diamond geezer

 Wednesday, June 15, 2022

UNVISITED LONDON: Dagenham
(sorry, that's an appalling title)
(these places can't be unvisited because I have now visited them)
(in my defence they were unvisited before I visited them)
(but technically that's true of everywhere I've ever been)
(sorry, it's an appalling title)


I'm starting my tour with two neighbouring grid squares on the banks of the Thames in East London. There'd have to be an extremely good reason for me not to have visited them before... and it turns out there are several. The riverside here is inaccessible to the public for a full two miles, all the way from the legendary Footpath 47 at Barking Riverside to the climactic section 24 of the London Loop. The Thames is at estuarine width so these grid squares don't additionally overlap the southern bank - an accessibility trick which works elsewhere. Both squares are south of the A13 viaduct and Eurostar tracks, otherwise I'd already have passed through several times. And both have been appropriated for messy commercial uses, especially waste management, being sufficiently out of the way that nobody lives close enough to complain. Finally getting inside wasn't necessarily going to be straightforward.

UNVISITED LONDON
TQ5081: Hornchurch Marshes
(Havering)

Grid square TQ5081 lurks on a bend in the Thames between the outfalls of the Beam River and Rainham Creek. The only way in is from the A13, or under it, swooshing down Marsh Way beneath a chain of fizzing pylons. You could even get the bus because route 174 was extended here in 2003 to serve a millennial technocampus called CEME (the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence). Inside are workshops and plug-and-play serviced offices for laptop nomads, and outside a spluttering fountain, plenty of car parking spaces and mind where you step because the ducks have been everywhere. But we're not quite in grid square TQ5081 yet, this starts just the other side of Marsh Way's spiky fence.



The only way in is to stride past the security post at the entrance to Fairview Industrial Park. I ignored the unfriendly signs, most of which were aimed at drivers, and assumed the unassailable confidence of a man who had business at one of the yards or warehouses within. I might have been going for a cuppa and a Challenger Burger at the Munch Up Cafe for all the uniformed bloke in the black van knew, or indeed cared. Obviously I grabbed this photo on the way out, not on the way in, because the best way to engage in industrial psychogeography is only to make yourself obvious afterwards.



By passing security I had already 'visited' my intended grid square but chose to continue my exploration along the full half mile down Marsh Way. This runs almost due south towards the Thames and is lined by a motley collection of sheds, commercial units, micro-offices and storage facilities. Some of the bigger warehouses are for logistics, the road connections for heavy freight being impressively optimal, so it pays to watch out for reversing lorries. Others are smaller two-bit operations dealing with tool rental, roofing supplies or property solutions, and one makes those little metal connector things that help doors to close automatically. If you've ever bought some furniture from Roomes in Upminster, they probably loaded it onto the van in TQ5081.



It was almost lunchtime so the bottle blonde in the burger shack was readying the grill and awaiting local custom. Meanwhile two rival sandwich vans made their advance up the street, repeatedly pulling in and playing their chimes to a hundred rumbling stomachs. In the background two of the Dagenham wind turbines did their twirly thing, somewhere within the entirely inaccessible half of the grid square where thousands of cars are sometimes stored. And no it turns out you can't walk all the way to the Thames, and the landing stage originally known as Old Man's Head, because the road runs out at the barriered entrance to a gas bottle stockist. This didn't seem the place to linger, but it turned out to be a heck of a lot more pleasant than my next unvisited square upriver.

UNVISITED LONDON
TQ4981: Ford Dagenham Works
(Barking & Dagenham)

Yes, the reason I'd never been to TQ4981 is that it'd been given over entirely to the manufacture of motor vehicles. Ford's massive Dagenham factory opened here in the early 1930s, attracted by the prospect of an estuarine location with a deepwater dock, and was pitch-perfectly positioned to keep this grid square entirely off limits. The last Fiesta rolled off the production line 20 years ago and the Stamping Plant is now in the very early stages of being turned into 3500 homes, but Ford retains an engine-building plant by the riverside that mere mortals cannot hope to access. A set of very makeshift turnstiles now blocks Kent Avenue for anyone not in possession of a security card, so I deduced that my only chance of creeping into TQ4981 was to attempt a very oblique incursion.



Chequers Lane crossed the Dagenham Marshes long before the automobile was invented, and somehow still does. Today it starts at a Brewers Fayre rather than a proper pub and it's been impossible to drive all the way down since Eurostar abruptly severed the level crossing. But the southern section remains connected, indeed you can even ride a bus down it these days past the giant empty space where Barking Power Station used to be. Previously I'd always turned off by the Hovis factory rather than continuing to the river, or whatever industrial hellhole lay at the far end, because it never looked terribly inviting. Alas with an unvisited grid square to visit I had no choice.



