Valence House Museum
Valence House Museum[1] is the only surviving of the five manor houses of Dagenham. The timber-framed museum building, partially surrounded by a moat, is situated in Valence Park off Becontree Avenue, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London, England. The building has been used as a manor house, a family home, a town hall, the headquarters of the library service and now houses a museum.
Valence House Museum
Valence House Museum[edit]
The museum contains permanent exhibitions on history and life in Barking and Dagenham, including displays from the 1945 Becontree Estate. It hosts regular special events for the public and school parties.
Valence House Museum, archives and local studies library closed on 22 December 2007 for a period of extensive refurbishment, partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It reopened in June 2010[2] and a few days later a plaque was unveiled to mark the funding.[3] The refurbishment included a new purpose-built archive and local studies centre.
An exhibition opened showing restored items from the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation collection at Valence House Museum on 14 March 2018. The exhibition was inspired by local man Alan Friswell who worked with Ray Harryhausen on the creature's restorations. It was funded Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council.[4][5]
Valence Park[edit]
The surrounding park of 27.82 acres (0.11 km2), has been created from the former Valence House estate, and was purchased by Dagenham Urban District Council from the London County Council in 1926.[6]
The park hosts one of the Great Trees of London, a Holm oak.[7]