Dagenham's only surviving medieval manor house is having its moat restored to former glory and we went behind the scenes to see how progress was coming along.
The proposal to restore part of the moat around the Grade II listed Valence House Museum in Valence Avenue was approved in July last year.
Work officially began in January with the "primary objective" of restoring the "environmental and natural habitat conditions of the medieval moat" and is expected to last until spring.
On Wednesday (February 25) myself and Councillor Saima Ashraf, deputy leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, were taken inside the construction site to get a closer look at the ongoing work.
Heritage commissioner Tamara Horbacka and project manager for the restoration, Jeremy Stone, took the group beyond the metal fencing that separates the north moat - the section of the moat that is being restored - and visitors.
The ground was muddy but the group joined the company of three construction workers and a couple of industrial diggers.
During the visit the north moat was around one-third full - a huge difference to the last time I saw it in September last year when it was at full capacity.
This section was undergoing pump work which was seeing gallons upon gallons of water being drained, which will be followed by the removal of silt at the bottom of the moat.
One construction worker told us that the water was anticipated to be fully drained within the next three days.
This will then be followed by erosion control, bank stabilisation with vegetation planting, new reed beds and wildflower meadows.
Tamara and Jeremy, director of Greenwood Projects Ltd, said that all sorts of rubbish has been retrieved from the moat as it has been drained - including chairs, footballs, shopping trolleys and even televisions.
What really struck me was the size of this section of the moat.
Being positioned within the construction fencing and getting close to the water bank allowed me to appreciate the sheer size of the water body for the first time - it is far bigger than I first thought.
Tamara told me that the grand idea of the moat restoration is to "bring everything in the park together as one holistic thing" incorporating the museum, the moat and the surrounding walking space including the football pitches.
She said that once the work is completed, she hopes for the moat to be seen as an "outdoor classroom" and a great facility for school children to come and learn about nature as well as connect to their local history.
She also reinforced the importance of one of London's oldest trees - a more than 350-year-old holm oak which stands right next to the moat.
It has been fenced off with a wide perimeter for its protection.
The excitement and passion for this project from Tamara was palpable.
She said: "It's going to be very serene, very beautiful and a place for contemplation and for people to sit and look out onto the water."
She also expressed excitement to see the setting change over the seasons.
Share