
But should you stay round Barking, or Dagenham, you would possibly have walked previous one seemingly-unremarkable spot that has far more history to it than meets the eye.
And that ‘spot’ is Barking Abbey, which was as soon as dwelling to England’s first French king, William The Conqueror (WTC), who famously led the Normans to victory in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Barking Abbey initially served as a monastery when it was in-built the seventh century for former Bishop of London’s sister, Saint Ethelburga. It is believed she turned a nun to provide marriage the swerve, as her promised husband, King Edwin of Northumbria, was a pagan.
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Death after loss of life noticed management of the abbey handed from girl to girl till the fabled 12 months of 1066, when it was captured by WTC following his defeat of Harold Godwinson’s Anglo-Saxon military.
And what made issues even more humiliating was the reality that WTC didn’t even arrange store there completely: it was a short lived keep whereas he constructed a pleasant central London pad, which we all know as the Tower of London.
Barking Abbey has additionally seen controversy over the years from none different than everybody’s favorite king, Henry VIII.
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In 1539 it was dissolved as a part of his well-known dissolution of the monasteries, which, briefly means he confiscated all the earnings and stored it for himself.
To make issues worse, Henry VIII then proceeded to have Barking Abbey demolished, which took 18 months because it needed to be performed by hand. But cunningly, he reused a few of the supplies: a few of the lead was used to rebuild Greenwich Palace’s roof, and a few of the stone was used for his new manor in Dartford.
Further demolishments in the late nineteenth century means that right now, solely the Curfew Tower and the abbey’s footprints and footings stay.
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The Curfew Tower, also referred to as the Fire Bell Gate, is the solely a part of the abbey not in ruins.
The authentic tower was in-built 1370, however the present one was constructed round 1460.
Above the gateway is “The Chapel of the Holy Rood”, named for the Twelfth-century stone rood (crucifix) displayed inside it.
It has been repaired a number of occasions, in 1955/56 the chapel was redecorated and the home windows repaired.
In 2005/06 the tower underwent a £130,000 restore, the staircase roof, and the overlaying of the foremost roof had been changed, and the tower’s masonry was re-pointed, with the irreparably broken stone changed.
The tower is now a Grade-II* listed constructing, and is featured on the coat of arms of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