The first factory smelled of wood chippings and was immediately followed by an Ocado distribution depot, but that was as pleasant as the rest of Chequers Lane got. A bit further down I got the unmistakeable whiff of waste, and the road was unexpectedly busy with trucks, white vans and lorries rumbling by at lively speeds. I was initially impressed that this peripheral dead end boasted pavements and a separate cycle path thereby minimising levels of peril, but only until I reached the section where several trucks had been parked and blocked everything. The heavy traffic was stirring up such a mist of dust that one breakers yard had tied a hosepipe to its gate which was merrily firing a stream of water at chest height across the road.



The local refreshment option is called the Enjoy Cafe. It doesn't need a menu outside because it has a captive audience, but I can confirm it serves tea and Walkers crisps, plus probably a hearty plateful of something fried. Only here did I finally cross into the grid square next to the one I was trying to get to, at the very tip of Chequers Lane, where a lofty tarmac plant blocked access to the river. Here too was the edge of a huge cluster of silos, 113 in total, which could only be the Stolthaven Dagenham top-tier bulk liquid storage terminal. When Ford's factory was in its prime this was where a network of cranes and railways fed coal into the plant from ships berthed in Dagenham Dock, which was (and is) an actual facility, not just the name of the local station.



I was now less than 100m from the edge of TQ4981 and praying that the final dogleg didn't peter out before I got there. The road rapidly became less convincingly public, forking either side of four vast sheds for the mass recycling of paper and cardboard. The driver of a big orange articulated lorry looked down from his cab bemused as to why I might be edging across this concrete wasteland, the chief reason being that I'd worked out the rear of his vehicle was in TQ4881 but the front was in TQ4981. I spent barely ten seconds in my unvisited grid square before retreating but that was sufficient, achievement unlocked. I hope that's as bad as the remainder of my quest gets.



🟨=1388, 🟩=54, 🟦=6, 🟥=15


<< click for Newer posts

click for Older Posts >>


click to return to the main page


...or read more in my monthly archives
Jan24  Feb24  Mar24
Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
 Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

jack of diamonds
Life viewed from London E3

» email me
» follow me on twitter
» follow the blog on Twitter
» follow the blog on RSS

» my flickr photostream

twenty blogs
our bow
arseblog
ian visits
londonist
broken tv
blue witch
on london
the great wen
edith's streets
spitalfields life
linkmachinego
round the island
wanstead meteo
christopher fowler
the greenwich wire
bus and train user
ruth's coastal walk
round the rails we go
london reconnections
from the murky depths

quick reference features
Things to do in Outer London
Things to do outside London
Inner London toilet map
20 years of blog series
The DG Tour of Britain
London's most...

read the archive
Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
back to main page

the diamond geezer index
2023 2022
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

my special London features
a-z of london museums
E3 - local history month
greenwich meridian (N)
greenwich meridian (S)
the real eastenders
london's lost rivers
olympic park 2007
great british roads
oranges & lemons
random boroughs
bow road station
high street 2012
river westbourne
trafalgar square
capital numbers
east london line
lea valley walk
olympics 2005
regent's canal
square routes
silver jubilee
unlost rivers
cube routes
Herbert Dip
metro-land
capital ring
river fleet
piccadilly
bakerloo

ten of my favourite posts
the seven ages of blog
my new Z470xi mobile
five equations of blog
the dome of doom
chemical attraction
quality & risk
london 2102
single life
boredom
april fool

ten sets of lovely photos
my "most interesting" photos
london 2012 olympic zone
harris and the hebrides
betjeman's metro-land
marking the meridian
tracing the river fleet
london's lost rivers
inside the gherkin
seven sisters
iceland

just surfed in?
here's where to find...
diamond geezers
flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
ben schott's miscellany
london underground
watch with mother
cigarette warnings
digital time delay
wheelie suitcases
war of the worlds
transit of venus
top of the pops
old buckenham
ladybird books
acorn antiques
digital watches
outer hebrides
olympics 2012
school dinners
pet shop boys
west wycombe
bletchley park
george orwell
big breakfast
clapton pond
san francisco
thunderbirds
routemaster
children's tv
east enders
trunk roads
amsterdam
little britain
credit cards
jury service
big brother
jubilee line
number 1s
titan arum
typewriters
doctor who
coronation
comments
blue peter
matchgirls
hurricanes
buzzwords
brookside
monopoly
peter pan
starbucks
feng shui
leap year
manbags
bbc three
vision on
piccadilly
meridian
concorde
wembley
islington
ID cards
bedtime
freeview
beckton
blogads
eclipses
letraset
arsenal
sitcoms
gherkin
calories
everest
muffins
sudoku
camilla
london
ceefax
robbie
becks
dome
BBC2
paris
lotto
118
itv