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 main centres named in the London Plan. Historically, it was a fishing settlement in Essex and an ancient parish. It then shifted to market gardening and industrial development towards the south, adjacent to the River Thames.
Barking quickly developed into a bigger town and its rail station opened in 1854. It's been served by the London Underground since 1908. Throughout the twentieth century, when there was considerable suburban growth of London, Barking expanded and increased in population. This was mainly due to 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 strategies were presented in 2007, preparing to alter the town square included in the Mayor of London's 100 Public Places.