Wood Wharf report 1998

The article below appeared in the second Greenwich Industrial History Newsetter in 1998.  It features extracts from a report drawn up by a local campaign group - along with some specialist researchers in an effort to draw attention to the importance of the site and to try and halt drastic redevelopment which would not respect the historic integrity of the site (which went ahead some years later).  It was reproduced with their permission in 1998.

 

No 32 Wood Wharf, Pope & Bond is the site of the last traditional barge repair workshop on the Thames. Sadly the company went into voluntary liquidation during the summer of 1996 after the collapse of their refuse lighter repair contract

 

Groundwork's local programme managers and officers from the Creekside SRB Executive Team were asked to explore if these unique facilities could be saved. The then owners wanted to redevelop the site but they were supportive of investigations into the site's historic value and how these heritage assets could be retained as intrinsic elements of redevelopment of the whole site

A technical and interpretative research study was undertaken by local building conservator, Steve Jones for Groundwork.  A complementary analysis of the tourism potential of the site was undertaken by Duncan Tyler and Martin Thomas of St Bank University for the Creekside Renewal SRB

An outline proposal for a heritage sensitive redevelopment of the whole site was prepared utilising the findings of both studies. It aimed to provide a positive influence on owners, developers and planners about the future of this valuable site.

In the first half of the 18th century, the time of the appearance of the first structures on or close to the site, the surrounding land was a mixture of marsh and reed beds known as Brooks Marsh. It is probable that this land had at an earlier time been farm land, meadow or pasture, but as a consequence of rising river levels and poor maintenance was no longer sufficiently well drained.  No site-specific documentary evidence detailing activity or structures prior to the end of the 19th century was discovered in the course of this study. Careful analysis of a selected sequence of maps does however provide a reliable history of the development of the site within its immediate environmental context.

No roads or structures are evident to west of the group of buildings identified as Billingsgate on the survey map of 1695 . On Rocque's map of 1746 a road or track is clearly marked running west parallel to the river bank and a new structure is evident which, allowing for the vagaries of scale, would appear to be on or about the location in which we are interested. Probably the most exciting and evocative map of all those examined is M. Searles survey map of the Medclafe Estate dated 1777. Here we encounter for the first time the name Wood Wharf identifying an isolated group of buildings directly on the river's edge and again on or very close to the study site. More important still is a clear declaration of function and activity: 'Boat Building, The marsh behind and to the west is being drained by the means of dykes and a sluice.

 It would appear that the initial seed of riparian industry an commerce which within fifty years would grow to envelope all the riverside land between Greenwich Town and the River Ravensbourne was sown in both material fabric and the practice of skilled labour at the very site under investigation.

Morris' map of 1832 illustrates the rapid pace of expansion to the south and west of the group of buildings at the western end of the riverfront road. The road itself has now taken on the name Wood Wharf and the presence of a gas works on the western promontory points to the pace of technological change. The current street plan is clearly evident, Wood Wharf together with Thames Street, Bridge Street and Horseferry Road. The exact position of the site can be easily located with the buildings at number 32 displaying a similar footprint to those standing now. Of equal importance is the identification of a ferry which departed from the end of Horseferry Road established by an Act of Parliament in 1812 the ferry was specifically for the transport of horses and vehicles. It should be noted that at this time the Horseferry Road continued right to the river's edge across the land which is the present day site of number 28 Wood Wharf.

The greater detail of the Ordnance Survey Map of 1869 reveals blocks of dense residential development on either side of Thames Street and the wharves, jetties, shipyards and plethora of riverfront buildings abutting the Thames foreshore. A foundry, ironworks and two breweries are also in evidence interspersed with the residential fabric. The footprint of the cottage on the south side of the site now appears to be that of the presently extant structure and a second storey element to number 32 can be seen to bridge the alleyway as it does today. The Ordnance Survey map of 1895 records little change to the detail of the site and nature of activity on the adjacent water front with the marked exception of the railed landing station on the site of number 28 and the massive concrete slipway running down to the low water mark. These two structures and their opposite parts on the northern shore were installed as part of the mechanically audacious but commercially unsuccessful Greenwich Steam Ferry which opened in 1888.

By the time the Ordnance Survey Map of 1916 was produced a new structure has been built on the site of number 32, the exact replication of the current footprint and the bridging first floor element confirms the arrival of the present day building. Though the last of the large shipyards to the west has now gone, the foreshore east towards the town centre is still dotted with a variety of small buildings, wharves and jetties. The current structures at numbers 30 and 28 are still not in evidence and the demise of the steam ferry at the end of the previous century, though the concrete slipway still remains, marked the end of sites significant as a ferry crossing point for the lower reaches of the Thames.

The importance of the Wood Wharf as the location of the first post- medieval development of the Thames waterfront immediately to the west of Greenwich Town has been firmly established The commercial and technological imperative that drove the following expansion was that of industrialisation It is interesting however that the earliest documented activity on this site was a pre industrial craft the skilful practice of which had exerted a powerful influence on the history of the British Isles for more than 2000 years. Searles map of 1777 clearly identifies Wood Wharf as a Soar Building yard. To what extent can we establish a continuity of this practice in and about this yard?

It would indeed be unusual for a single small site to be exploited without interruption for a single purpose, despite changes in technology, design, demand and practice, over a period of more than two hundred years. Indeed we are told that on the Laurie map of 1821 Wood Wharf is marked as a timber yard, By this time all along the foreshore east of the site was being developed as wharves with jetties and associated riverfront buildings. Here goods were unloaded either from seagoing craft accessing the foreshore on the top of the tide, or more often, both loaded and unloaded to and from smaller craft that transported the bulk of goods and individuals up and down the Thames. 

By number by far the greatest proportion of boats plying trade on the Thames would be such small craft, under 30 or 35 foot: cutters, gigs, lighters, wherries, and small fishing craft such as the Greenwich Peter boat It has been suggested that the absence of slipways indicates that boats were not actually constructed along this stretch of the Thames during the 19th century however such an assertion cannot be sustained Graft of this type under 35ft required no slip to be launched they are built as close to the water as possible preferably under cover and manhandled to the waters edge, just as they are in daily use for their succeeding working life

Any of the properties along Wood Wharf, the road running east to Greenwich Town, would be suitable for the fabrication of such craft and they must have been built in large numbers What is different about the original Wood Wharf site is that it is blessed with a particularly firm and shallow sloping foreshore which due to its position at the centre of the curve of the river on the outside of the bend, is the area least prone to silting As a consequence it is an ideal place to beach a boat for maintenance and repairs Given a choice this is the best place between Greenwich and the Ravensbourne to carry out the fabrication and maintenance of small wooden craft

By the second half of the 19th century iron plate and later steel were beginning to replace wood as the material of choice for the manufacture of large and medium sized vessels (note the Iron Shipbuilding Yards to the west of Wood Wharf on the OS maps of 1865 and 1895). In the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century a huge number of flat bottomed barges and lighters of both wood and iron or steel construction transported materials up and down the Thames and the east coast The Wood Wharf foreshore provides an ideal location for the maintenance of such craft without the expense of cranes, slips or dry docks The occupation of the extant building at number 32 by specialist barge and lighter repair yards, can be traced back to the time of its construction just after the turn of the century; Percy Talbot, Whitehair (who specialised in the transport of grain to the flour mills in Deptford Creek), Union Lighterage and most recently Pope & Bond The form and layout of the building suggests that it was purpose built for this activity The remarkable similarity of the preceding structure represented on the OS maps of 1895 and 1865 would support the supposition that there is a direct link to the earlier days of boat building and repair at Wood Wharf

Only thirty five years ago there were six barge repair yards between Wood Wharf and the entrance to Greenwich foot tunnel The unfortunate demise of Pope & Bond brought to an end the local practice of a craft which long preceded the industrial revolution, initiated the industrialisation of this section of the Greenwich riverfront and all but weathered the post industrial decline Should Greenwich loose from it's riverfront both the site and the skills that most poignantly demonstrates the human bridge between the inevitable cycle of social technological and economic change and the timeless ebb and flow of the tidal Thames we will be forever impoverished. When as a society we acknowledge the true worth of river that lies at the heart of our city as an amenity for leisure and sport and sustainable transport, as we inevitably will, where will the industry that services that new demand reside if the skills and sites are no longer with us?

