BARKING, a town of England, county of Essex, 7 miles E.N.E. of London, on the River Roding, not far from the Thames. It was celebrated for its nunnery, one of the oldest and richest in England, founded about 670 by Erkenwald, bishop of London, and restored in 970 by King Edgar, about a hundred years after its destruction by the Danes. The abbess was a baroness ex officio, and the revenue at the dissolution of the monasteries was £1084. The church of St Margaret is an ancient edifice of considerable beauty, with some curious monuments; and the ancient market-house, no longer used, and an embattled gateway, are also worthy of mention. The various dissenting denominations have places of worship in the town.

Population in 1871, 5766, principally engagedin the river traffic and in the cultivation of vegetables for the London market. There is no longer much attention paid to the fishery, but various industries have been introduced.