Valence House Museum is a surviving manor house in Dagenham, now used as a local history museum for Barking and Dagenham. The exhibits cover the area's rural past, industrial growth, and everyday life before the east London suburbs filled in around it.
The house and its gardens make a worthwhile local stop, especially if you are already exploring Barking Abbey, Eastbury Manor House, or the eastern side of London beyond the usual centre.