Long-time London resident and avid museum and theatre-goer. I started this blog in 2014, and got serious about it in 2020 when I realised how much I missed arts and culture during lockdowns. I go to a lot more events than anyone would think is sensible, and love sharing my thoughts in the forms of reviews, the occasional thought piece, and travel recommendations when I leave my London HQ.
An illustrated walk around the Greenwich Peninsula from Maze Hill to Woolwich Dockyard. By far the most industrial of our Docklands walks, and all the more interesting for it.
We are back with an old friend today: Gilly Cameron-Cooper’s Walking London’s Waterways. Today’s walk is ‘Reinventing the Landscape: Greenwich East – Woolwich’.
Docklands Walks – A Complete Set!
It’s been a while since we did a walk from Gilly Cameron-Cooper’s book Walking London’s Waterways. And today’s walk is a bit of a milestone: we have now done all of the ‘Docklands Old and New’ walks. Perhaps not surprising given I was living in the Docklands (Wapping) for much of 2020 and 2021. Never fear though – London’s waterways are not limited to the Docklands. There are plenty more walks along rivers, canals and the like. But someone please remind me to do more walks in summer this year, not winter!
Today’s walk starts at Maze Hill Station, which is just past the maritime centre of Greenwich. It takes us around the Greenwich Peninsula (which we explored from an artistic perspective here), past the Thames Barrier, and as far as Woolwich. This part of the Docklands has always been heavily industrialised, otherwise undesirable land. It is still very industrial today, as you will see in the pictures coming up. Yet it has undergone changes, including developments like the O2 (former Millennium Dome), and the reestablishment of wildlife habitats along parts of the shore.
So this is a nice way to complete the set of Docklands walks. There is a lot to see, from history to modern usage of the peninsula. And along the way we will learn about Henry VIII, explorer Charles Enderby, and the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics. Let’s get started then!
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Maze Hill to Ballast Quay
We begin today’s walk at Maze Hill Station, which is where we also set off for this previous walk around Greenwich and Deptford. Nothing much to report, it’s just a regular little train station, so let’s keep going.As we head down to the Thames, we can’t help but notice Greenwich Power Station, dating to 1903. It once provided power for London’s tram network, and now serves London Underground. You can see the riverside infrastructure where I’m assuming coal once came in.Up ahead we see the Isle of Dogs on the left, with Mudchute in the foreground and Canary Wharf behind. To the right are the spikes of the O2, which we will get a lot closer to shortly. I did this walk before the damage from Storm Eunice.These nice historic buildings are Ballast Quay. Can you guess what its purpose was? Yes, this was where you came to get ballast in the form of river dredgings or sand and gravel from nearby Blackheath. Ballast, which helped balance ships who had unloaded heavy cargoes and were heading home, was lucrative business. And also a nice way to get rid of material that came from building docks and other infrastructure.The next-door Cutty Sark pub has a lot of Georgian charm. What a great spot for sitting and watching river traffic.Also good for watching river traffic was the Harbour Master’s Office. From here, the Harbour Master could monitor the quay’s business as well as the collier trade up and down this stretch of river.Just before we move on from Ballast Quay, let’s admire the view through this imposing anchor. And also wonder about this alternative blue plaque.
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Enderby Wharf to Morden Wharf
Well this is a bit less historic and interesting, isn’t it? Lovell’s Wharf and Granite Wharf used to stand next to Ballast Quay. The former was handling metal by the ton until the 1980s. It seems like a lot was still in motion along this stretch of river when Cameron-Cooper wrote her book (my edition is from 2016). She writes of her fears that an ‘enhanced riverside’ with historic elements would not be forthcoming. Those fears may have been justified – these new builds haven’t even retained the names of their former incarnations. The blog A London Inheritance has done a great before and after comparison.There are a few historic holdouts a bit further on, however. The white building was home to the Enderby Family, who founded Enderby Wharf. They began in the whaling industry circa 1790, before diversifying into ropemaking and later cable machinery and production. It was at Enderby Wharf that the Great Eastern took onboard the cable that created the first telegraph connection between Europe and America. I believe the bottom image shows some of the infrastructure related to this achievement. Charles Enderby was also an explorer and founding member of the Royal Geographic Society, and the name lives on for example in Enderby Land in Antarctica.There are still quite a few disused wharves on the Greenwich Peninsula. Some of them, such as Tunnel Wharf, just look unloved and likely to fall into such disrepair that they are eventually demolished. Others, like Alcatel Jetty at the top, have a new lease of life. By planting it with a mixture of mosses and stonecrops, it has become a habitat for birds (and less of an eyesore).These little beaches are a natural respite in the industrial landscape.We saw Morden Wharf from the other side when we were walking The Line, London’s public art trail. Hello again old friend!
