Dagenham - 11th July 1921 & June 1931
By mid 1921, the construction of the Becontree Estate and the enlargement of Dagenham was gathering pace. The photograph below shows an aerial view of the west of the estate looking north to Chadwell Heath. The two prominent roads running parallel to the bottom of the photograph and diagonally to the right are Longbridge Road and Beacontree Avenue respectively.
In the middle distance some of the housing is beginning to take shape, although large areas of land are still open fields. It took a further ten years before some of the more recognisable features of Dagenham were constructed. The second photograph has the Heathway running diagonally down, left to right. Just visible before the great sweep of Downing Road, and towards the top of the photo is a partially constructed Heathway Hill. Heathway station still being a year or so away from opening at this point.
Another random dip into the past next week…
October 26th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
I think I can see where my house should be but I think I am looking the wrong way. The road that leads north goes to the a13 right? That’s what way I am not looking at it in.
www.IanMacNb.net
October 27th, 2007 at 9:10 am
The A13 is about where the bottom road runs (the diagonal one across the bottom of the second picture).
October 27th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
So I am right thinking that the cross roads of the top left are where the church elm pub is and further up is oxlow lane right? I think I have found my house. It is still a field. My house was built in 1939. I know because we found a cigar box and a weeks worth of news papers under the floor board. Your house is not there is it? Its too far west of the photo.