[note 1][2] 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.

As with other manors, the area held by the declined over time, but the parish boundaries based on its former extent remained constant.

At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536, Barking Abbey was demolished; the parish church of St Margaret, some walling and foundations are all that remain.

The parish church is an example of Norman architecture; Captain James Cook married Elizabeth Batts of Shadwell there in 1762, and it is the burial place of many members of the Fanshawe family of Parsloes Manor.

[11] St Margaret's Church is a grade I listed building in the Abbey Green area of the Town Centre, dating back to the 13th century.

Salt water fishing began before 1320, when too fine nets were seized by City authorities, but expanded greatly from the 16th century.

Around 1870 this fleet changed to gaff ketches that stayed out at sea for months; to preserve the fish they used ice produced by flooding local fields in winter.

At first the fast 50-foot gaff cutters with great booms projecting beyond the sterns raced the fish to port to get the best prices.

[12][13] Until about 1870 the trade was mostly in live fish, using welled smacks in which the central section of the hull, between two watertight bulkheads, was pierced to create a 'well' in which seawater could circulate.

At this point they were pulled out and killed with a blow on the head before being despatched to market, where because of their freshness they commanded a high price.

The opening of rail links between the North Sea ports and London meant it was quicker to transport fish by train straight to the capital rather than waiting for ships to take the longer route down the east coast and up the River Thames.

The decline was hastened by a storm in December 1863, off the Dutch coast, which caused the deaths of 60 men and damage estimated at £6000–7000.

In 1848, 5 shipwrights, 4 rope- and line-makers, 6 sail-makers and 4 mast-, pump-, and block-makers are listed in a local trade directory.

On 3 September 1878 the iron ship Bywell Castle ran into the pleasure steamer Princess Alice in Gallions Reach, downstream of Barking Creek.

[21] To mark the incorporation of Barking as a municipal borough, a historical pageant featuring over 2000 performers took place in October 1931.

Made of ten acts, the Elizabethan section was performed in part by the local Women's Citizens League.

[27][28] The regeneration aims to achieve a more sustainable economy by investing in new quality retail outlets and creating a business centre; and to widen employment prospects, mainly by creating new "retail and business accommodation", to increase the income of both existing and new residents.

The development is part of the Mayor of London's 100 Public Spaces, and it was completed in 2008, designed by muf architecture/art and Allford Hall Monaghan and Morris.

Barking Riverside consists of 350 acres (1.4 km2)[36] of brownfield land and therefore needs site clearance and the removal of overhead power lines before it can go ahead.

Barking and Dagenham Council has said that it does not believe the 10,800-home brownfield development to be viable without improved transport connections, and expects that the Treasury is likely to confirm funding in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn 2013 statement.

[38] The development will also provide new public facilities, creating "a variety of living, working, leisure and cultural amenities".

[36] The Rivergate Centre, designed by van Heyningen and Haward Architects, provides the civic facilities for the initial phase of Barking Riverside, while a new square and 3FE primary school, which includes embedded community facilities, a nursery, church, flexible office suites for the PCT and Community Development Trust, as well as a MUGA and sports pitches are also planned.

[41] Local businesses and places of worship reflect Barking's diversity, with churches of various Christian denominations, mosques and gurdwaras serving as major community hubs.

[citation needed] Barking's population (if defined as approximating to the Abbey, Eastbury, Gascoigne and Longbridge wards) was 48,340 in 2011.

Lady Aisha Academy is an independent Muslim Girls Secondary School which opened in September 2011 on Victoria Road.

The western end of the Yiwu-London railway line from China to the UK is located in Barking at the DB Eurohub.

Neil Young recorded two tracks for his classic album Harvest, "A Man Needs a Maid" and "There's a World" with the London Symphony Orchestra at Barking Assembly Hall[47] (now the Broadway theatre), released in 1972.

In 2007, two small stones from remains of the medieval London Bridge were joined in a sculpture[49] in front of St Margaret's church facing the Barking Abbey ruins as part of several public artworks placed in Barking Town Centre by artist Joost Van Santen.

Notable footballers from Barking include former England captains and defenders Bobby Moore and John Terry.

The singer-songwriter and activist Billy Bragg was born in Barking,[50][51] as was U2 guitarist The Edge,[52] and singer Megan McKenna.