The Civic Street Survey

THE CIVIC STREET S U RV E Y

THE CIVIC STREET S U RV E Y

T he C i v i c S t r ee t Su r ve y is a ph o t o g r aphic pr oject l ed by ar tist Ver i ty- J ane K e e fe , t o do c u m e n t a n d c e le br a t e t h e ever yday br illiance of Bar ki ng and Dage n h a m a l o n g s ide a g ro u p o f pa r t icipants. Vi si ting and sur veying 12 s tre e t s o n 1 2 h o u s in g e s t a t e s .

Egb er t S m a r t w a s t h e B o ro u g h Ph o t ogr apher fr om 1951 until the 1970’s.

Do c u m e n t i n g t h e e ve r y day, e ve n t s , s t r eets, people and place , the p ho t og r a p h s h e t o o k o f fe r a v iv id po r tr ait of Bar ki ng and Dagenham ove r t h e l a st fi f t y plu s ye a r s .

In th i s sp i r i t , pa r t ic ipa n t s h ave be c o m e new bor ough photogr apher s, re c o r d i n g t h e c o n t e mpo r a r y la n ds c a pe of the bor ough in 2015, the fi fti eth anni ve r sa r y yea r, v ia s it e t r ips , wo r k s hops and ar chival sessi ons.

T he r esu l t i n g p h o t o g r a ph s e x is t a s a r twor ks, via exhi biti on and in this p ubl i ca t i on , a s an a rc h ive , de po s it e d and openly accessed at Val ence Ho us e a n d a s a do c u me n t t o t h e c h a ngi ng landscape of Bar king and Dage n h a m .

T hi s pu bl i c a t i on s h ows a s e le c t io n o f photogr aphs al ongside some of Egb er t S m a r t ’s own o bs e r v a t io n s , in bl ack and w hite .

VA L ENCE AV E N U E , BE C ON T R E E A mai n ar ter y r unn in g th ro u gh th e lan d mar k e st a t e .

Va l e n ce Avenue’s g en ero u s c en tr al b an k o f pu bl i c s p ace w as once a r ailway, tr an spo r tin g bu il di n g m a t e r i a l s t o con str uct the r e st o f Bec o n tree . Fro m br i c k s a n d mor tar to daffodi l s an d po p u lar d o g walking g ro u n d.

WHITING AV E N U E A d e l i ghtful sm a ll sc ale Bar kin g town c e n t re e st a t e , t u c ke d away f ro m t h e m ai n dr ag. B ui l t in th e late 1930’s, glo r i o u s br i c k bu i l t m a n si o n bl o c k s wi t h mu l t i col our ed ti lin g an d c ladd in g sh ow ye a r s o f pe r so n a l a da pt i o n .

O o zi ng w i th ci vic pr id e .

JULIA G AR D E N S , S C R AT TON S FA R M Th e h ear t of Scr att o n s Far m, h o stin g th e or i g i n a l 1 9 3 0 ’s s h o ppi n g pa r a de a l o n gs i de excel l ent b r ic k bu ilt c o u n c il h o u s i n g a n d so m e o f t h e be st g ard e ns i n the bor o u gh . On e o f th e fir st re s i de n t i a l de ve l o pm e n t s s o u t h o f th e A13. Tal es o f c attle gr azin g in garde n s u p u n t i l t h e 1 9 5 0 ’s c a n s t i l l b e h e a r d w hen you visit.

K EIR HAR D I E WAY N am ed after the fo u n d er o f th e Lab o u r Pa r t y wi t h o t h e r ro a ds o n t h e e s tate taken fr om tr ad e u n io n ists an d o t h e r po l i t i c a l fi g u re s . T h e gre e nest estate in th e b o ro u gh , f ro n t an d ba c k g a rde n s, s h a re d l awn s a n d gre e ns, the per fe c t ac c o mpan imen t to the 1 9 5 0 ’s br i c k a rc h i t e c t u re .

Bevan Avenue , Bar king looking west, 1970

B ASTABL E AV E N U E , T H A ME S V I E W Th e mai n r oad di ssec tin g Th ames View, wh i c h wh e n bu i l t wa s t h e l a r g e st s i n g l e h ousi ng pr oj ec t u n der taken by Bar kin g U rba n D i s t r i c t C o u n c i l , c o mp r isi ng som e 1,700 dwellin gs with c u tti n g e dg e e n g i n e e r i n g s y s t e m s maki n g i t qui te the destin atio n fo r 1950’s a rc h i t e c t s a n d e n g i n e e r s.