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Victoria Deepwater Terminal and Environs
As we can see, things are starting to get a bit more industrial. There is a stretch of the Greenwich Peninsula here which is still home to cement works and the like, before we reach the O2-dominated tip of the Peninsula, and eventually get back to more industry on the other side. But this is already a far cry from the former warehouses of Rotherhithe and Wapping.If I understood Cameron-Cooper’s instructions correctly, then the Victoria Deep Water Terminal was once right around here somewhere. Opened in the mid-1960s, this was where container ships could load and unload their cargoes. Container ships have continued to grow since then, and this traffic now goes to Tilbury Docks on the Thames Estuary. The mound you see in the third image is likely sand or gravel to be used either as aggregate or ballast. Things don’t always change that much over time.And here is a big concrete works.Followed by a golf driving range (high fences to keep the balls in and riff-raff out?).A bit more disused infrastructure, with nice views of Canary Wharf.And we are sneaking up on the O2 now, so have almost caught up with our former walk around The Line.
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Ordnance Wharf to Emirates Air Line
Somewhere around here once stood Ordnance Wharf. From the 1690s until the 1760s (when it closed for safety reasons), Ordnance Wharf handled thousands of guns, rifles and barrels of gunpowder. This was the first development on this reclaimed marshland.Richard Wilson’s Slice of Reality, also seen here on The Line. The artwork is a 15% slice right through an ocean-going sand dredger.The Blackwall Tunnel runs under our feet here, and across the water once stood the Blackwall Shipyards. Workers here produced tea clippers, naval frigates, East Indiamen, and the very first steamship in 1821.And here we are: as close as we will get to the O2 from the riverside. When it opened (as the Millennium Dome) it was the world’s largest dome, designed by Richard Rogers of Centre Pompidou fame. The huge fabric covering is just 1mm thick. At risk of becoming a bit of a white elephant after its initial purpose as an exhibition space, the O2’s redevelopment into an entertainment complex has been fairly successful and it now hosts a multitude of concerts and events.Rounding the peninsula, we get a good view of both the Emirates Air Line cable car, and some important landscaping work. Unlike the Millennium Dome/O2 the cable car is now something of a white elephant, with visitor numbers low compared to the development and running costs. But it’s a novel way to travel between North Greenwich and the Royal Docks nonetheless. Creating new wildlife habitats like we see here not only increased biodiversity in the Thames, it also naturally stabilises the riverbanks.
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Bugsby’s Reach to Greenwich Yacht Club
Bugsby’s Reach is a somewhat curious name. Cameron-Cooper shares conjecture that, as a more common American name, there may have been a New World sailor or pirate connected to this area. Nearby Bugsby’s Hole is a tidal mudflat where the bodies of executed pirates were suspended in iron cages until three tides had washed over them. If it’s open (it wasn’t when I was there), the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park seems worth a look. Even if their boardwalk does need some work. The park contains four acres of wild freshwater habitat, and opened in 2002.The Greenwich Yacht Club. I can think of more scenic ones – this is a little incongruous, sandwiched as it is between new apartments and cement works.And now we are past the Yacht Club, we find ourselves in an industrial landscape once more. Cameron-Cooper prepares us for “dust and rusty overhead chutes”, but I actually quite like this stretch coming up. It feels much more connected to the Docklands’ past. That story isn’t always positive of course; the Greenwich Peninsula hosted a lot of industry in the 19th and 20th Centuries: oil, gas, chemicals and power stations. The land became badly contaminated, and residents and workers suffered very high levels of industry-related illness.
