London's Barking district was once a busy fishing port. However, by 1900 the fishing industry had faded away to be replaced by a range of other industries in the 20th century. Chatham Dockyard - for many years one of the best-known naval dockyards in the south of England - is also in this area.

Today, the Barking Riverside development - often known as Docklands - has gone a long way towards regenerating Barking and bringing new prosperity to the area. Large numbers of flats, shops and new businesses have been built, and the area is connected to central London by the Docklands Light Railway and the East London Transit scheme.

Plans for the redevelopment of Barking's town centre were published in September 2007. These include a huge, chequerboard terrazzo area and a fake antique wall - built by students using recycled bricks and other reclaimed architectural materials.

Barking and Dagenham Council has recently been named the Most Improved Council of the Year and the area is also heavily involved in the planning and preparations for the 2012 Olympics. Despite its urban location, Barking also has several sites of historical interest, including the ruins of Barking Abbey, which was founded in 666AD and the Parish Church of St Margaret, which dates from the 13th century and was the church in which Captain James Cook, who discovered Australia, got married.

Barking's profusion of small and large businesses and residential areas means that van rental is in constant demand - so it's no surprise that van hire is readily available in Barking, with a range of local rental companies supplying all types of van:

• Medium / short wheelbase vans - e.g. Ford Transit, Vauxhall Vivaro, Renault Trafic, Volkswagen Transporter
• Small vans - e.g. Vauxhall Combo, Ford Transit Connect, VW Caddy
• Large / long wheelbase vans - e.g. Mercedes Sprinter XLWB, Ford Transit LWB, Renault Master, LDV Maxus
• Luton vans & box vans (3.5 tonne / 3.5t).