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Barking is a suburban area of East London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with a population of 59,068.[2] It is 10 miles (16 km) east of Charing Cross.[3] It was an ancient parish in the county of Essex that straddled the River Roding. Historically it underwent a shift from fishing and farming to market gardening and industrial development on the River Thames. Barking railway station opened in 1854 and has been served by the London Underground since 1908. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Barking significantly expanded and increased in population, primarily due to the development of the London County Council estate at Becontree in the 1920s, and became a municipal borough in 1931, and part of Greater London in 1965. In addition to an extensive and fairly low-density residential area, the town centre forms a large retail and commercial district, currently a focus for regeneration.[4] The former industrial lands to the south are being redeveloped as Barking Riverside.[5] |