Billingsgate Stairs and Dock in Greenwich

 

I think it’s probably about time I looked at the next set of Waterman’s stairs. I have already looked at Upper and Lower Watergate both of which are on the Deptford side of the Creek.  There is another set of stairs on the Creek itself –or at least the remains of stairs on its west side – Hoy Inn Stairs.

Carrying on along the Thames side on the Greenwich side of the Creek there is a long stretch along the River which is now all modern development and the path along the Riverside is called Dreadnought Walk and then Victoria Parade all on the site of various Wharves.  We emerge on the Riverside within the sight of Cutty Sark. There is an inlet here – a draw dock.  It is kwown as Billingsgate Dock.

Yes – of course -  Billingsgate is – or was – the famous riverside fish market up in the City of London – and, well ,yes, Greenwich too has an ancient fishing area called ‘Billingsgate,  and I couldn’t begin to speculate on the reason for that rather strange name in both cases! In Greenwich we are here at the dock at the top of what was Billingsgate Street.

The old roads which once ran where Cutty Sark Gardens are to a certain extent  marked ou t on the paving. Billingsgate Street ran from Greenwich Churchyard to Billingsgate Dock on the riverside. There are references to it from the early 15th century - there is a mention of it in 1449 - and it has probably been there long before that. Archaeologists have found the old road intact beneath the granite sett surface.  The Travers’ map from the 1690s shows Billingsgate Street running from  the northern end of High Street down to the river, near to the current site of the foot tunnel.

The medieval and Tudor streets in this area vanished in redevelopment of the 1820s but some streets around Billingsgate Dock survived into the 1930s. The area was cleared soon after the Second World War and is now Cutty Sark Gardens.

Billingsgate Dock was the main dock in medieval Greenwich and home to the Greenwich fishing fleet. It was a draw dock where boats could be pulled up to land out of the river.. |t was also the terminus of a ferry in the middle ages.

The Greenwich fishing fleet was successful and expanding. It was not based entirely around Billingsgate Dock but in the entire area now covered by Greenwich Pier  and the frontage between the Pier  and the Cutty Sark – and it was an area of small streets, alleyways and wharves. There was a fish market or the site the Pepys Building - where Greenwich Tourist Information is now..  There must have been many other trades based there. For instance  a newspaper report of 1855 advertises coal for sale by ‘John Coast  at Billingsgate Dock, Greenwich.  ..  Cash on delivery, and delivered to all parts of the Borough of Greenwich’. And also ‘Vans for the removal of Furniture to all parts of England’. We can guess that he was one of many and others in the centuries before him.

However this article is supposed to be about Waterman’s Stairs and whether there were stairs at Billingsgate Dock in Greenwich = and that turns out a bit of a puzzle.  First of all there is not anything recognisable as Watermen’s Stairs at Billingsgate Dock now - and I’ll talk about what is there in a bit.  There really are just a couple of steps down from the riverside to walk onto the foreshore - nothing that would allow for boats to come up plying for hire and taking passengers on board.

There are a number of references to buildings stairs, particularly in the late 19^th century. Some of these references to relate to set of stairs allegedly on the Deptford side of the Creek, in the area which ended up being part of the power station, but this must he some sort of mistake,

There is a report of a plan for water stairs to be built at the north east corner of the dock. Later, in 1868, Messrs. W. Holding and Son, were paid £15 10s. for the “repair of the stairs at Billingsgate Dock”. So there were stairs there at one time.

Much of this area was changed in the 19^th century by Greenwich Hospital Estates   who gained Parliamentary powers over Billingsgate Dock to enable its public use.  In 1850 an Act of Parliament which enabled the Comissioners of Greenwich Hospital .. 'to enlarge and improve the Billingsgate Dock and widen Billingsgate Street in Greenwich. This was an unusual Act of Parliament and Greenwich Industrial History blog received some long articles from members trying to explain what it was and why it was exceptional

 

In 1852, as the landowners, the Royal Hospital made changes to Ship Dock, which was on part of the site now covered by Greenwich Pier. The local watermen then asked for a plying place – stairs - at Billingsgate-Dock, as the one at Ship Dock was about to be done away with. They lobbied the St Alfege Parish officers for their support explaining that the Company of Watermen had for many years been in the habit of appointing watermen to ply at Ship Dock.

The Act of Parliament obtained by the Royal Hospital makes it clear that Billingsgate Dock is to be used by the public in the place of Ship Dock and Ship Stairs. The dock was for the 'Use of Watermen and other Persons resorting to and using the same' and as a 'great Accommodation and Improvement to the Town of Greenwich and Persons using the said Dock'.  This all means that Billingsgate Dock is a public dock for the use of Greenwich people and others.

 

However over the next years the status of Billingsgate Dock gets all tangled up with all sorts of rows and changes with the increased use of ferries and with the traditional ferrymen warring with public and private ferry companies and increased use of steam powered vessels.  It is far from clear what happened and what the current status is. I understand that twenty or so years ago a group of activists tried to establish what the exact position is now –and they had a great deal of advice from Parliamentary sources.  I am unable to find any conclusions made by this group and the leading members have since died.

In the later 19^th century and early 2oth century the dock was used by Noakes hay and straw merchants – a member of whose family developed the Noakesoscope which I have covered elsewhere.

I began this article trying to establish if there were waterman’s stairs  at Billingsgate dock. Well – there are none there now and I have no information as to what might have happened to them.  It is also far from clear if the rights of use of the dock established under the 1850s Act still exist.. There has been much additional legislation on ownership and use of these facilities  since the 1850s.  I am also unclear on the ownership of the dock and I am assuming it is the Greenwich Royal Hospital.  Has anyone asked them??

There is yet another mystery here   details  can be found on the Greenish Industrial History Facebook page.  It concerns a brick structure on the landside of the dock.  David had posted on the Facebook site asking if anyone knew what it was.He has asked all sorts of bodies and people - but no one can give an answer. It has a door in it which is secured by a fairly new looking padlock.  Someone has the key to that padlock.  Is it you?  Can you help David and the rest of us with some definite information on Billingsgate Dock.

Knowing something definite would be a nice change.