Some of the most visible industrial remains in our area lie along the River – the jetties and piers which once served busy riverside factories sites and now stand awaiting other uses. Many of them are surprisingly modern and in quite good condition.
And in just one article I couldn’t describe every remaning structure in the whole Greenwich Riverside between Deptford and Woolwich – but I thought a quick look at what is left on the Peninsula riverside might be interesting.
If we could go down the Riverside Path – and if only we could! - after the Power Station the first jetties we come to, standing next to each other, are at Enderby Wharf. The first, big jetty which dates from the 1940s has on its some preserved structures remaining from the days when subsea telecoms cables were loaded on to ships from here. They were passed out in a long skein from the works out to the ships using this equipment. In the 2000s the jetty was landscaped by Groundwork and they put up display boards about the cable works, with and a specimen ‘repeater’ which was made here. There was also a small boat and I remember only too well talking to visitors here once when a dishevelled figure stood up from the boat waving a bottle about and shouting. That was not good and now since Alcatel sold the riverside strip the jetty has been closed to the public. It is is however a big jetty in reasonable condition. The Enderby Group – local people concerned with the heritage at Enderby wharf – would like to see it used. A café would he nice with information boards about the old works.
The other smaller jetty next to it is unstable and was seeded with grass by the environmental charity, Groundwork, in 2002. Between the two jetties steps go down into the river. These steps were for a ferry which took people out to the cable ships which were moored in the river. Underneath them is the outflow from medieval Bendish Sluice. In the 2000s an art work was carved on the steps showing the history of the cable industry. Enderby Group have tried to make sure the contractors working on the riverside path know about this work and that they look after it. I don’t have much faith in contractors being careful and let’s hope the art work and the artefacts on the jetties survive the rebuilding of the riverside path. If you can help get the message to them, please do!!
The next jetty is E shaped, dates from the 1900s and used to belong to the council. In the days before Greenwich became part of Woolwich this was where the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich tipped its rubbish into barges which were then taken off down river to Mucking, or wherever. Again, it’s a bit jetty in reasonable condition. Someone should use it for something!
People may remember the silos which stood nearby – ‘which would make Le Corbusier weep in admiration’ and which belonged to the glucose refinery – Tunnel Glucose,later Amylum. They were demolished around 2012 by new owners of the site. Up to about 2000 grain was brought here by boats from Holland and there would always be flocks of birds fighting over what had been the split.
The next jetty is called Primrose Pier, after a haulage contractor who used it in the 1960s. This was remodelled by Groundwork who spent a lot of money in 2002 so that people would be able walk along it out into the river – and sit, or fish, or whatever. I guess the developers on Morden wharf own it now and I hope that soon the public will be able to sit on it again.
It’s a long walk from here past the boat yard and endless development sites to the next jetty. On the way keep in mind that until the late 1970s small boats – and some larger ones – were being built on this stretch of riverside. Some of them are still around – does anyone know which ones??
Once we have passed Ordnance Drawdock we come to the next jetty – this is Ordnance Jetty and there is currently a plan by the grand new hotel here to turn into somewhere boats can call to pick up their guests. It belonged to the Ordnance Wharf – the Gas Works tar department and I am not sure how much it was actually used. I have some pictures of a structure called a Temperly Transporter which collapsed onto in a storm in the 1960s. It was called ‘Ordnance’ because it was here that Theophilus Blakely made guns, which were sold to the American South in their Civil War.
Walk on round the Dome to QE Pier, built in 1999 and where the river boats call. We then come to what was the old Gas Works Jetty, some of which remains as a base for Anthony Gormley's ‘Quantum Cloud’ artwork. The gas works jetty was a magnificent structure with three tiers where boats arrived from the Durham coal fields with coal for the gas works. It was a very busy place and of course, owned by the Gas Works, none of the equipment on it was worked by electricity.
Next is what is now called ‘The Jetty’ which was built in the 1940s for Blackwall Point power station and now has a nature garden project on it. It was featured the other week in The Weekender and it’s good to see it used - even though no boats call there at all.
The next Jetty doesn’t exist now. It belonged to Redpath Brown, the structural steel works which stood between the riverside and The Pilot Pub –Greenwich Yacht Club were once based in their old canteen. I don’t know if people remember this jetty - it was pulled down by English Partnerships in 1999. It was in a bit of a state. I don’t know the politics of all this but there had been some dispute with the Yacht Club. Whatever went on a rival yacht club organisation had been set up on the Redpath Brown jetty. It was a really ramshackle affair with tottering portacabins and extensions built of oil drums lashed together. There was a sort of garden made up of tastefully arranged scrap metal and various objects - a local Derrick Jarman garden. The used to put notices on the Blackwall Tunnel Approach advertising ‘drinks and music beside the river’. When you arrived there were boxes to sit on, a can of beer and someone’s radio - but it was a really pleasant place to sit. Anyway English Partnerships didn’t think they looked quite the thing to be standing near the Dome – the club put up a bit of a fight but they were evicted and the jetty demolished. Does anyone know what happened to Kenny??
The next jetty on the Peninsula is where the yacht club stands on the base of what was Peartree Wharf. This was a bit of planning gain – the builders of the Dome thought the Yacht Club was too scruffy in their old factory canteen so they built them this beautiful clubhouse and boat yard – and, good for them, they have never looked back since. I know nothing about Peartree Wharf itself and would be very interested if anybody could tell me more.
After the Peninsula we carry on through Charlton and the aggregate wharves, where boats still come to the jetties, to Cory’s tug depot, still in use, and on and on right down to the jetties inside the Arsenal – and more if you carry on down to Erith. It’s a world of industrial remains we see all the time and take very little notice of. Useful structures, waiting to be used.
PS. The ‘the Le Corbusier’ quotation is from architectural commentator and local resident, Owen Hatherley
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