Curfew Tower
Curfew Tower is the biggest remaining part of Barking Abbey and was built in 1460, but the upper storey chapel is built of 12th or 13th century stone. The Tower is the entrance to St Margaret’s churchyard and is listed as a Grade II building.
Barking Abbey is a former royal monastery located in Barking, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It has been described as having been "one of the most important nunneries in the country".
Originally established in the 7th century, from the late 10th century the abbey followed the Rule of St. Benedict. The abbey had a large endowment and sizeable income but suffered severely after 1377, when the River Thames flooded around 720 acres (290 ha) of the abbey's land, which was unable to be reclaimed. Despite this, at the time of the dissolution it was still the third wealthiest nunnery in England.
The abbey existed for almost 900 years, until its closure in 1539, as part of King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The ruined remains of Barking Abbey now form part of a public open space known as Abbey Green. It is recognisable for its partially restored Grade-II Listed Curfew Tower, which features on the coat of arms of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