Wood Wharf and Greenwich Ferries

It has long been supposed that there have been ferries from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs from the earliest times. The evidence for the exact sites at which different ferry services embarked and disembarked passengers on the southern shore and how and when these locations changed is a little sketchy Potters Ferry crossing from Billingsgate to a landing point on the northern shore at the approximate location of the termination of Ferry Street is indicated on the 1695 survey map ). It seems this or another ferry also ran from Garden Stairs. It is reported that there are legal records of transfers of ownership of these various ferries dating back to at least 1570

A ferry at Greenwich that was capable, in favourable conditions, of transferring horses and carriages across the Thames is mentioned in Pepys' diary and a legal document dated 1762 grants the rights to watermen of Greenwich to provide "passage for men, horses, beasts, and all other cattle and carriages whatsoever. In 1812 an Act of Parliament was passed creating a statutory ferry for horses and vehicles and it is around this time that Horseferry Street first appears on maps The end of Horseferry Road which is now the site of number 28 Wood Wharf must have run directly onto the sandy foreshore so that regardless of the state of the tide a horse and carriage could be driven onto the ferryboat. The Horseferry continued to operate from this site until it was closed by the Metropolitan Board of Works Act of 1883. This was not however the last ferry to operate across the Thames from Wood Wharf.

The 13th of February 1888 saw the opening of by far the most ambitious and mechanically daring ferry operation system ever to be seen on the River Thames. The principle utilised to effect the smooth transfer of passengers, horses, carriages and even railway trucks onto a ferry steamer whatever the state of the tide had been first employed in the USA. It is a truly remarkable testament to the ambitions of the late 19th century engineer. This device is described in some detail in an article published in 2nd December 1892 edition of The Engineer . In short a concrete slip 350ft long and 53ft wide ran from the end of Horseferry Road down the foreshore. A massive landing stage weighing 270 tons travelled up and down this slip on rails with the flood and ebb of the tide Two travelling platforms each weighing 125 tons shuttled back and forth between the end of Horseferry Road and the landing stage transferring passengers, horses and carriages in either direction.

A duplicate of this awesome construction was of course operating on the opposite shore and between these landing stages steamed two purpose built ferries.

The ferries themselves were technologically very advanced being double ended with steam driven twin screws at each end. Underneath the end of Horseferry Road on the site of no. 28 a large chamber housed steam engines which through a system of gearing turned drums so as to draw the landing stage and travelling platforms up and down the slip by means of 4 inch diameter steel cables. In order to reduce the work of the engines the landing stage and platforms were counterbalanced by 20 ton weights which travelled down three iron lined shafts which are sunk over 145ft into ground beneath the chamber.

Despite its mechanical ingenuity the ferry was never a commercial success principally due to insufficient traffic. It closed between 1890 and 1892 and finally closed for good in about 1899 after less than ten years active life The history of Greenwich and of the lives of the people of Greenwich is inextricably bound to the river and the movement of people and goods up and down and across the river. The history of the Thames watermen who plied their trade in wooden boats of the type that were being made in the original boatyard at Wood Wharf is one of slow demise with the incremental emergence of two earth bound forms the bridge and later the tunnel. By the end of the 19th century engineers had taken the science and art of both bridge and tunnel design and construction to heights never before imagined. It seems deeply ironic that in their enthusiasm to tame the eternal cycle of the tidal Thames they should conceive and construct such an ingenious development of a system of transposition that was all too visibly in decline as a result of the application of those very same skills to a more efficient resolution of the problem

From the river the varied form and massing of this small complex of buildings, its direct physical association with the foreshore, a sand and pebble beach revealed with the fall of the tide, all in combination present a scene once characteristic of the entire west Greenwich riverfront and the banks of many other Thames reaches. Approaching and walking across the site along Wood Wharf itself, between and under the riverfront buildings and the houses and workshops tucked in close behind, is to experience a streetscape of a character all but lost to the Thames riverside This is the last remaining 25m of a narrow road that twisted between and beneath riverfront buildings eastward to Billingsgate Street and Greenwich town centre the first road along the west Greenwich riverfront and the seed of the street plan extending south to Bridge Street. Dreadnought, Victoria and Norway wharves and the remaining associated warehouses and workshops to the west will be lost or irrevocably changed with the proposed Greenwich Reach development and to the east Highbridge wharf is undergoing similar change.

Riverboat Repair Workshops
The building now on the site of number 32 was erected at or around the turn of the century. It comprises two ground floor workshop spaces either side of the roadway, a third larger first floor workshop facing the river behind which is a unit subdivided to provide locker room office and kitchen facilities. Purpose built, probably based on a pre-existing structure an archetypal form of which there are no other examples left on Greenwich waterfront. The trade practice for which it was designed and built and the activity it serviced are a testament to a pre-industriaI past and the unbroken history of boat building and repair on and around this site. The mater al and form of its structure and utility of its external detailing are characteristic of construction practice towards the end of the great industrial age which had changed forever the once marshy land to the west and south. The rear workshop still houses a forge tools and machinery employed to cut and form metal sheet and bar necessary to maintain the most recent incarnation of working Thames cargo vessels: steel barges and lighters. This building and if at all possible some aspects of its intended function should be retained.

The special nature of this smell section of tidal foreshore, a site naturally suited to the repair and maintenance of river craft, preceded and promoted the landside development The same characteristics of gently sloping, firm sand and minimal silt deposits were the prerequisites for a vehicular ferry The riverside buildings and foreshore are both physically and historically interdependent The most conspicuous reminder of the final stage in the history of the site as a ferry crossing point, the concrete slipcompletes the connection between the landside structures and tidal foreshore With the demise of the ferry the slipway was immediately utilised as an additional facility for the beaching and repair of barges and lighters Despite the passage of more than 100 years and at least one direct hit by bomb during World War II the slipway is still in remarkably good condition its sturdy proportions a remarkable testament to the scale of the moving landing-stage which serviced the long past Greenwich Steam Ferry

The large chamber beneath the buildings currently occupying the site of numbers 28 and 30 which housed the engines and counterweights for the moving landing stage and travelling platforms together with the concrete slipway is the only remaining material evidence of a great 19th century engineering edifice. Above this structure, like a camouflage net over a military bunker, is a hotchpotch of early and mid 19th century structures. The massive counterweight shafts descending nearly 50 ft into the ground below, roof beams formed from riveted steel plate and angle supporting the woodblock roadway above, and the circular chambers in the retaining walls which formed part of the boiler system, as well as the chamber itself, are all of archaeological significance. What is more the 190m chamberwhich was also used as an air raid shelter during World War II, could be the ideal environment within which to recreate and recall Wood Wharf past life on the late 19th century industrial riverfront; sailing barges and bargemen, lighters and lightermen, the steam ferry and its moving landing-stage; before the age of steam, ferrymen and watermen pulling on their oars against the flooding Thames in slender clinker craft the origins of which date back to vessels of the distant past, the longboats of the Norse raiders and settlers from a previous millennium

 PLANNING ISSUES & CONTRIBUTING TO REGENERATION IN GREENWICH

Past and present economic development and planning strategies for this and neighbouring riparian sites as well as Strategic Planning Guidelines for the Thames, point to the retention and exploitation of these assets as an assent al part of any proposal for future development

The primary economic activities in Central Greenwich are tourism, leisure and retail'. A recent study has identified the 'lack of any interpretation or presentation of the h story of Greenwich.  The lives of the people of Greenwich have historically been greatly influenced by and inextricably bound to the riverfront and its activities and businesses, traditional craft and the people who built and worked them.

The full technical and interpretative study identifies broad options for the inter-related utilisation of the heritage assets. The ideal option combination for Wood Wharf would be:

The preservation of the existing fabric of the workshop at number 32 Wood Wharf and the associated tidal foreshore as a centre for the conservation, repair and fabrication of traditional craft

The exploitation of the remaining elements (slipway and engine chamber) of the Great Greenwich Steam Ferry as the core around which to present a dynamic history of the riverfront at Greenwich and promote future uses of the River Thames far transport and pleasure.

Utilisation of the scenic and atmospheric potential of the location to generate further income and employment from a riverfront restaurant

The separate South, Bank University study into the viability of sensitive development suggests that such a combination could be viable and would

SITE OWNERSHIP AND CONTEXT

The site is adjacent to a major proposed development (Greenwich Reach 2000), an estate regeneration project 'Meridian Estate) and an environmental improvement programme (Cutty Sark Gardens). In addition a proposal to build a boardwalk across the front of the site's tidal foreshore has received outline planning permission. The site at present comprises two freehold units under separate ownership. Both freeholders are currently seeking purchasers and/or developers.

Be compatible and highly complementary to the Greenwich Reach 2000 development

Provide an acceptable neighbour to the Meridian Estate and contribute to the various related local SRBs.

