Barking Creek joins the River Roding to the River Thames. It is fully tidal up to the Barking Barrage (a weir), which impounds a minimum water level through Barking in Barking.
The tidal/flood barrier is normally closed before the Thames barrier.
In the 1850s, the creek was home to England's largest fishing fleet, and the Victorian icehouse - where the fish were landed and stored prior to being transferred to London's fish markets. Barking Creek contains a small number of house boats, and Creekmouth is nearby.