Guided walk through Barking Abbey’s historic ruins

The footings, some walls and the Curfew Tower (built 1370-1460) fronting onto Broadway are all that remain of the third wealthiest and one of the greatest Benedictine abbeys in England after they were destroyed by King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries.

So (after prayers?) the keys were given up in 1539 and last Abbess Dorothy Barley, the nuns and all the staff left, some to go into pensioned retirement, others to find new jobs. I wonder if anyone prayed for them?

King Henry helped himself to tons of gold, silver and lead for the roof of Greenwich Palace and stone for his new Dartford manor house.

Long after that, in 1720, someone foraging for material among the ruins of his house or garden wall unearthed a keystone for an arch of some size. Thomas Beaufort (Duke of Exeter, 1377-1426) was carved on it and soon after another stone was found bearing his brother’s name, Henry Beaufort (1375-1427).

Jef Page invites people to a free guided walk around the remains of Barking Abbey (Image: Jeff Page)

Thomas and Henry were Catholics, sons of John of Gaunt and both were declared illegitimate as children but that didn’t stop the Pope making Thomas a Cardinal in 1426: he’d already been Lord Chancellor and fathered an illegitimate daughter.

So we’re left wondering why Thomas and Henry signified their interest in Barking Abbey?

Perhaps it was to confirm their favour towards it and Thomas is known to have donated vestments to St Margarets church. Or was it to show that their illegitimacy was no longer relevant, their father had remarried and so the sons were legitimised and they would be forgiven on earth and in heaven.

Gaunt himself gave a massive amount of money to the Abbey covering the fees in 1381 to allow Geoffrey Chaucer’s daughter Elizabeth (he and Gaunt, Chaucer’s patron, were related by marriage) to enter the Abbey to become a nun.

This easy free walk will finish around 1pm.

Bill, president of Barking Historical Society, has organised the tour on behalf of Ilford Historical Society and will the route will take in Barking Square and important buildings, the Curfew Tower, St Margaret’s church, the Abbey grounds, and Barking Quay and Barrage etc.

If you intend to come along please let Bill know: william-george@lioneone.net

• Jef Page is chair of Ilford Historical Society (ilfordhistoricalsociety.weebly.com).