CONCLUSIONS

The historic significance of the site, both by association and in material fabric, its potential as a viable tourist attraction and the private and public aspiration to recognise and utilise these values have been clearly established,

The immediate 'environment' is complex and there remains uncertainty about proposals for surrounding landholdings and the potential impact of the proposed boardwalk on future use of Wood Wharf. Given these pressures and the diversity of interests in the future of the site it will not be easy to achieve and maintain a broad consensus. Compromises will be necessary if all parties are to benefit from the redevelopment of the site and the following broad objectives are to be met

Landowners & developers achieve appropriate financial returns from site development

The site and parties involved attract a suitable organisation willing to make full traditional boat building and repair use of the foreshore and retained workshop facility.

The preservation and development of the steam ferry chamber as a viable entity that provides interpretation of Greenwich's working riparian heritage.

These are realistic, particularly if the various parties, including the local authority, consider a number of potential options for land and planning deals around the site

GIHS Newsletter no.2. June 1998

            GREENWICH INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SOCIETY. NEWSLETTER

 June 1998 Volume 1. Issue 2

This is a scan of some of the articles which appeared in this newsletter. The main article in this edition was a long piece about Wood Wharf – this will follow as a separate posting.  Some details of where to get books etc. have been removed as very out of date – and in several cases the contacts originally given have died.

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

7th July 1998. 7.30 pm UNDERGROUND GREENWICH by Rod LeGear (Kent Underground Research Group). East Greenwich Community Centre, Christchurch Way, SEl0.
15th September 1998 7.30 pm INAUGURAL MEETING AND FIRST AGM East Greenwich Community Centre, Christchurch Way, SEl0.
13th October 1998. 7.30 pm INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY IN GREENWICH by Prof. Dave Perrett (Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society & Association for Industrial Archaeology) East Greenwich Community Centre Christchurch Way, SEl0.
December 1998 7.30 pm GREENWICH AND ITS INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE. By Paul Calvocoressi (English Heritage) East Greenwich Community Centre. Christchurch Way. SE10O.
12th January 1999 STONES OF DEPTFORD by Peter Gurnett. Venue to be arranged

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Readers might like to know that a microfiche with the names of old gas workers has been deposited at Woodlands Local History Library, Mycenae Road. Up to date details of gas workers can be obtained from Terry Mitchell, Mobberley. Cheshire.

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LETTERS

From Alan Palfrey. I have been thinking very seriously about the direction which the Society should be taking. Should we just have meetings with talks, or should we actively go out and find sites and industries to research? Should it be left to individuals to do their own research. Or should the Society offer support or perhaps take on projects to be done jointly? Can we share information about our interests and what can we do to help each other? I would like to see us setting up a register of member’s interest’s and. perhaps, flagging this up on a big map on the wall. It was a good idea to pass a book round at the last meeting but we need something people can see. Perhaps at each meeting we could have an 'Open Forum' session where people can what they are doing and ask for help. I would like to flag up my own interest in National Enamels which was in Norman Road in later years it was 'Vickery's'. Has anyone any information or pictures about this site and those who worked there?

From Michael Dunmow, Crossness Engines Trust. Many thanks for the first issue - it looks very promising. I'm sure you'll resolve the pictures problem. Best wishes.

From David Cuffley, North West Family History Society. Thank you for your letter telling us about the founding of GIHS. Please convey NWK FHS's congratulations to your members. Most people do not realise that Family Historians cover not only the details of their families but also the social and occupational information associated with them. As an example of this Jean Strike one of our Vice Presidents runs an index of Papermakers and is very knowledgeable on this industry. I run the Brickmakers Index which lists Brickfield workers and details of their families, works and as much more as I can squeeze into the database. At this moment there are 11,060 entries .. Articles regularly appear in our Journal about the industrial aspects of our research. You will find details of the Woolwich & Plumstead Brickmakers in articles by me in both NWK FHS Journal and Woolwich & District FHS Journal. Regards.

From John Day.  Very belated thanks for the copy of your newsletter. It speaks well for the future. I don't know whether you are aware of the existence of a large number of drawings of machinery made by Hick Hargreaves for Woolwich are held at Bolton Library. Thanks for the note about the 'Aspects of the Arsenal' book. I persuaded a friend to get it for me as a birthday present'.

From Ian Sharpe. I hope you don't mind me writing to you from the other side of the river. Right opposite the tip of Greenwich Peninsula is a site, Brunswick Wharf, which is very important and needs some attention. The 'First Settlers' left Blackwall in 1606 to land in what is now Virginia USA. These heroic men braved all to set up across the uncharted seas. They founded Jamestown, and started the tobacco trade which was to become the main economy of Virginia. Yet a monument in their honour at Brunswick Wharf (the little mermaid) first unveiled by the American Ambassador in 1928 and again in 1953, has been neglected. It is directly opposite the Millennium Dome project, and although Barretts who are building a housing complex there have offered to restore it but will they get it right? It must have access and facilities for the many visitors that are bound to come. The people planning the Millennium should look beyond Greenwich and across the river.

From Michael Ward. Historic Greenwich Blue Plaques. Following our talk about 113 Blackheath Park I am writing to ask you to press for a much better marking of the wonderful proper ties that are to be found all over the Borough. The case of l13 Blackheath Park is striking and although it is not an industrial building the arguments that apply to it are just the same. It is the house that the world famous philosopher John Smart Mill inhabited for some 20 years. These were the seminal years of his greatest writings on Liberty, Utilitarianism and the Subjugation of Women. Apparently the London County Council Greater London Council response to requests for a blue plaque was to say that there one somewhere in London already. Greenwich should seize the initiative now ready for the flood of Millennium tourists, by commissioning cast and ceramic plaques tor a fair number of sites. I would also mention the conduit building and a commemoration of the first English golf course on Blackheath. You and your industrial historian colleagues will have many more to suggest throughout the Borough. The cost is not great – about £1,000 for a specially made round plaque with crafted lettering and  rather less than for a metal or new simulated plastic plaque

From Arthur Turner. It really was a wonderful experience to be present at your meeting to hear Andrew's talk and to meet up with so many of your members and ex-employees of Redpath Brown. We had previously spent some come down to the site seeing the old Canteen building and the possible former sheds now resheeted as part of the Industrial Estate (Unit 19): also the former works jetty, slightly modified  I suspect from its original shape. My only regret was the lack of time to speak to people after the talk

From Rick Tisdell. Re: Redpath Brown. I have managed to unearth some information from a file I discovered at my sister's house. I worked at Redpath's from 1960 to 1971 where I completed my apprenticeship as an Electrician in the Maintenance Department. My father worked at East Greenwich all his working life in the office where he was the purchasing officer. He was made redundant when British Steel closed the works in 1977. He died in 1979. My mother also worked in the office at Greenwich and it was there that she met and married my father. She was the daughter of Johnny Stewart who was for many years the Template Shop Foreman at the works. His brother also worked in the Drawing Office at Greenwich for a short time. My mother went on to work full time as Secretary to the Managing Director at Duncannon Street Head Office in the 1960s. Her great uncle was called Dan Taylor and he was either Foreman of the Roof Shop or General Foreman at around the time of the First World War.

From Philip MacDougal .  One of the earliest and most important industrial enterprises in the nation were the naval  dockyards. During the eighteenth century, for instance the naval dockyard at Chatham had a work force in excess of 2,000 . This made it the single largest employer in the southeast. In addition there were yards variously sited at Sheerness, Deptford, Woolwich and Greenhithe. Undoubtedly there must be a number of local historians either working on the history of these yards or who would like to know more about them. For this reason, The Naval Dockyards Society was established. Our next meeting will be at Woolwich (5th September 1998) where we will be exploring the site of the old dockyard. GHIS members are welcome to contact me. 

From Terry Scales. In Greenwich we have in the past taken our industrial heritage tor granted. I remember the warm glow of satisfaction when reading a press statement by a member of the Planning Department that "The chimneys of Deptford Powerhouse are important site lines in the view across London and will be safeguarded in any future development'. That was in the mid1980s. How things have changed since then and doesn't it just illustrate the danger of sitting cosily by whilst the waterfront of Greenwich is slowly leeehed of its trading character and converted into a Crovdon on Sea. At least the intention of the Deptford development, I understand ,is to renovate the large pier and continue with its maritime use in some way. This highlights the future of our other pier, the much loved old coaling pier by Trinity Hospital. Striding into the river on massive Doric cast-iron columns it is a truly magnificent structure. Many older residents will remember the constant cascade of water that dropped from the chutes above. It is the third element in a trio of contrasts. The Trinity Hospital and the Powerhouse itself making for a dramatic visual surprise as the pedestrian comes upon them quite suddenly. The Poet Laureate, Cudahy Lewis, used the space under the pier as the site of a murder mystery when writing thrillers under the pseudonym of Nicholas Blake (Relevant Council Department, please note). This alone should guarantee it a safe future, but so strange and romantic is this edifice that in the next two years it will almost certainly come under the beady eye of the 'rationalisers' and fall victim to their rage for tidiness. My own interest is not historical - it is in fact a relatively recent structure of 1906 - but a purely visual only. As a landscape artist I find it an invaluable focal point in adjacent Riverside subjects. Looking either east or west it dramatizes the sense of space. This is particularly so from Pipers wharf where the elegance of the Royal Naval College is set off superbly by the Blue/grey columns rising from dun green waters. If we do not make a concrete effort to list the coal pier I am afraid we will lose it by default. I urge this society to lose no time in taking the necessary steps to do so

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There are many overlapping points between Community History and Industrial History (see letter from NW Kent FHS).  A new Family and Community Historical Research Society has been set up by the Open University, aiming to 'promote and communicate research in family and community history within a scholarly framework'. They aim to publish a journal with a first issue planned for November 1998. Details from Prof. Ruth Finnegan, OSFACH, Open University, Gardiner 2, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA 5.   

