Inventory Site Record

King George's Field is an enclosed grassed area laid out by Dagenham Borough Council in 1953 with a grant of £2,000 from King George's Fields Foundation to lay out the 2.1 acre site. The Foundation was set up as a memorial following the death of George V on 30 January 1936 and provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was dissolved in 1965. The small park was ‘to be laid out ... with provision for gardening facilities for Marsh Green School’. The gate piers have the characteristic heraldic stone plaques that denote all King George's Fields.

Previous / Other name:

Marsh Green Road Recreation Ground; King George's Park

Site location:

Marsh Green Road/Baddow Close, Dagenham

Postcode:

RM10

What 3 Words:

aside.origin.larger

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Barking & Dagenham

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

7.15am - dusk

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Dagenham Heathway (District) then bus. Rail: Dagenham Dock. Bus: 173, 174, 175, 287.

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Google Map    
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Research updated:

01/05/2005

Last minor changes:

31/03/2026

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk

The King George’s Fields Foundation was established on 3 November 1936 in order to promote the establishment of playing fields in memory of the late King George. It was considered that the King would have approved of such a living memorial, which would benefit the 'individual well-being and the general welfare of the nation', and young people in particular, by providing them with the environment and opportunity for open air exercise. The Trust Deed of the Foundation defined a playing field as 'any open space used for the purpose of outdoor games, sports and pastimes.' Local authorities were able to apply to the Foundation, whose trustee was the National Playing Fields Association, for a grant to provide these new facilities for public recreation. Each new playing field was to be known as King George's Field and was generally provided with heraldic panels that would distinguish it as such. It was a condition of the grant that the tenure of the site was sufficiently secure so that it would provide a meaningful legacy to the king's memory; the land must have been acquired only for the purpose of public recreation. The design of the entrance and the ground's layout had to be approved by the Foundation, which was to receive an annual report for the first five years from the acceptance of the offer. 471 playing fields across the UK were funded and following the demise of the scheme in 1965, their protection has been undertaken by Fields in Trust. The largest King George's Field is Enfield Playing Fields (q.v.), some 128 acres, and the smallest is in the City of London, King George's Field in Portsoken Street (q.v.).

Sources consulted:

Dagenham Digest April 1949, March 1955. 'History of the King George's Fields Foundation' and other information on www.fieldsintrust.org

Grid ref:

TQ492836 (549280,183660)

Size in hectares:

0.906

Site ownership:

LB Barking & Dagenham

Site management:

Parks & Countryside Ranger Service

Date(s):

1953

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No

Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No

Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

None

King George's Field, Entrance gate with stone plaques, November 1999. Photo: S Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.