BARKING, a market-town of England, county of Essex, 7 miles E.N.E. of London, on the river Roding, not far from the Thames. It was celebrated for its nunnery, one of the oldest and richest in England, founded about 670, the abbess of which was a baroness ex officio. The church of St Margaret is an ancient edifice of considerable beauty, with some curious monuments. It has also an ancient market-house and an embattled gateway. Pop. in 1851, 4930, principally engaged in fishing and the cultivation of vegetables for the London market.