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 Consultation papers on the Greenwich Cultural Plan have been sent out. They include all sorts of wormy bodies but there is no mention of any sort of historical research. The document points out that the millennium provides an unprecedented opportunity for Greenwich. Forty-five people (none of them historians) were consulted. The Council hopes for a range of activities throughout the Borough with as wide as possible coverage concerning visual arts. Creative activities, sport and gardens all build on the existing cultural strength of Greenwich. In order to measure success initiatives should  create a dialogue,  harness economic benefit, address intra borough inequities, create a legacy, and leveraged funding. All of this is detailed. A Cultural Plan Co-ordinator is to be appointed who will ask for project proposals from the community and assist with submissions. Funds they say are limited. Time, they say, is running out.  Get your bids in.

GREENWICH INDUSTRIAL HISTORY IN PRINT

BYGONE KENT is produced monthly by Meresborough Books of Rainham, Kent . It has published so much about Greenwich and its industries including this list of articles - which will be continued later on. Here are some of the articles on Greenwich industry which had appeared up to a couple of years ago.

The Fire King of Greenwich. Jane Putman. Vol.2.No.3. March 1981

Woolwich: Kent's First Royal Dockyard by Philip MacDougal Vol 2. No.l0. Oct. 1981.
Deptford: Former Royal Dockyard. By Philip MacDougal Vo1.2. No.11 Nov. 1981.
Whitebait in the Thames by Eric R..Swan. Vol.3. No.1.. April 1982
A Place of Great Dread by Susan King. VoI.3.No.6. June 1982.
The Princess Alice by Henry J. Green Vol 4. . April 1983.
Visit to Woolwich by Henry Green Vol 4. No.5. June 1983..
Eltham Park. The Story of a Station. By Jim Landergan. Vol 5. No.2. Feb 1984.
The Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cables of 1865 and 1866, By Arthur Joyce Vol. 5. May 1984
The Royal Arsenal Woolwich. By P. Baigent Vol 5.No.9. Sept 1984
Shipbreaking at Woolwich by Philip Banbury Vol.5. No.9. Sept. 1984.
Housing for the Woolwich Arsenal Munitions Workers. By John Kennett. Vol 6. No. 12. Dec. 1985.
The Closure of Deptford and Woolwich Dockyards. Philip MacDougall. Vol. 7. No.4 . April 1986
Cable Manufacturing in Kent.. Pt.1 by Philip Banbury. Vol.7 No 7.July 1986
Cable Manufacturing in Kent Pt.2. by Philip Banbury. Vol 7. No.9. Sept. 1986.
The Remains of a Naval Base. By Philip MacDougall. Vol. 1 No.9. Sept 1986
The Southern Outfall Works. Crossness. By Robert Eastleigh. Vol. 1 No.11. Nov. 1986
Erith's Tuppeny Trams. Pt 1. By Robert Eastleigh Vo1.8. No. 1. Jan 1987.
The Bexley Urban District Tramways. Pt. 1. By Robert Eastleigh Vol. 9. No.1. Jan. 1988.
The Bexley Urban District Tramways. Pt. 2. By Robert Eastleigh Vol 9 No. 2. Feb 1988.
The Building of the Bostall Estate. Abbey Wood. By Rod LeGear. Vo1.9. N.3. March 1988
As the Crow flies. Milestones in Metropolitan Kent. By Bernard Brown Vol 9. No.3. March 1988
The Other Woolwich Ferry. By Robert Eastleigh. Vol.9. No 11.Nov. 1988
Launching a Barge. By Iris Bryce. Vol. 13. No.1. Jan 1992
The Maritime Duties of London's Bobbies. By Bernard Brown. Vo1.13. No.4. April 1992.
The Deptford Turnpike Road. By Bernard Brown. Vol 13. No.5 May 1992.
Parte of Kent. The Development of North Woolwich. By Bernard Brown. Vo1.14. No 1.Jan 1993
The Deptford Ferry. By Bernard Brown Vol l4. No.8 Aug 1993
The Thirty-nine Steps. By Bernard Brown. Vol.17. No.3. Jan 1996.
The Epic Story of the Effluent Vessels. Pt. 1. By Anthony Lane Vol.18.No.3. Aug. 1997
A Disaster in Blackheath Tunnel. By John Hilton. Vol. 18 No. 8 Aug 1997
The Epic Story of the Effluent Vessels. Pt.2. By Anthony Lane Vol. 18. No.9 Sept 1997

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THIRD MEETING OF THE SOCIETY

About fifty people attended the third meeting of the Society to hear Andrew Turner speak about Redpath Brown. Numbers meant a move into the hall at East Greenwich Community Centre - apologies to those who couldn't hear. We will try and sort chis problem out. Other items were that we plan to have a stall at the Crossness Engines Open Day, we will circulate copies of the Greenwich Cultural Plan, thanks to Goldsmiths College for putting the newsletter on their web site, circulate membership and subscription forms, Sue Bullevant spoke on the Borough Conservation Group. Draw up a register of research interests on a map

 

THE LEWISHAM SILK MILLS AND THE HISTORY OF AN ANCIENT SITE.

THE STORY OF ARMOUR, SMALL ARMS, SILK AND GOLD AND SILVER WIRE DRAWING.

Sylvia Macartney and John West

Chapter one - The Early Site
“That area of land roughly triangular in shape bounded by the railway embankment to the south west; Conington Road and Silk Mills Path to the east and the small bridge over the Ravensbourne to the south is one of the most historic sites in Lewisham. A Bronze Age axe head and bones, thought to be the jaw of a wolf, have been unearthed and the fragment of pottery and tiles found nearby suggest that it may have been a Roman site. Here was once once of the great fields of the Manor of Lewisham called Sundermead; corrupted in modem times to Sundry Meadow or Thundery Mead, and across the river was the field known as Loots, Locks or Lock Mead. From early times is has been associated with the tools and trappings of militarism and, therefore, whether intentionally or not, has been surrounded by an air of mystery. On this site, throughout the centuries, has stood a mill whose product encompassed the romance of chivalry, the heroism of warfare, the beauty of silk and the splendour of precious metal.
In the Domesday Survey of 1080- 1086, England's first ever public record; about 5,600 mills are listed. Eleven of these were in Lewisham, on the Ravensbourne, and one was on the site which, many centuries later, would be occupied by the Royal Armoury Mill and the Lewisham Silk MiIls.
The River Ravensbourne rises at Caesar's Well on Keston Common and after being joined at Catford by the Pool River and then by the Quaggy at Lewisham, it winds on until it reaches the Thames at Deptford Creek:, a total distance of nearly eleven miles.
The earliest mills on the Ravensbourne would have been somewhat primitive structures, built: around a timber frame, with walls of wattle and daub and a roof of thatch. One simple type of mill, known as the Greek mill, dates from about 85 B. C, and derived its power from a horizontal waterwheel which fixed to a vertical shaft, turned the mill stones
A second, more efficient type of mill was inspired by a Roman architect and engineer, Vitruvius in the latter part of the first century B.C. His mill had a vertical waterwheel; attached to a horizontal shaft and power was now transmuted via gearing. This was the type that became common in the Ravensbourne. Working parts were made from wood, and since iron was scarce and therefore expensive the bearings for the main drive shaft connected to the waterwheel would have been of stone prepared by a local stonemason. The lower section of the wheel was immersed in the stream and the force of water against the flat wooden paddles fixed at intervals around its circumference, caused it to rotate. Almost certainty, corn mills of this basic type would only have worked a single pair of millstones.

