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Dagenham Breach and Dagenham Dock 

Dagenham Breach 

In 1707, the River Thames had broken through the protective sea defences in south Dagenham and flooded the marshland beyond. After many failed attempts, the defences were finally repaired by Captain John Perry, RN in 1719. However, a large lake was left in the landscape, which became known as Dagenham Breach.

The Breach became a popular fishing area and the earliest Ministerial Whitebait Dinners were held there. Elizabeth Fry and her family leased two holiday cottages at the Breach in the early 19th century. The area was later industrialized, and a remnant of the Breach survives as a lake within the Ford Motor Company site.

An earlier breach in the river wall was repaired by Sir Cornelius Vermuyden in the 17th century.

  • In 1887, Samuel Williams, a barge builder, purchased 30 acres of land at Dagenham Breach. He built a deep-water dock, which was used in 1911 to fit out the last great ship built on the River Thames, the battleship HMS Thunderer, an Orion class Super Dreadnought.

    Part of the lake was filled in with gravel and other material generated by the rebuilding in London. This created new land, which was available for rent. By 1891 the company had constructed a timber dock, with a railway connected to the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line, and two new jetties to create a tidal quay.

    Samuel Williams and Co. joined forces with John Hudson and Co. to form a successful shipping company. Land beside the dock was either used for their shipping and haulage business or sold to organisations such as Union Cable Company and Ford Motor Company.

    Visit the River industries gallery at Valence House Museum to find out more.

    The Archives and Local Studies Centre collection includes fascinating 1960s archive film of the Samuel Williams site.

     
Dagenham Breach map
Workers at Dagenham Dock

Contact

Archives and Local Studies Centre

Valence House Museum

Becontree Avenue

Dagenham

RM8 3HT

 

Phone: 020 8227 2033

Fax: 020 8593 6177

Email: localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk