Newham Museum Archaeology Project Archives
Newham Museum Service, 2000. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000328. How to cite using this DOI
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This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
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London Borough of Redbridge
Lynton House
255 - 259 High Road
Ilford, Essex
IG1 1NN
England
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 265
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000328
- How to cite using this DOI
WATERFRONT, BARKING - BA-WF 87
Introduction.
The Archaeological Excavation was in advance of the construction of offices by Cromwell Development Ltd., on property previously owned by Callan and Page Ltd, Timber Merchants and Importers. The site was bounded in the north by Heybridge Road, on the east by The Abbey Road, on the south by the property of The Barking Marina , whilst the western boundary was formed by the River Roding. At this point the eastern bank of the Roding is known as The Town Quay. From the 1300's the Town Quay had been a centre for the local fishing and boat building industry. Henry VIII had boats built here whilst the Abbey Road, forming the eastern boundary of the site, had previously been known as 'Fisher Street'. The Town Quay is a suitable site for such a centre as it lies some two miles inland from the confluence of the River Roding with the River Thames and, whilst still being tidal, offered sheltered moorings. Two further miles to the north of the Town Quay the main Roman Road between London and Chelmsford fords the River Roding. The River Roding was, therefore, a major communication route. There is evidence to suggest that it was used as such in the Bronze and Iron Age as well as in the Roman and Medieval periods. Approximately 500m to the north of the Town Quay two Bronze Age trackways and a structure acting as a revetment against the River was excavated on the western bank of the Roding during the archaeological excavation in advance of the construction of the Barking Tesco Store. (Chew 1994). A further 1,000m north of the Tesco's Store and on the eastern bank of the River Roding is the Bronze Age and Iron Age occupation site known as Uphall Camp. To the south of this site, opposite the Tesco Store and on the eastern bank of the Roding lies the medieval Abbey of Barking. Within the perimeter of this Abbey excavation has shown extensive Anglo-Saxon occupation dating from at least AD 705 but probable associated with the foundation of the Saxon Abbey of Barking in AD 666. The development of the fishing and boat-building industry on the eastern bank of the River Roding at Barking is probably connected to the foundation of the Abbey. The Fishery and Mill at Barking are mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086 whilst the first references to Fisher Street (later Abbey Road) can be found in the 1300's.
During the periods up to AD 1653 the boat building and fishing industry lay to the west of houses lying along the western side of Abbey Road (ex Fisher Street) along the eastern bank of the River Roding opposite an island. By 1653 this area had become partially enclosed to the north of the island by the construction of a tidal mill, a bridge, weir and lock across the Roding. These features are shown on a copy of a tithe map of AD 1653. This area became further enclosed by the infilling of the water between the eastern bank of the island and the eastern bank of the Roding. This infilling created a roughly square area of enclosed water seeming to lie to the east of the main stream of the Roding resembling a bay enclosed on three sides by land. The banks of the Roding around this enclosed area became further embanked and revetted to form wharves. Plans of the 19th century show that docks and wharves had been cut into this infilling.
Research Aims
When this site became available for re-development it was realised that it had the potential to be an important site and arrangements were made to archaeologically excavate the site in advance of construction.
The site was Directed by staff of the Archaeology Section of the Passmore Edward Museum (PEM) now Newham Museum Service (NMS) but was excavated by staff of the Archaeology Section of Forest Projects and funded by the Manpower Services Commission (MSC).
There were four major reason for wishing to excavate upon this site.
- To establish the nature and extent of any prehistoric activity or occupation on this part of the River, and, if so, how it related to the prehistoric activity found during the excavations at Uphall Camp.
- To establish the nature and extent of any Saxon activity or occupation on the site and to attempt to establish how it related to the Saxon features found during the excavations at Barking Abbey to the north of the site.
- To establish the nature and extent of any post-medieval activity on the site and to attempt to establish how it relates to the copy of the tithe map of AD 1653.
- The Tithe map of AD 1653 shows houses built against the then current waterline, therefore, the final reason for wishing to investigate this area was to establish the nature and extent of any post-medieval use of the river in this area, and, in particular, the nature of any revetments against the river and to determine if they had been used for docking and wharfing.
Site Archive Contents
| Context Sheets: | 432 |
|---|---|
| Plans: | 417 |
| Sections: | 65 |
| A Site Matrix: | |
| Finds: | Bulk Finds Record |
| Pottery Recording Sheets. | |
| Ceramic Building Material (CBM) Sheets | |
| Small Finds Register: | 352 fe |
| 32 cu | |
| 5 pb | |
| 5 pewter | |
| 112 glass | |
| 33 leather | |
| 52 wood | |
| 3 bone (handles) | |
| 160 clay pipes | |
| 28 pieces of worked stone | |
| Photographs: | 125 colour slides |
| 36 colour prints | |
| 80 black and white exposures |