How to read on - in 1979 the Lewisham Local History Society published a 26 page A5 booklet written by two of its members and entitled 'The Lewisham Silk Mills. That booklet has been out of print for some years but now, following nineteen more years of meticulous research on the part of the authors we are proud re have been entrusted with the task of publication in association with GLIAS, of a greatly enlarged Second Edition. This new edition contains iv + 113 pages. With 21 illustrations in 9.5" x 6.5" (242 mm x 165 mm) format, burst bound in heavy gauge gloss laminated card cover with fold-in back.
Contents: - The early Site - The Royal Armoury Mill - Swords and Muskets – the Royal Small. Arms Factory - Robert Arnold Silk Thowster – the First Stantons - Gold and Silver Wyre dressing - The Second Stantons –into the twentieth century – workers at the Royal Small Arms Factory – Trades at the Mill – Mill Employees – Stanton Family Pedigree

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INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS is published quarterly for members of the Association for Industrial Archaeology. The summer 1998 edition has printed in full our 'press release' announcing the setting up of the Greenwich Society. In a review of LA News in Greater London the Society is mentioned again with particular reference to the 'Dome' and the industrial remains which it will cover. Articles in the Bulletin cover as far away as Upper Silesia and much nearer home an excellent article on the watercress industry at Springhead, outside Gravesend.

INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY REVIEW is the journal of the AlA. The 1998 volume contains many impressive articles although the general drift gives the impression that industry stopped somewhere short of Watford. London itself is hardly mentioned let alone Greenwich and Woolwich. Subjects include wooden wagon way in Sunderland, edge runners in the British gunpowder industry, Fairbairn's influence on Stephen's bridge designs, John Farey technical author, Silver End Model Village, ICI coal to oil plant, Lodz textile mills and the water supply of Antwerp. Details of member ship from The Wharfage, Iron Bridge,Telford, Shrops., TF8 7AW.

GLIAS NEWSLETTER  No.176 June 1998. (unusually thin) contains just one mention of Greenwich industries. An article on the back page describes food additives as 'an important component of the London IA scene'. In this context the author describes the 'specialised tailored products made by Amylum UK'. Other articles draw attention to sites outside Greenwich a National Inventory of War Memorials, early electric tramways at Northfleet and docks near Heathrow Junction. [Enquiries about GLIAS membership to Sue Hayton, 3 The High Street, Farnborough Village. Orpington, BR6 7BO )

A VISIT TO GREENWICH POWER STATION

Environment week events included tours of the London Transport Greenwich power station. Mary and I visited    the station, which is on the river side almost on the Meridian Line, on 6th June in the company of about twelve other people. We were fortunate in having an expert guide, Mike Burgess, a retired LT electrical engineer who had worked at Greenwich.

The building is huge and, to me the most visually impressive aspect is the interior of the now disused boiler house like some of our bigger railway station structures. At the other end of the scale there are some fascinating details such as the ribbed walls in specially shaped glazed tiles, which provided channels for cabling. Views from the top of the jetty are breathtaking
The first interesting question, discussed by Mr. Burgess, was 'why a dedicated power station'? The answer is that electrical transport predated the general electricity supply system at a time when electrical supply was very locally based. The London County Council had been set up in 1889 and took over the horse drawn tramway companies. The Greenwich Power Station was designed by the LCC Architect's Department to supply the electric tram system and was opened in two stages in 1906 and 1910. An elegant rain water hopper dated' 1903 AD' is on the rear of the building. It is interesting to note that according the 'The Greenwich and Dartford Tramways” by Robert J. Hurley that a brand new electric tramway was opened from the King William the Fourth pub in Trafalgar Road to central London in 1904. Where did the power come from for that?  At around the same time the underground and tube rail ways were being electrified (1st January 1905 for Baker Street to Uxbridge, 1st July 1905 the first stage of the Inner Circle). But Greenwich Power Station did not begin to supply the railway operations until 1933 when the LCC Tramways were absorbed into the London Transport Passenger Board. It was then planned to generate at Greenwich the power for the railway extensions in North East London and for the trolley buses which were to replace the trams in south and east Lon don. Greenwich supplied both systems until1961' when the trolley buses were scrapped. Linkages to Mile End and Mansell Street are identified on the control panels. Greenwich's main function today is to supplement the output of the Lots Road, Chelsea power station at times of peak demand and to provide a standby facility.
The original installation comprised a coal fired boiler house with four chimneys and an engine room housing four vertical horizontal compound reciprocating steam engines driving flywheel type alternators at 6,600 volts, 25 Hz. By 1910 the superiority of steam turbines had been realised and four steam turbine alternators were installed for phase two of the building programme. Coal was landed from colliers which came from North East England, onto the jetty and then to a large system of bunkers. The original reciprocating engines were replaced by steam turbines in 1922. The next major change came in the mid 1960s when the steam plant was replaced by gas turbine generators Rolls Royce 'Avon' engines similar to those used, in jet aircraft. Originally powered solely by gas oil the plant was later converted for dual fuel operation (oil, or natural gas -the latter is now the main source of power). Start up of the generators is powered by a large bank of batteries. Output from the generation is 11,000 volts and use of transformers boosts this, to 22,000.
The jetty is now no longer used. The relatively small quantity of oil used comes by road tanker and gas and oil do not generate the ash, which, when coal was used, was removed via the jetty. The building is of some architectural interest. The chimneys for Phase I were 250 feet high but, following objections from the Royal Observatory, those for Phase 2 were only 182 feet. A hand-out was provided with facts and figures, a simplified plant diagram and a site plan. Altogether a fascinating visit. 
Alan Mills       

BRIAN AND THE GHOST

'Gaslight' The Newsletter of the North West Gas Historical Society is revealing all about sightings of George Livesey's ghost in East Greenwich Gas works they quote the following letter from Brian Sturt.  "The gas industry over the years engendered its own share of folk law and legend. An enduring phenomenon is that of George Livesey’s Ghost, which it is claimed, haunted the office building of East Greenwich Gasworks, the creation of the former South Metropolitan Gas Company, now the site of the Millennium Dome. The story, as I first heard it some thirty years ago, was that while the works were under construction from 1883 onwards, George lived on site in a flat at the top of the office building. After his death in 1908 he was supposed to have returned to haunt the building. During the last war the offices were extensively damaged and the top storey and the clock tower were destroyed. This did not stop the haunting, footsteps were still to be heard in the roof space. The offices have been demolished for a number of years and consequently George is an apparition of no fixed abode. However it seems the while the offices have gone, George has not, and, as reported in the Daily Telegraph his ghost seemingly made a number of appearances recently.

Brian Sturt

ASPECTS OF THE ARSENAL .
The Royal Arsenal Woolwich. Edited by Beverley Burford and Julian Watson.

Aspects of the Arsenal, produced by the Greenwich Borough Museum has 10 chapters on different aspects of the history of the Royal Arsenal by different authors with particular knowledge of their subject. The aspects covered are: The Buildings of the Royal Arsenal Tower Place Paul Sandby RA 17311808 'Father of English watercolour; 'She can sew a flannel cartridge in the Royal Arsenal Woolwich The Royal Artillery in Woolwich A Brief History of the Transport System in the Royal Arsenal The Arsenal and its Cooperative Connection, the Royal Arsenal workers and independent Labour Representation. A Beacon in the Dark. Industrial relations in the Royal Arsenal.
Chapters are illustrated with Black and white photographs, drawings, maps and plans and there is a bibliography and an index.

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE GAS INDUSTRY - the Bromley by Bow based London Gas Museum is likely to be packed up and sent to a. ware house in the Midlands for no better reason than that the gas industry says that it cannot support it; it must move off its site, and has never had a chance to become self-supporting.

GREENWICH BOROUGII CONSERVATION GROUP

This is an independent Group, although approved by Greenwich Council, which meets approximately monthly in the Town Hall at Woolwich. Membership consists of Local Societies which are also concerned with current planning issues, and is regularly attended by members from the Greenwich Society, Blackheath Society, the Woolwich and District Antiquarian Society, the Shooters Hill Society, the Victorian Society and, recently, by the Waterfront Community Forum. Individually Societies look at the weekly list of planning applications and then, through the Chairman of the Group, request the plans of ones they are interested in commenting on. The plans are then looked at by the whole Group at its meetings, and joint comments are submitted to Greenwich Council via the Planning Officers. Of interest to GIHS are waterfront proposals and in particular, recently, the fate of Ceylon Terrace, and the extension to the Pilot public house a group of locally listed buildings of riverside importance. Proposals to concern industrial buildings to new uses e.g. Mumford's Mill are GIHS interests and any member who had prior knowledge of such schemes should keep GIHS informed of proposals which can be commented on. Susan Parker

THE WESTCOMBE SOCIETY are looking for someone to help them with information for Research on the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.

