Barking is a suburban town in east
London, England, and forms part of the
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is east of
Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the
London Plan. It was historically a fishing and agrarian settlement in the county of
Essex and formed an ancient parish. Its economic history is characterised by a shift to market gardening, and industrial development to the south adjacent to the
River Thames. The railway station opened in 1854 and has been served by the
London Underground since 1908. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Barking significantly expanded and increased in population, primarily due to the development of the
London County Council estate at
Becontree in the 1920s, and it
became a municipal borough in 1931. It has formed part of
Greater London since its annexation in 1965. In addition to an extensive and fairly low-density residential area, the town centre forms a large retail and commercial district, currently a focus for regeneration. The former industrial lands to the south are being redeveloped as
Barking Riverside.