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Parsloes Avenue
Railway
tracks were laid down the centre of these avenues to
transport building materials on to the estate from the river, their line still represented by the generous grass
verges of the completed design.
Parsloes Park
Parsloes Park
Site of Parsloes Manor and
13th owner. House demolished
1925.
Lake is an old gravel pit
Hedge at the southern edge
reminder of the gardens of Parsloes Hall
The LCC only provided this as a park
for Becontree, reserved from the grounds of the house as the central open
space. Lakes created from gravel pits
Parsloes Park lies on the site of Parsloes Manor, named after Hugh
Passelewe, a thirteenth century owner. In 1619 the manor passed to the Fanshawe
family, who owned it for 300 years until it was sold to the London County
Council at the time of the First World War. The house, which had fallen into
disrepair, was demolished in 1925 but the park was kept as open space for the
residents of the Becontree Estate, then under construction. It was opened as a
public park in 1935 to celebrate the official completion of the estate. The
park remained the property of the LCC and then the Greater London Council until
1980, after which it passed to the Borough. The majority of the park is a vast,
level plain of short mown amenity grassland The presence of these patches reflects the sandy and
nutrient poor nature of the underlying River Terrace Gravels. There is great
potential for habitat creation here; the establishment of heathland scrub
including birch, gorse, broom and heather would be a colourful, as well as
wildlife rich, addition. The areas of wildlife value covered by this site are
the lake in the park's south-west corner and an unmanaged grassland a little to
the north, locally called the Squatts". .
Mallards, tufted ducks and Canada geese are present in winter; a flock of over
twenty shovelers regularly visit to feed, Several pairs of coots nest on the lake, their noisy squabbling
signifying the aggressive territorial disputes so characteristic of this
species. The shyer moorhen, recognised by its red and yellow bill and white
tail flashes, frequents the vegetated lake margins, and the more elusive little
grebe sometimes occurs. Large willows of three species grace the two islands
and parts of the lake edge. The lake is surrounded
by a railing fence, which serves to protect the water birds from excessive
disturbance from dogs and people. This protection, and the seclusion afforded
by the vegetated islands and
ornamental shrubberies inside the fence, also offers a safe retreat for several
grey herons, which can generally be seen roosting on waterside snags. Although
herons visit many ponds and streams in the Borough to hunt for fish, they do
not breed in Barking and Dagenham; the nearest nesting colony, London's
largest, is at Walthamstow Reservoirs. a few larger trees -
oak, sweet chestnut and wych elm grace the lawns north of the pond, evidently
pre-dating the establishment of the public park. Another reminder of the park's
manorial past is the rough grassland of The Squatts and the old hawthorn hedge
along its southern boundary. The hedge was probably once part of the boundary
of the gardens of Parsloes House and has now grown out and been colonised by
the odd elder, sycamore and yew. Along the south edge of The
Squatts hawthorn saplings, seeded from the adjacent hedge, are appearing among
the grass sward. The more formal part of the park, around the lake, is closed at
dusk but the rest, including The Squatts, is unfenced and offers unlimited
public access.
Parsloes House. Gone,
demolished
in 1925. The original manor house of the area from the Parsloes family 1257.
Porters Avenue
Railway
tracks were laid down the centre of these avenues to
transport building materials on to the estate from the river, their line still represented by the generous grass
verges of the completed design.
Wood Lane
Row of restrained brick
houses with mature elms
St.Elizabeth,
Neo-Perpendicular, baroque bell cote.
Paid for by Mothers Union
Bentry Heath House
Baptist Church
Robert Clack School
39a old
building kept when the estate was built
Dagenham pumping station
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