Newsletter No.1

By way of being a historical document in itself is the first newsletter put out by GIHS in 1998

A dodgy server at Goldsmiths means that our old web site may not be accessible. So - read the first item on it here, instead - but less some pictures and and some meeting announcments. See what the world was like only 14 years ago

GREENWICH INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Volume 1. Issue 1. April 1998

Meetings

12th May Tuesday 1998 East Greenwich Community Centre, Christchurch Way, SE10. 7.30 Speaker: Andrew Turner on ‘Redpath Brown. 200 Constructive Years’

7th July Tuesday 1998 East Greenwich Community Centre, Christchurch Way, SE10. 7.30 Speaker: Rod le Gear on ‘Underground Greenwich.

REDPATH BROWN - A CONSTRUCTIVE INDUSTRY

Redpath Brown's Greenwich works was on the site to the south of Riverway which is set to become the Millennium 'Eco-Village'. It was later nationalised as British Steel - and the factory closed in the 1970s. Some buildings from the works are said to be still in use by Greenwich Yacht Club and the Society hopes to arrange a visit to the site before it is taken over and demolished. Readers of the News Shopper will have seen their story of 25th March 'Draughtsman wants your help in tracing history of Redpath'. This draws attention to a history of the company which was written a couple of years ago by Mr. Arthur Turner of Edinburgh. He is now working with John Fry who was a draughtsman at the Greenwich works and they are hoping to get in touch with past colleagues. Mr. Fry has a blueprint of the whole works layout - which hopefully we can reproduce when a clear version is available.

Our speaker on 12th May will be Arthur Turner's son, Andrew. Andrew has worked closely with members of the group in Greenwich, is a member of GLIAS and lives in the London area.

If you want to know more about Redpath Brown - come and hear Andrew on the 12th

Greenwich Industrial History Society - Aims and Objectives

The following Aims and Objectives for the Society were agreed at its second meeting:

1.            To research the Industrial History of the Greenwich Area

2.            To aid the publication of this research where appropriate
3.            To hold a watching brief on industrial sites in the relevant area and to comment on any issues which might arise in the course of redevelopment, planning applications, etc.

 

HISTORIES FOR THE MILLENNIUM

Greenwich historians should be more aware than most of the need to produce 'histories for the Millennium'. The Open University is undertaking 'a concerted effort to mark the historic moment'. They have issued an invitation to - everyone - to produce a history of their community. A leaflet about how to participate is available from; Dan Weinbrein, OSFACH, Faculty of Social Sciences, Open University, MK7 6AA (3 copies free). Anyone interested is encouraged to telephone 0131 445 2865 or try http://Soc.sci.open.ac.UK/Soc.Sci/osfachlintro.htmL. They suggest a number of options

1953 – The New Elizabethan Era

The 1930s
1851 The Year of the great Exhibition
A special event in your community
Some features of the changing landscape
 
Dan Weinbrein has, of course, made a very considerable contribution to Greenwich’s Industrial History with his study on Arsenal workers in peacetime

WHAT THE SOCIETY HAS BEEN DOING

NORTH WOOLWICH WALK

At the first meeting of the Society it was unanimously agreed to take in North Woolwich as part of the area which the Society's area of interest - as it was part of Woolwich until the setting up of the London Boroughs in 1963. For that reason a walk round North Woolwich was organised with Howard Bloch as our guide. Howard has expert knowledge of the area and a number of publications on the subject to his credit.
He took us from the old Station Museum to the riverside, past the site of Henley's cable works and
The new London Teleport - demonstrating only too vividly the role of telecommunications as a continuing industry in the area. On returning we were unexpectedly allowed into the Museum for a welcome break and look round. We continued through the Royal Victoria Gardens, admiring the team hammer on the way. We walked along the riverside - noting the sites of various ferries to Woolwich proper (or South Woolwich as they call it over there!) and then set off for a quick glimpse of the Royal Albert Dock and Gal1ions Hotel.

 

NORTH WOOLWICH OLD STATION MUSEUM.

If the Society considers that it covers North Woolwich - then it must also take in the Railway Museum, now in the old station building. The Museum buildings are owned by a Trust while the staff is employed by the London Borough of Newham and there was some input from the Great Eastern Railway Society. In recent years there have been drastic cuts in hours and staff - despite the Museum's popularity and booming attendance figures. It is understood that it will be open at weekends through the summer.

We would  like to say a very  bit thank you to Charlie Harris at the North Woolwich Old Station Museum who gave us time for a brief unofficial visit to the Museum - something we had not expected.

THE SILVERTOWN EXPLOSION 1917

Howard Bloch’s most recent publication is 'First Hand Accounts and Reports’ of this dramatic and devastating event. The explosion affected a huge area and was felt throughout Greenwich, as elsewhere. The  No.2. Gasholder at East Greenwich was ruptured through the shock waves and the gas exploded in the air. The book is £3.50 plus £1 postage from All Points East, 69 Frinton, E6

FIRST MEETING

About thirty people attended the first meeting of the Society. We would like to thank GLIAS for help and support - in particular Executive Committee member, Bob Carr who spoke briefly about Greenwich's industrial history in a national context. It was agreed to set up a working party consisting of Barbara Ludlow, Mary Mills and Jack Vaughan. Steve Daly volunteered to be Treasurer - and everyone present made a donation towards costs. It was agreed to cover everything relevant to the industrial history of Greenwich in its widest context - in particular at those areas most under development pressure, Deptford Creek, Greenwich Peninsula and Woolwich Arsenal. We agreed to apply to join both Docklands Forum and the Greenwich Waterfront Community Forum and to build links with as many relevant local bodies as we could - but to stay as closely under the wing of GLIAS as possible. Thank you to Greenwich Labour Party for the free use of their hall.

SECOND MEETING

Jack Vaughan gave an interesting talk on Woolwich Dockyard and the many famous ships built there. Launches from the Woolwich slips were took place before vast crowds of onlookers as the ship went down into the river with acres of flags flying from the decks. Relics of many of these ships can now be found in museums and collections around the world. Jack pointed to the origins of the yard as far back as the reign of Henry VII and went on to talk about the remains which could now be found on site. The conservation of the steam factory was particularly noted as a triumph for the Woolwich Antiquarian Society. Thank you to Jack's daughter for helping with the slides.  There was also some discussion on the Diamond Terrace sand mines and Nick Catford offered, on behalf of the Kent Underground Research Team to undertake a new survey. People talked about the problems-at the Wood Wharf boat repair yard and hoped to be able to arrange a visit there - it was the site of a Greenwich Ferry and considerable remains are said to exist on site.
A long list of interesting sites and subjects was drawn up - the Matchless Motor Cycle Factory, the Uplifting Corsets, barge builders, the collier trade, Siemens, and much much more.

Greenwich University has a commission to prepare for CD-Rom the records of all the local Labour Parties together with some interpretative material. This work is being undertaken by Fred Lindop from the Humanities Department.