I t h as si nce under go n e majo r regen er atio n a t t h e e a st e r n e n d a n d i s n e i g h b our s w i th th e h u ge Bar kin g River side de ve l o pm e n t

ROSE L AN E , M A R K S G AT E At the nor ther n tip o f th e bo ro u gh , a mu n i c i pa l l a t e 1 9 5 0 ’s dre a m .

T h e ar ea i s named af ter an h isto r ic al en t r a n c e t o H a i n a u l t F o re s t , fo u n d n e a r the M anor o f Mar k. Ro se Lan e , n am e d a f t e r a n o l d f a r m , wi n ds th rough the esta te f ro m th e A 12 to f ar m l a n d.

V iew from roof of Highview House and Mar ks Gate blocks of flats , 1967

K ERSHAW & U V E DA L E ROAD, H E AT H PAR K B u i l t as an exten sio n to th e n eigh b o u r in g Be c o n t re e E st a t e . A s e r i e s of c ol our coded th ree an d five sto rey bl o c k s s t a n d pro u d a m o n g s t com munal gr een sp ac e , over lo o kin g a va r i e t y o f h o u s e t y pe s. T h e e s tate w as or i gi n ally h eated by th e lo c a l F r i z l a n ds de po t - t h e n e t wo r k of u nder gr ound p ipes c o u ld be tr ac ed in sn owf a l l !

(Gascoigne 4, Stage 2), showing huge tanks not removed from west side , 1972

G AS C O I G N E ROA D T he Ga sc o ign e estate . 17 towe r bl o c k s a n d mu l t i pl e m i d l e ve l bl o c k s bui l t on th e Man o r o f Bif ro n ’s l a n d. C u r re n t ly u n de r g o i n g m a j o r r egener atio n , blo c k by blo c k be i n g de m o l i sh e d. F a r m l a n d t o t e r r a c e d wor ker s h o u sin g to 1960’s towe r bl o c k l a n dsc a pe , t h e re h a s be e n housi n g an d a Gasc o ign e Ro ad o n t h i s s i t e fo r n e a r ly 2 0 0 ye a r s!

GORESBRO O K ROA D B order i ng B econ tree , Castle Green an d t h e C h e qu e r s. O n c e h o m e t o B as sett, I ngr ave & D u n mow H o u se . Th re e t owe r s t h a t h a d pre v i o u sly fo r med Castl e G reen E state , rebo r n in t h e e a r ly 9 0 ’s a s G o re sbro o k V i l l a ge and dem o lish ed in 2013. Ic o n ic be a c o n s m a r k i n g yo u r e n t r a n c e to the bor ough f ro m th e east.

Castle Green site showing foundations of the tower block(s), 1968

WEL L INGTO N D R I V E , T H E L E YS We l l i ngton Dr i ve lo o ps th ro u gh Th e Leys e s t a t e , su r ro u n de d by cou n tr ysi de . Cur ren tly u n der go in g major re g e n e r a t i o n wh i c h h a s s e e n t h e m aj o r i ty of the 1970’s blo c ks demo lish e d. L o c a l ly k n own by so m e a s T i n Town, ow i ng to so me o f th e h o u ses br ick a n d t i n c o n s t r u c t i o n !

Redevelopment model, looking from south-eas t, 1967

H A RT S L A N E Har ts Lan e , th e m a i n ro a d o f a n e s t a t e n e a r Ba r k i n g Town Cen tre , bu ilt o n th e si t e o f C a pe A s be st o s , a fo r m e r asb esto s wo r ks d e c o m m i ss i o n e d i n t h e l a t e 1 9 6 0 ’s . T h e views f ro m th e towe r bl o c k s a re e x c e l l e n t : t h e bo ro u g h , in d u str y, th e Th am e s , o u t t o E s s e x a n d L o n do n .

IBSCOT T C L O S E V i si oned as “Th e Fu tu re” in mar keting m a t e r i a l wh e n bu i l t , t h i s housi ng esta te sits with in th e h isto r i c a l h e a r t o f Dagenham Village - so me o f wh ic h w a s de m o l i sh e d i n r esponse to th e u r gen t n eed fo r h ou si n g i n t h e l a t e 1 9 6 0 ’s.

