By Chris Guy posted on 1 Sep 2014 in Urban

As the storm moves away I head over the footbridge, past the burnt out remains of a car resting against the fencing. There does not appear to be any obvious route to get a car into this location, but someone has managed it and handsomely topped off that achievement by setting fire to the car itself.

Overgrown path beside a blue fence and chain-link, under an elevated concrete footbridge, with dry grass, bare trees and a rusting car shell beneath an overcast sky.

Burnt out car beside the footbridge over the North Circular Road.

A pedestrian footbridge with metal railings leads to an overcast urban skyline of low‑rise buildings, warehouses and cranes beneath a grey sky.

Footbridge over the North Circular Road

Once on the footbridge things brighten up. The Barking skyline comes into view and with the sun breaking through I capture the first what is to be my Nissan Micra of the day, leaving the Fresh Wharf Estate with windscreen wipers going and headlights on.

Cloudy sky above an industrial area with warehouses and cranes, a 'Fresh Wharf Estate' hoarding, a red car on a curved road and apartment blocks on the horizon.

Nissan Micra exiting the Fresh Wharf Estate, Barking

Standing on the footbridge, I realise that I’m looking at clocktower of Barking Town Hall and the new library – a building that I photographed close up during it’s construction in 2008 as part of my Walking the District Line project. A shot that was subsequently titled ‘Robots Playing Chess’ by my good friend Phil B.

City skyline under a stormy sky: a prominent brick clock tower with green cupola beside modern yellow-accented buildings, trees and a curved pedestrian bridge in the foreground.

Barking skyline from the North Circular Road

Low-angle view of a modern building with protruding lime-green box balconies and two cranes against a pale blue sky.

Robots Playing Chess

I continue on from the footbridge and along Highbridge Road into Barking Town Quay. Although the North Circular Road is now just a few hundred meters behind me it feels like I have wandered into a different town. Although clearly still industrial this has a more peaceful feel. There are swans swimming in the river Roding and grand Victorian warehouse buildings surrounding the quay.

River scene with two swans gliding past moored boats, riverside brick buildings and a construction crane under a dramatic cloudy sky.

Barking Town Quay

Riverside harbour with brick warehouses, a construction crane and moored boats, their reflections mirrored in calm water beneath a dramatic cloudy sky.

Barking Town Quay

Ancient stone wall on a grassy slope, bare winter trees and an old tower peeking behind, set against a blue, cloud-streaked sky.

Barking Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church

At this point I could be in any rural English village, but once I leave Abbey Green I’m back in the more familiar 21st century surroundings – the Abbey Retail Park. I’m drawn to the Dreams store with its signage crudely painted out and the ‘CLEARANCE OUTLET’ banners hung in their place. To top it off a second Nissan Micra zooms into view – this one with a union jack painted on the roof – quite possibly my favourite shot of the day!

Large clearance outlet warehouse beside a mostly empty car park with a lone small red car under a cloudy sky.

Clearance Outlet with Nissan Micra

With the second Micra in the bag I head up to the roundabout on the Northern Relief Road and discover what I now know to be the Lighted Lady of Barking, an illumiated sculpture by Dutch artist Joost van Santen.

Tall slender concrete tower with a blue top beside a road, a lamppost and cars, grassy verge in the foreground and apartment blocks with trees under a cloudy sky.

The Lighted Lady of Barking

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