Devorah Moritz

CREEKMOUTH HERITAGE PROJECT, BARKING

Project context

Creekmouth lies at the meeting point of the River Thames and River Roding in Barking, London. Once a thriving village, it is now an industrial area adjacent to an estate which is part of the one of the largest regeneration projects in the Thames Gateway. Barking and Dagenham Council sought consultants to manage a heritage project in the area to make best use of funding from Transport for London received as part of road widening works which had resulted in the demolition of a historic industrial chimney.

Role

As Project Lead I managed this community heritage project with a team at Barker Langham. I led and wrote the successful Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant application, ran community engagement events, developed artists briefs and appointed contractors to produce web and learning resources and deliver training for local people.

The project was driven by community engagement - to identify themes and stories, record oral histories and scan photographs, then determine the most appropriate ways to communicate those stories to local audiences.

Our concept was to explore the maritime, natural and industrial heritage of the area by making connections across three key phases of settlement: Creekmouth Village (1857-1953), Thames View Estate (1954-present) and Barking Riverside (2003-present) and in doing so show how the current period of change relates to those that have gone before.

Impact

Our team’s work led to a successful Heritage Lottery Fund 'Our Heritage' grant, which funded archive and web training, reminiscence workshops, a website and learning pack. I developed briefs for artists and designers for a series of interpretive installations and wayfinding, which increase access to local heritage features and enable encounter with the area's stories across its landscape.