Foundations and new homes under constr uction, 1971

T E M P O R A RY BOROUGH PHOTOGRAPHERS

Th e Ci vi c Str eet Su r vey wo u ld n o t h ave be e n po s s i bl e wi t h o u t t h e pa r t i c i pa t i o n , e n thusi asm and g en er al go o d c h eer o f lo c a l re s i de n t s, s t u de n t s a n d c u r i o u s pe o pl e t h a t answer ed an o pen c all fo r p ar tic ip at i o n , o n l i n e a n d v i a do o r t o do o r l e a f l e t i n g o n and ar ound th e twelve streets.

W i th par ti ci pants r an gin g f ro m 16 - 88 ye a r s o l d, a n o n g o i n g k n owl e dg e e x c h a n g e h as hel ped shape an d c o n str u c t th is n ew a rc h i ve .

Ve r i t y- J ane K eefe , lead ar tist H a r r i et Mi ddl eto n -Baker, assistan t Va l e r i e Gal vi n M a tt B enj am i n C aro l M cK enz i e K e v Wal ton K e l ly Al exander G a r y M ansfi el d Joh n fr om M ar ks Gate H a n n a Li n Roy Evans G a r y Cum ber l an d M Aqeel K han Noe l Cottr el l K e l ly Al exander Re n ay Tayl or Qu ye n Phan M a l c ol m Hannan Rob i n Di xon S h aro n Har m ouc h e M e l i s sa Low ndes K e i th Spendl ove Rachel Stubbs Naom i War i ng Joh n Gi or dano Ju l i a Souchtchi nskaia

Ka t e Mave a u Je n n i fe r H u ds o n Je a n Ma r s h a l l R i c h a rd Ma j i d C h r i st i n e A r n o l d G i n a S u dbu r y Me r l i n Pe a r m a i n Je ss i e Tay l o r Ir i s O l l e y A n dre a Me de i ro s H e l o u S t e f a n o L e ve qu e T i n g t i n g Yu L a u re n c e N e a l T i f f a ny Wa ddi l l Ma rc H a r g re ave s Anna Fil To m A t k i n s o n H wa Ye o n g L e e N i c h o l a s Wo o dfo rd G u ya n g Zh o u F e r n a n da D e A l m e i da C a s t e l o Br a n c o Zh a n Wa n g Dong Liu Jyo t h i Pi l l ay

Ve r i ty- J ane K eefe is a visu al ar tist wh o h a s a n o n g o i n g l ove a f f a i r wi t h Ba r k i n g an d Dagenham an d its po sitio n with in O u t e r L o n do n .

H er pr acti ce e xists pred o min an tly in th e pu bl i c re a l m , a n d i s a n a m a l g a m a t i o n o f m ovi ng i m age , site b ased researc h , p r in t a n d o bj e c t . S h e i s i n t e re st e d i n t h e ro l e th a t T he Museum an d arc h ives c an p lay i n c o n t e m po r a r y a r t pr a c t i c e a n d a s a tool for engage men t th ro u gh real an d i m a g i n e d h i st o r i e s a n d f u t u re s .

T h e wor k l ook s c lo sely at th e ro le o f t h e a r t i s t wi t h i n u rba n re g e n e r a t i o n a n d h ow thi s can a f fec t th o se livin g o r wo r k i n g t h ro u g h i t .

T h e Ci vi c Str ee t Su r vey is a ph o to gr aph i c a rc h i ve pro j e c t a s pa r t o f T h e Mo bi l e M useum . I t w a s c o mmissio n ed as par t o f t h e F i f t y Ye a r s a Bo ro u g h , wh i c h i s b e i ng del i ver ed in p ar tn er sh ip with Ba r k i n g a n d D a g e n h a m ’s A rc h i ve s a n d L o c a l S tudi es Centr e an d Valen c e Ho u se Mu s e u m . w ww.them obi l e mu seu m.c o.u k w ww.ver i tyj anekeefe .c o.u k w ww.fi ftyyear s ab o ro u gh .wo rdp ress.c o m T h e Egber t E Smar t A rc h ive o f so me 6 , 5 0 0 i m a g e s i s h e l d a t Va l e n c e H o u se .

F ree , excel l ent an d o pen to th e pu blic f ro m Tu e sday - S a t u rday.

E x pl or e the collec tio n at: w ww.val enceho u sec o llec tio n s.c o.u k