Goodmayes

Valence House

Becontree · 0.6 miles

A timber-framed building surrounded partly by a historic moat now serves as a museum in Valence Park, off Becontree Avenue in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The structure, the sole survivor of five manor houses that once stood in Dagenham, dates back to the 13th century and has accommodated a manor, a family residence, a town hall and the borough’s library headquarters before its current role. Listed at Grade II* since 1954, the house lies within a 27.8-acre park that was created from the former estate after its purchase by the local council in 1926. The museum presents permanent displays focused on the history and everyday life of Barking and Dagenham, including material from the 1945 Becontree Estate, and it regularly hosts special events and school visits. A 2018 exhibition showcased restored film-making models from the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, a project inspired by local resident Alan Friswell and funded by the borough council. Following extensive refurbishment funded partly by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the venue reopened in June 2010 with a new archive and local studies centre. Admission is free; wheelchair access is limited, and opening hours are listed on the museum’s website. The site is managed by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and work on the moat received National Lottery Heritage Fund support in February 2026.

Barking Park War Memorial

Loxford · 1.9 miles

Wall dedicated to those from Barking who lost their lives during the First and Second World War.

Eastbury Manor House

Thames View · 2.5 miles

A substantial Elizabethan residence survives in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, where Eastbury Manor House stands as a Grade I listed museum. The building occupies land that once formed part of the demesne of Barking Abbey and lies close to the Thames View area of Greater London. Ownership rests with the National Trust while day-to-day management is provided by the borough council; the house welcomes visitors for ten months each year. Construction began in the 1570s after merchant Clement Sisley acquired the former abbey lands. Contemporary records note brickwork bearing the dates 1572 and 1573, and dendrochronology places the timber roof in 1566, indicating a rapid build-up. The house was probably the first brick structure locally, featuring glass windows that may have been imported from Italy and unusually high chimneys, both signs of its original wealth. A later tradition links the house to the Gunpowder Plot, although no documentary evidence supports the claim. Following a period of decline from the late eighteenth century—during which the Great Tower Staircase was removed by 1814 and original flooring and fireplaces disappeared in the 1830s—only the west wing remained habitable by the nineteenth century’s end. The National Trust purchased the property in 1918, restored it, and opened it as the Museum of Barking in 1931. After being listed in 1954, the house benefited from Heritage Lottery Fund-backed restorations, the most recent completed in 2010, which added a permanent exhibition detailing the building’s architectural evolution and succession of owners.

Havering Museum

Romford · 2.5 miles

The former Ind Coope Romford Brewery now accommodates a local museum that records the history and artefacts of the five towns forming the London Borough of Havering. Situated in Romford, the building is one of the few remaining reminders of the area’s brewing past and offers separate displays for Havering-atte-Bower, Hornchurch, Romford, Rainham and Upminster. Visitors can explore the permanent exhibition as well as temporary shows that illustrate the borough’s development. The museum originated from the initiative of local historian Ian Wilkes, who established the Friends of Havering Museum in 2000. After a partnership with the borough council in 2008 and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the museum opened its doors in May 2010. It is entirely volunteer-run, with a core team of around 30 people handling collections, education, front-of-house duties and administration, supported by interns. Facilities include a Learning Zone and an Exhibition Room at opposite ends of the building, both available for school groups and community organisations, and a small shop selling related items. Opening times are published on the museum’s listing, and the venue is self-funded, relying on donations and volunteer effort. Access is straightforward from Romford town centre, and the museum provides a modest space for learning and local heritage.

Beam Valley Country Park

Dagenham · 3.1 miles

Spanning 74 hectares, Beam Valley Country Park lies in Dagenham within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, bordering the River Beam and the Wantz Stream. The site is split between two Local Nature Reserves: the main Beam Valley area and a narrow strip south of Western Avenue that falls under the Environment Agency’s remit. Both sections are also recognised as Grade 1 Sites of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, one positioned north and the other south of South Dagenham Road. Visitors encounter a mosaic of habitats, including mixed woodland, open grassland, and the remnants of former gravel pits that give the landscape a varied character. The ground that now hosts the park was once derelict, yet archaeological traces reveal human activity back to the Stone Age and a Roman pottery kiln, indicating long-term use of the area. A range of birdlife inhabits the waterways and surrounding scrub, with species such as kingfishers, reed warblers, reed buntings and skylarks regularly recorded. In 2014 a pedestrian and cycling bridge, erected by Sustrans, linked Beam Valley to the neighbouring Bretons Manor across the River Beam, improving access for walkers and cyclists. The nearest town is Dagenham, and the park is reachable via local road networks that skirt the River Beam. Admission is not specified, and facilities are not detailed in the available material.

The Chase Local Nature Reserve

Rush Green · 3.1 miles

The Chase lies on the edge of Dagenham, straddling the River Rom which marks the boundary between the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the London Borough of Havering. Most of the site falls within Barking and Dagenham, with a smaller portion in Havering, and both councils own the land. Management is carried out by the Barking & Dagenham Parks & Countryside Ranger Service, and each borough has classified its part as a Local Nature Reserve. Together with the adjoining Eastbrookend Country Park the area is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Formerly a gravel-extraction pit, the reserve now contains a mixture of wetland, grassland and woodland habitats. Birdlife is diverse: the River Rom supports kingfishers and a recorded total of 190 species, including skylarks, little ringed plovers and lapwings. Around three hundred green parakeets are resident, their calls becoming prominent at sunset. Mammals such as water voles, badgers and slow worms are also present, alongside great crested newts in the aquatic zones. The reserve holds six of the roughly six hundred female black poplars, Britain’s rarest native tree, and the dry acid grasslands support several uncommon plant species. Parts of the site are grazed by horses, contributing to habitat variation. Visitors can reach the wooded strip north of The Chase road via a footpath that runs from Roneo Corner, opposite Rom Valley Way, across the Havering side of the river. A second footpath follows the west bank from Dagenham Road to The Chase road. The southern, lake-rich area borders Eastbrookend Country Park and connects to Beam Valley Country Park by a footbridge over a railway line. Access is on foot; no admission charge is mentioned.