The River and its regulation

 

The river Thames has played a major part in Greenwich industry.  By in serving those industries it has needed service industries of its own.  There has been a management structure for the Thames since the middle ages, and elsewhere I have described how the means to control the import of coal was provided.  There has also been the proviision of dredging and similar activities, it is perhaps should include the Thames barrier and its associated navigation centre. Commercial  interests used river haulage with barges and lighters and industries built up round the building and  maintenance of these vessels as well as their management.  The need for passenger services has also added to building and maintenance the provisIon of an infrastructure.

Today the river is managed by the port of London Authority but this is organisation is only the latest in a series of management organisations.  Management of the river and the port was initially concerned with wharves and activity around the city of London and Central London.  Greenwich downriver was primarily a fishing port centre at around the area we now know as cutty sark gardens and Woolwich equally went to a lesser degree.

In 1197, when Richard I sold the Crown's rights over the Thames to the City of London Corporation. In 1510 Henry VIII granted a licence to watermen that gave them exclusive rights to carry passengers on the river, and in 1555 the Company of Watermen and Lightermen got powers to control traffic on the Thames.In 1857 the Thames Conservancy Act was passed which created a new body, the Thames Conservancy, to control the Thames between Staines and Yantlet Creek. In 1909 the powers of the Thames Conservancy below Teddington were transferred to the Port of  London Authorty.