DIAMOND TERRACE SAND MINE

Report on the current condition of a small sand mine situated in the rear garden of Meridian West, Diamond Terrace, Greenwich, SEIO (TQ  1386769) Date of visit: 30th March 1998 Present: Nick Catford KURG, GLIAS, Subterranea Britannica) and Malcolm Tadd (KURG, GLIAS, Subterranea Britannica)
Following the rediscovery of sand workings in Diamond Terrace by Per Schreiber in the 1980s the mine was surveyed by Rod Le Gear and Harry Pearman on 18th August 1986 and this survey published in Volume 15 of the records of the Chelsea Speleological Society (1987)
In Caves and Tunnels in South East England, Part 7 (Chelsea Speleological Society Records Vol. 15) it was reported:  “ Per Schreiber was sufficiently inspired to start a house to house survey around the Hyde Vale area and he ran the  tunnels to ground, wide open, in someone’s back garden. The resultant survey is shown here”.
Entrance is down a long flight of steps. There are relics of electric cables and signs of use as an air raid shelter. It is mostly of walking height with one short hands and knees section. A few dates and carvings on the walls. The massive roof fall which terminates three tunnels offers the only chance of a dug extension. It occurred when a garden hose was left running on the lawn above.
The drawing which accompanied the above report is reproduced below - with kind permission of Harry Pearman.
When visited in March 1998 there was no obvious deterioration in the condition of the tunnels in the intervening years and they are still as shown in the 1986 survey. Access is down a flight of Yorkshire flag stone steps in the rear garden of Meridian West (built 1972). The present owner of the property has constructed a new inclined entrance, which is kept gated. At the bottom of the steps is a left turn shortly followed by a total roof collapse which occurred in the 1960s after a hose was left running in the garden above. Turning left at the bottom of the stairs there is a crossroads after eight metres. At this point the present owner, E. Morton Wright, has supported the roof with sandbags and timber  stemples following the appearance of a large cavity. Turning left (north) at the crossroads the passage ends in a rounded chamber after five metres. Straight on leads to another small rounded chamber (lying under the house) after twelve metres. In this passage close to the crossroads are numerous inscriptions, which appear to date from the Second World War when the tunnels were used as air- raid shelters. There are carved portraits of Shirley Temple and Mussolini and an intricately carved 17th century date which is undoubtedly much more recent. South from the crossroads the passage bends round to the west reaching a T-junction after 11 metres. North leads to the other side of the roof fall at the bottom of the steps and south reaches a natural end after la metres. Close to the junction is more graffiti from World War Two shelterers with dates from the 1940s. Having turned south at the T junction almost immediately there is a crawl way the west with a step up of three metres. This is a low meandering passage which opens first onto a round chamber with several trail headings and after ten metres reached another T junction where it is possible to stand upright again. Turning right (NE) once again leads to the same total roof collapse after six metres.  Turning left (SE) at the T junction there is a right hand bend to the north west after six metres  (collapse or infill). Close to this second T junction is more graffiti in soot on the roof which is difficult to decipher and on the floor there is the skeleton of a fox cub indicating there must be another way into the tunnels other than the gated entrance - probably through the roof collapse. There is a lot of sand spread over the floor at this point; it is not clear where this had come from as pick marks are still clearly visible in the roof and on the walls. Apart from the entrance passage and two sections close to the crossroads, which are brick lined, the tunnels are unlined throughout with
Long pick marks clearly visible throughout. It is possible to stand upright along most of the galleries. Although the sand appears very soft, there is little evidence of falls other than those already mentioned. The tunnels seem remarkable stable and safe.
There is little evidence to date the workings although Mr. Morton Wright feels that the brickwork dates from the 17th century. The purpose of the mine is also unclear. Silver sand is often used in glass making but the sand has been tested by Pilkingtons who say it would not be suitable. Another major use of sand is as an abrasive for cleaning and there is definite evidence this was one use for Greenwich sand. One elderly resident remembers being told as a child that a man used to come round with a wheelbarrow to collect sand which was sold to local pubs for that purpose. It has also been suggested that it may have been used as hourglass sands.
The future of the existing tunnels seems secure. Although there are plans for a development on an adjacent site is it my opinion that the existing tunnels lie wholly below the garden of Meridian West but there may well be other tunnels yet to be discovered. Some year ago a subsidence appeared in another part of the garden which was quickly filled in and it has been suggested that the major roof fall could be a four-way junction with another passage leading in the direction of the planned development
Mr. Morton Wright is keen to preserve the tunnels. He has installed lighting as far as the crossroads and has used the tunnels on several occasions for cocktail parties.
Nick Catford

It is understood that considerable research has been done on the origins of the these tunnels and it is hoped to have more information in the future Julian Watson (Greenwich Local History Library) has said: " It would appear that the existing tunnels are the last visible remains of an extensive network of tunnels examined by members of the Greenwich Antiquarian Society in 1905.  John Stone, who wrote 'Greenwich: its underground passages, caverns, etc.  [Trans. Greenwich Antiq. Vol. 1, 1914, pp. 262-277] states that the tunnels were in or near Mr. Montmorency's garden ground, 23 West Grove Lane, and says 'I do not know the extent of these excavations but one can wander about in what seems a perfect maze of tunnels for a considerable distance '. John Stone & Rod Le Gear (author of the 1986 report) are certain that the tunnels were dug in order to excavate sand, a material in great demand for many purposes including floor sanding mould making and glass making. The mines are a significant part of Greenwich's industrial heritage. 

NORTON'S BARGE BUILDERS

Barge building – was a most important trade in Greenwich - has been in decline since the beginning of the century. It will soon be too late to find out anything very much about it, unless people's memories are jogged. One firm which survived until relatively recently was on the area which is now to be the site of the Millennium 'Eco-village'. Pat O'Driscoll has sent some information about Norton's and anyone else who remembers the works - or any other barge builders - is urged to get in touch. Pat says 'Dick Norton's yard was on the Foreshore between Dorman Long's and Pear Tree Wharf the first jetty down-river from the end of River Way is Redpath Brown's, which is taken over by the Thames Barrier Yacht Club. There used to be steam crane on this jetty .  The next jetty down, Dorman Long's, no longer exists but was in a bad state of repair and was removed several years ago. The old clubhouse of the Greenwich Yacht Club was a little upstream of this jetty. The club has moved to what used to be Redpath Brown's canteen. Norton's did not have a Wharf as such, and operated on the foreshore, where there was a set of barge blocks running parallel to the shore. He had a couple of old lighters too, which were used to moor craft alongside and sometime a boat would moor at the end of Dorman' s jetty while awaiting a berth. There was a half wicket gate in the corrugated iron fence at Dorman Shed and here was a tap for water for a steam crane, and a heap of coal. I understand that Norton also let out a few moorings. A yacht barge also was there with people on board - Venta was one such.  Norton's had two sheds the other side of the corrugated iron fence. One was for storing tools, nuts, and bolts, paint, etc. The other was Fred's living quarters. Fred (the watchman) was Dick's last employee.

Topsail - Journal of the Society for Sailing Barge Research had just published an article by John Glenn, who was frequently aboard the ketch barge, Ethel Edith, when she was laid up at Norton's in 1934.... The Gaselee Wharf Guide of 1954 going upstream gives ..

Esso Angerstein spirit and kerosene,
Peartree Wharf owners  G.J.Palmer & Sons, Barge and Tug Repairs,
Norton's. Chart ton (foreshore) Barge repairers,
Dorman Long (Bridge Dept.], Dorman Jetty, Dorman Long & Co. Led. 'Phone GRE 0921, bridge constructional engineers,
Greenwich Yacht Club,
Redpath Brown's Steel structural engineers (no mention of a jetty). Phone GRE 2671;
Pilot's Causeway.
 
The 1936 'Thames Navigator’s Pocket: Companion', under 'Bugsy’s Reach or the south shore' shows proceeding upstream from the Angerstein branch railway
Christie's Wharf and jetty
British Petroleum Wharf,
Angerstein’s Wharf (Southern Railway)
Anglo-American Oil Wharf  
Pear Tree Wharf.
Norton's Wharf,
Dorman Long's Store, Wharf
  

THE GEORGIAN COTTAGES ON THE NEW MILLENNIUM EXPERIENCE SITE

 
When the New Millennium Experience site is finished only a few original buildings will remain. These are The Pilot pub and the short row of Georgian cottages, called Ceylon Place, The pub is rightly popular and has recently been extended but, alongside it, the small, dilapidated cottages are rarely given a second look. They are currently in use as short life housing and their downmarket looks barely reveal their origins as part of what was once an exciting new development at the end of what is now Riverway.
The cottages date from about 1801, They were built in the lane behind a 'big' house and a huge corn mill which stood on the on the riverfront, In the eighteenth century the site was owned by George Russell, a London soap manufacturer whose works were near Blackfriars Bridge but who lived at Longlands House near Sidcup. In 1801 he was approached by a William Johnson, from Bromley, Kent, who had patented a new design of tide mill. A tide mill is a watermill worked by the power of the tides - a good example can be seen today at Three Mills, behind the Tesco store off the northern Blackwall Tunnel Approach. Russell agreed to the project and construction went ahead on the mill - the cottages and the house were included as the start of 'New East Greenwich'.  At the same time Russell got a licence from the City of London to build a causeway down into the river at what was then called 'Bugsby's Hole'. This causeway is still in use today. The site - and perhaps George Russell had some unexplained connections with national politics, In 1801 some of the site was leased to a group of out of office politicians - William Pitt, the recently resigned Prime Minister, his elder brother, the Earl of Chatham, and their associates the Hon.Edward Crags and the Hon. John Eliot. Their role in the development is not clear but it might explain the name of the pub. 'The Pilot' is almost certainly named after William Pitt who was described in a contemporary song as 'The Pilot who weathered the storm', Ceylon, after which the cottages were named, had recently come under the protection of the British Crown,
Two hundred years ago the site must have looked marvellous and romantic. The big mill moving slowly, the big house with gardens going down to the river. Behind it were the cottages and pub overlooking some six acres of millponds with meadows beyond. Nearby was a thatched barn and all around were grazing cows and sheep, Around 1900, when the cottages were a century old, someone built extensions on the backs of them - making them marginally bigger but eating in to what had been pretty gardens, The 'big house', East Lodge, was demolished then and its' site is now used by the Yacht Club. What happened to the summerhouse lookout over the river? Are any of the trees those planted by the Davies sisters who lived there in the nineteenth century? The little cottages have gone on for almost two hundred years serving as housing for local workers - fishermen, mill workers, and barge builders. All around things have changed. The great mill became a chemical works and was   replaced by a power station. On the fields behind a steel works was built and - soon more cottages, a mission room and soon more cottages and the pub. The only thing not to have changed seems to be the supply of thirsty workers who drink in The Pilot
These cottages were part of an industrial site and they should not be treated as quaint and countrified. Let us hope that English Partnerships and the New Millennium Experience treat them kindly and take due regard to their age and context
Mary Mills

