Becontree is an area of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, England, 11 miles (17.7 km) northeast of Charing Cross. It was constructed between 1921 and 1935 as the largest public housing estate in the world. The Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act 1919 allowed London County Council to build housing outside the County of London and Becontree was designed to cottage estate principles in Barking,…