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Angerstein and Murphy Wharves to the Thames Barrier
We are now at Angerstein and Murphy’s Wharves, which boast some impressive infrastructure. Angerstein’s Wharf takes its name from John Julius Angerstein (1732-1832), a local entrepreneur and art collector. He built a mile-long branch railway line into the wharf which is still used today. Murphy’s Wharf is Europe’s largest terminal for sea-dredged aggregates. Together, they receive 350,000 tons of aggregate by rail annually, and 2.5 million tons by boat. Across 33 acres of land, various companies receive these raw materials, process them so they are ready for the construction industry, and send them back out. All of this is to say that some of the industry around these parts is still pretty serious.A little walk through some industrial backstreets……and we find ourselves at the Anchor and Hope pub, on Anchor and Hope Lane. Cameron-Cooper says that this pub is a contender for the location where Hogarth sketched out his series of moral illustrations Industry and Idleness, but I can’t find any further information about the connection online. Not a bad place for a ship’s captain to ‘anchor and hope’ during bad weather, though.According to our book, both a Roman fort and an Iron Age settlement were once located somewhere near here. I wish there were more information about that today!A little bit more industry before we get to the Thames Barrier.
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Thames Barrier to Woolwich Road
Much of London is on a flood plain. And quite significant chunks are actually below sea level. So there are many gloomy projections as to what would happen in the event of serious flooding. And don’t even get me started on the added impact of the Climate Emergency. Enter the Thames Barrier. It has been operational since 1982, and will carry on until at least 2030 before its shelf-life expires. A series of gates close during the highest of tides, while allowing ships to pass under normal circumstances.Here’s a model of how it works. The semi-circle at the right lies flat when not needed, or tips up like this to provide a protective barrier. Flooding in London has been an issue since London existed, so those finding solutions today are part of a long line of problem solvers.I believe that since our book was published, the Thames Path has connected up around the Thames Barrier, and no longer requires an inland detour. I still tried to follow the walk, but got a bit lost around this spot. My map-reading difficulties did, however, bring me to this interesting courtyard where I spotted the Faraday Works building. This former Siemens Brothers cable factory is earmarked for mixed use redevelopment.Back on track now, we enter a not particularly beautiful stretch of road heading to Woolwich. We amuse ourselves by looking at interesting buildings, including this ‘Noted Stout House’, now a vet’s office.I told you – not particularly beautiful walking around here. The bottom image shows a former boiler works and iron foundry.
Greenwich Peninsula Walk – Woolwich Dockyards
This modern housing development is on the site of Woolwich Dockyard, founded in 1513 by Henry VIII. Henry’s decision to place his dockyards here and in Deptford rather than Portsmouth changed a sleepy little harbour and wool town (Woolwich) forever. Deptford and Woolwich were closer to Henry’s favourite palace at Greenwich, but also closer to his armouries and the London labour market. The Dockyards failed to keep up with technology in the 19th Century (despite having the first naval plant for repairing steam ship engines) and closed in 1869.Looking across the river, we see the massive Tate & Lyle sugar refinery. It was Henry Tate, of Tate & Lyle, who offered his collection and funding to found the Tate Gallery. For the Tate today, this means understanding and confronting a legacy that involves wealth connected to enslaved labour in one way or another. But that is a topic for a different day.Getting back on topic, we now look downstream along the Thames, towards Woolwich. You can see the need for the Thames Barrier clearly – I did this walk around high tide on a regular day, and the water is already rather close to the top of the banks.Can you make out the cannon above the bench? That is a landmark signalling it’s time to turn off and say goodbye to the river for another day.The vast majority of the Woolwich Dockyards today is made up of modern housing. And not the nice, converted historic building type as seen at the Royal Arsenal. But there are a few historic remnants to be seen. One of these is the 18th Century Clocktower House, now a community centre and cafe. The Admiral-Superintendent of the dockyard was once based here, ensuring Admiralty instructions were carried out.And as we exit Woolwich Dockyard through these handsome gates, we say goodbye to our Greenwich Peninsula walk. We’ve covered 5 miles/8 kilometres, and a lot of history along the way. Thank you for joining me – until next time!
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One thought on “The Greenwich Peninsula And Thames Barrier”
One thought on “The Greenwich Peninsula And Thames Barrier”