Becontree

Becontree was established in the 1920s to house people displaced during World War I and those living in slums in Limehouse; people living in slums didn’t have running water or toilets till moving to the estate. The Becontree estate was designed to accommodate up to 100,000 people, making it the largest in the world, something which is still true today. Houses were mostly constructed out of red brick with tiled roofs, however over the years residents have customised their homes and gardens; meanwhile supermarkets and fast food chains such as the ubiquitous McDonalds have moved in to the area. Unbelievable, the once poor estate (nicknamed ‘The Corn Beef Estate’ as that was the only thing the inhabitants could afford to eat) has been home to Dudley Moore, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Terry Venables over the years.