Heritage and History

Valence House Museum

 

Refurbishment programme

Valence House Museum, archives and local studies library closed on Saturday 22 December 2007 for a 2-year refurbishment programme. It will re-open in May 2010.

 

Valence House Museum is the only surviving of the 5 manor houses of Dagenham. It is sited in parkland and is partially surrounded by a moat.

 

Home of the borough's local history museum and art gallery, it houses an impressive collection of artifacts and archives that tell the story of the lives of the people of Barking and Dagenham.

 

Fanshawe Family Portraits and Archive|

Collection Highlights|

Period room reconstructions|

The O'Leary Gallery|

The Herb Garden and Grounds|

A History of Valence House|

Events and Courses|

Educational visits|

The Friends of Valence House|

Local Studies Centre|

Loans, donations and bequests|

 

Becontree Rooms

Of particular interest in the museum are the Becontree Rooms, a series of period room reconstructions. The history of the massive Becontree housing estate which covers much of the borough is charted in these rooms.

 

Collections

Also on display are various artefacts illustrating the history of the borough. These include Stone and Bronze Age tools and Roman pottery.

 

Barking had an important fishing industry from the 14th Century until Victorian times. Major fishing fleets operated out of the mouth of Barking Creek, and many relics from the period are on display.

 

The extensive archives include the internationally important diplomatic papers of Sir Richard Fanshawe (1608-1666) who was Ambassador to Spain and Portugal.

 

The collection of Fanshawe Family Portraits and Archive presented to the borough of Dagenham in 1963 is the jewel in the crown of the museum's collections.

 

Visitor services

The museum offers visitors tours, school visits, adult education, craft workshops and talks and lectures.

 

Visitors can enjoy a small café and souvenir shop stocking a wide range of local history books and publications, postcards, maps, reproduction prints and drawings.

 

Opening hours

Valence House is closed for refurbishment until May 2010.

 

Rail and Underground

One Railway trains to Chadwell Heath then 62 bus

District Line to Becontree then 62 bus

 

Buses

Routes 5, 62, 128, 129, 364 and 368

 

Location map

 

Map showing location of Valence House Museum|

Click image for larger version.

 

The moat at Valence House

The moat at Valence House

 

The shop at Valence House Museum

The gift shop at Valence House

 

Contact

Group Manager - Heritage and Archives

Valence House Museum

Becontree Avenue

Dagenham

RM8 3HT

 

Amy Gaimster (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning)

Tel: 020 8227 5293

Email: amy.gaimster@lbbd.gov.uk|

 

Kirstie Bradburn (Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday)

Tel: 020 8270 6769

Email: kirstie.bradburn@lbbd.gov.uk|

 

Fax: 020 8270 6868

Email: valencehousemuseum@lbbd.gov.uk |

 

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© 2008 London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Civic Centre

Rainham Road North, Dagenham, RM10 7BN

 

Telephone: 020 8215 3000

Fax: 020 8227 5184

Textphone: 020 8227 5755

Email: enquiries@lbbd.gov.uk|

 

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