Dagenham village was once the centre of Dagenham and was very busy with farmers and their families. It had several shops, four inns and a blacksmith’s forge. From medieval times to the 20th century the village barely changed. It was still merely a village in 1920 but it was around 1923 that a huge housing estate was built and following this there was a fast rise in the population. In the l950’s and l960’s many important buildings were decaying and the late 1960’s saw most of the village torn down to make way for new housing.
A Saxon moot hall was situated on the corner of Whalebone Lane and Eastern Avenue. The fields next to this site were used by the Royal Artillery as an anti aircraft battery during WWII. It was then changed to a Prison of War Camp for Germans. Further down Whalebone Lane is the Tollgate Pub this stands of site of the Milestone that marked the ten mile limit from London and the Turnpike Tollgate.
Dagenham is probably best known for being the home of a Dagenham Motors plant. The area was already used by car body constructers and was taken over in 1931 to produce Ford cars. In 2002, because of the cost of UK labour, the plant was downsized to produce just engines and gearboxes.
Ever Ready Batteries were also in Dagenham. These batteries were sold all over the Commonwealth.
Dagenham Dock was a coal port but is now part of the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The Dockland Light Railway is to serve this area.
Shopping in Dagenham is quite good with such shops as Innocence Clothing, Essential Clothing, Body Flex, Out of Range, Select, Ravens of Southend, Zinc, Blue In, Ethel Austin and Adams.
Property for rent is always available and costs on average of £353pcm for a studio apartment, £580pcm for a l bed flat, £725pcm for a 2 bed flat, £825pcm for a 2 bed house and £950pcm for a 3 bed house.
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