Building Becontree

This project aims to improve the accessibility of collections related to the construction, development and management of the Becontree Estate through a programme of cataloguing, conservation, digitisation and outreach. We will use building and estate plans, London County Council property management files, tuberculosis and infectious disease registers, the Dagenham Digest, community publications such as tenants’ handbooks, tenants’ gazettes, gardening guides, Medical Officer of Health reports and rent books.

We will create fully searchable catalogues to file- and item-level adhering to relevant international standards hosted on the Valence House Collections website and the Archives Hub. We will conserve and repair damaged plans and registers of infectious diseases and repackage other materials using suitable archival-quality packaging. A project website will be used to disseminate of digitised materials, publish blogs and requests from comments/memory-sharing from past and present Becontree residents. Outreach activities will engage local residents and will build a stronger lasting relationship with an academic audience. We will also write research guides to all collections related to the estate.