Historic, innovative and quirky buildings across Barking and Dagenham are set to open their doors for one weekend only as part of Open House London.
The annual festival of architecture, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, will allow free access to buildings, some of which are normally closed to the public or charge for entry.
Among the borough’s highlights are Eastbury Manor House, which is open between 11am and 4pm on Sunday, with a tour of the Elizabethan Grade I listed manor house taking place on the hour, every hour.
Another manor house, the Grade II* listed Valence House, will be open between 10am and 4pm on Saturday.
For those interested in places of worship, St Margaret’s Church - which is located next to Barking Abbey and dates back to 666AD - will be open between 10am and 3pm on Saturday, and the 1940s-built St Patrick’s Church open between 10am and 1pm on Sunday.
There is also the chance to tour part of the borough - a bus tour of the Becontree Estate departs from outside the former civic centre at 10am on Sunday, and walking tours around Barking town centre set off from outside the town hall on Saturday.
Councillor Saima Ashraf, deputy leader and cabinet member for community leadership and engagement, said: “Open House London is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the architectural calendar, so I am delighted to see Eastbury Manor House taking part as one of 13 sites across Barking and Dagenham.
“The historic building is one of most interesting in the borough, so I’m sure that anyone attending will be in for a fascinating and informative day.”
The Open House London scheme has been running since 1992 and now offers access to more than 800 buildings, tours and talks across the capital for one weekend each year.
Pre-booking is essential for some locations and tours, while other tours are first come first served with limited spaces.
For more information and to book, visit openhouselondon.open-city.org.uk
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