Reproduced from Docklands Forum Mailing Pack

GREENWICH INDUSTRIAL HISTORY IN PRINT

There are many publications which throw some light on Greenwich's industrial past One of these is The London Railway Record - a 'small' journal still only 3 years old, Since then it has published the following articles about Greenwich:

Editorial on North Woolwich Old Station Museum, April 1996, p. 1
The Greenwich Park Branch by J.E.Connor, part I, April 1996, pp 23-32
The Greenwich Park Branch by J.E.Connor, part 2, July 1996, pp 14- IS  
DLR Lewisham Extension, January 1997, p.36
Tracing the Greenwich Park Branch by Ian Baker, April [997 pp9-12
Work at Greenwich (DLR) October 1997, p. 35 
London Railway Record obtainable from Connor & Butler, 69 Guildford Road, Colchester. Essex. O 1 2RZ,             

WILDLIFE LONDON LOOKS AT GREENWICH

The winter edition of  ' Wildlife London' asks what’s so special about London. And looks at derelict industrial sites and nature. It says the old MOD Kidbrooke Depot supports great crested newts, slow worms and wall hrds and that there is a flora of dazzling spectra at Woolwich Arsenal which will ‘disappear under bricks, mortar, asphalt and an insult of tidy rye grass lawns'. They say Greenwich Reach is a particular problem because a  'hundred species of wildflowers' and 'exotica' support invertebrates which feed two breeding pairs of back redstarts 'an extremely rate bird. They draw attention to the planned casino, cinema and hotel. . Wildlife London .London Wildlife Trust, Harling House, 47-51 Great Suffolk Street. SEI.

 
ASPECTS OF THE  ARSENAL: The Royal Arsenal Woolwich.

This new book has been published by Greenwich Borough Museum. Edited jointly by Beverley Burford and Julian Watson, it includes chapters on the Arsenal by several well-known authors:
The Buildings of the Royal Arsenal - by Darrell Spurgeon
Tower Place - by Winifred Cutler
Paul Sandby RA 1731-1809. Father of English Watercolour by David Brighton
She Can Sew a Flannel Cartridge in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich by Barbara Ludlow
The Royal Artillery in Woolwich by Brigadier K.A. Timbers
A Brief History of the Transport System in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich by J.Fisher
From Domestic to Danger Building: Women Workers in the Royal Arsenal by Bernadette Gillow
The Arsenal and its Co-op Connection by Ron Roffey
The Royal Arsenal workers and Independent Labour Representation. A Beacon in the Dark. by Paul Tyler
Industrial Relations in the Royal Arsenal by William Pearce

Copies are available from Greenwich libraries and museum. [Prices on application]
 

WOOLWICH ANTIQUARIANS VISIT THE ARSENAL SITE

In February 36 Woolwich Antiquarians visited the Arsenal site under the leadership of Jack Vaughan - and ably reported in their newsletter by Tony Fawcett.  They were accompanied by John Usmar, Deputy Chairman of the Royal Arsenal Woolwich, Historical Society... Members saw the 'dilapidated' buildings of the original Royal Laboratory - perhaps the oldest industrial buildings in London. Then to New Laboratory Square where the new museum of Artillery is to be sited. They passed the New Cartridge Factory, the riverside Guardhouses and the site of the now demolished Shipping Sheds. John Usmar took the group into the  Grand Storehouses where they saw the chimney less cast iron stove. In the Chemical Department they were shown a veranda over which Frederick Abel, the chemist, is said to have lowered samples in a basket. They continued to see many of the famous buildings the Central Office, the remains of the Shell Foundry, the New Carriage tore which includes a clock - wound up weekly by Jack! The group also saw the 'magnificently restored' Brass Foundry and then the buildings around Dial Square with the Main Guardhouse and Verbruggen's House.

LETTERS

From Angela Simco: I have been commissioned by English Heritage to prepare the Step One report for the Clay Industries as part of the Monuments Protection Programme survey of industrial monuments. I would like to know of anyone who has under- take a surveyor recording of clay pits or ceramic production sites. 13 Green Lane, Clapham, Bedford, MK41 6EP

From Prof Tony Arnold: I am currently carrying out research into the history of iron shipbuilding on the Thames. I would very much appreciate the names of any sources I could follow up. Univ. Essex, Winvenhoe Park, Colchester, C04 35Q

From Derek Bayliss: We have set up a copperas study group and are very interested' in the works around Deptford Creek. It is remarkable how the old Thames side works and the tiny Pennine ones for that matter, kept going in the late 18th and early 19th centuries beside the large Tyneside and Scottish works - something to do with local raw materials and markets, I imagine. We haven't quite worked out the story of copperas as a source of sulphuric acid. Why go to all the bother of copperas beds when other firms were using the Ward process or the lead chamber process? Sheffield.

From Mrs. Wright: My maternal grandfather worked for one local gas company as an engineer all his life and some inventions of his were put into uses (no payment in those days!). We do have a photo of him when he was a foreman, in his bowler hat, with two other workers. He died from cancer in 1951. SE3

From Bill Brown: I used to live in Meridian House, a block of flats in Blackwall Lane and went to school at the Dreadnought and buy coke from the gasworks at 6d. for 28 Ibs then sell it to other tenants in the flats for 6~d. a bag. I would wheel the pram loaded with bags of coke along Tunnel Avenue and pick up lumps of Coalite that had fallen off the lorry because of the rough cobbled road - but it was also rough for the pram as well and I got through a number of them. SE I 0

FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS  ..... soon to be available is the long awaited 'Lewisham Silk Mills. The History of an Ancient Site. The Story of Armour, Small Arms, Silk and Gold and Silver Wire Drawing' by Sylvia Macartney and John West. This is to be published by Lewisham Local History Society in association with the Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society. The sales price is not yet known but it will be under £12. Copies will be available from Lewisham Local History Society bookstall (info. from Tom Sheppard 0181 8520219) or through Greenwich and Lewisham Local History Departments. Please note, however, that GLIAS members will each get a copy free. [GLIAS membership details from Sue Hayton, 31 The High Street, Farnborough Village, Orpington, Kent, BR6 7BQ].

 

A Ghost in the Works - George Livesey was the charismatic (but strike breaking) Chair of the South Metropolitan Gas Works and the man responsible for the East Greenwich Gas Works – the 'Dome' site. Mary Mills was recently amazed to see herself quoted in the Guardian newspaper   about his ghost which is supposed to haunt the works! Livesey was a deeply religious man with strong beliefs about society - he was also a national figure in the temperance movement. He would have loved the Dome on 'his' works site.  Neither of these aspects seem to be of interest to the ghost-hunters.  The story has been taken up by a correspondent to West Country editions of the Daily Mail - and looks likely to run and run! Watch this space!

WEIGHBRIDGES.  There are a number of weighbridges in the Borough, several of which are under threat from development. Woolwich Antiquarian Society are particularly concerned about three in the Woolwich area - on the Arsenal site, the old Woolwich Power Station and White Hart Road Depot. There are probably several more. Anyone with expertise on weighbridges or who has knowledge of other sites are asked to get in touch.

RUBBISH.  It seems likely that Greenwich Council will review some of its maintenance sites and depots - and these should be recorded before they are passed into other hands. In Woolwich the White Hart Road depot housed a very early municipal power station which generated electricity from rubbish and there were a number of other interesting features. Tunnel  Avenue Depot also seems likely to be under- threat from the Dome and the old jetty from which Greenwich rubbish was barged away until the 1960s still stands derelict - who owns it now?  Visits to both these sites can be arranged if there is sufficient interest.

WOOD WHARF.  The new owners of Wood Wharf, on Thames Street in Greenwich, are expected to put in a planning application shortly. Wood Wharf was the site of Pope and Bond's boat repair business which floundered when Westminster stopped    barging rubbish down river. The site was once   that of a mechanised ferry to the Isle of Dogs and it is said that considerable remains of this probably unique - ferry remain on site. Despite the desperate need for boat repair facilities on the Thames it will probably before housing. The two reports which made recommendations on the feasibility of a working heritage site here are now gathering dust. A small group -led by Reg Barter - have tried hard to keep what remains together in the hope that something can be salvaged.