Churches of the British Isles

St Peter's Catholic Church, served by missionaries of Our Lady of Salette, lies on the northern side of Goresbrook Road, at the corner with Combes Road. In 1926 the Reverend J Petit, later bishop of Menevia, established a mission here for south Dagenham. This was taken over in 1928 by the missionaries of La Salette. The present church hall was in use for worship by 1929 and a permanent brick church, built on a basilican plan, was opened in 1937.

St Martin's Church Dagenham lies opposite St Peter's Catholic Church, on the southern side of Goresbrook Road, at the junction with Ripple Road. Even in 2010 the area was relatively peaceful, with the shops of this High Street section of the Becontree Estate sitting at the end of a cul-de-sac. The first church built for the estate was that of St Thomas's Church, Becontree West. The parish assigned to it in 1922 comprised the whole of the estate, in Dagenham, Ilford, and Barking.

This expansive parish, which encompassed most of the modern London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, was subsequently sub-divided as other new parishes were formed. The church of St Martin was opened in 1925. The present building dates to 1931-1932 and was constructed in red brick in a modern 'Perpendicular' style. It consists of an aisled nave, chancel, Lady chapel, porches and vestries. The advowson of the vicarage is held by the bishop of Chelmsford.

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses lies in enclosed land behind the shop fronts on Goresbrook Road, very close to the Heathway junction. The hall is not visible from the entrance, being sited behind the building on the left of this photo, but is partially visible from Heathway, on the corner of Goresbrook Road. It is a very standard square-shaped hall of the type built in many other locations around the country, in yellow brick with a low-rising roof.

Cherubim & Seraphim Church is on the eastern side of Heathway, midway between Ford and Arnold roads. An iron church was erected here as Heathway Methodist Church in 1925. This was replaced by the multi-use Dagenham Central Hall in 1930. In the late 1980s the current building was erected, but the Methodists later moved out to worship in a private home. The present Salvation of God Ministry C&S Church purchased it on 20 December 2002.

All photos on this page by P L Kessler.