M’off… on Friday

[Wapping]

Pint done. It’s time to wander on.

Those that watched the recent excellent BBC programme on London’s wildlife, will know that the city is blessed with many green parks, gardens and spaces. Wapping is no exception. To the left of the picture, next to the police van (the River Police HQ is here) is one, Wapping Rose Gardens:



Wander past what is still an undeveloped bomb site. It must be worth a fortune. To the left, the warehouses there are also undeveloped, empty since the entire docks area fell into disuse in the 1970’s, half a century ago. Why they are undeveloped, I have no idea:



Past some more Plane trees, chopped back:



And onto the Prospect of Whitby pub, with an all but identical passage, leading to the Thames:

 

[Wapping]

Another pint done and a chat to a former colleague of mine, I happened to bump into, let’s move on, following the river eastwards.

The towers of Canary Wharf is where we’ll be heading. You can see how the river bends around the peninsula of the Isle of Dogs:



They have all but finished the lengthy works undertaken as a part of the huge engineering project to install London’s new super sewer, which runs in a tunnel laid on the bed of the Thames. The works here were to install an underground pumping station. I must say, the contractors made a good job of it:



We now have to turn left, into the George V park (another large green space) with its kids’ playground. I remember walking through here during Covid and ‘lockdown’. The kids’ playground was all taped off, leaving them with no school and nowhere to play. I remember thinking at the time, that it was all but cruel to them:



We have now left Wapping and have entered Limehouse at Narrow Street:

 

[Wapping]

Wandering on.

The lock entrance to Limehouse Basin:



The towers of Canary Wharf:



Out next pub, The Grapes. A very small and narrow pub:




Past another green space and the park of Ropemakers Fields:



In quite a nice touch, the rope theme was carried through into the park’s posts:



Past another old entry canal or cut, now closed off:



Looking back westwards where we’ve come from, with the towering offices of the City of London and the Shard:



Our destination is now all but properly in view. It’s at the bottom of the curved edged building, the lowest of the three:

 

[Wapping]

And here we are:

 

[Wapping]

It’s West India Docks Impounding Station.

Though the West India Dock closed in 1980, the Impounding Station’s purpose, to this day, is vital as it controls and maintains the level of water in the huge dock that bisect the Isle of Dogs. If the water in the docks is not kept up, the dock will eventually empty and collapse, bringing down with it the massive modern tower blocks.

This website explains it pretty well:

West India Dock Impounding Station - A London Inheritance

I visited the West India Dock Impounding Station as part of OpenHouse.. Original building and equipment from 1929 controls the level of water in the docks.

alondoninheritance.com

 

[Wapping]

As with the fellow whose blog I have shared above, I had never been into the building, nor indeed knew its purpose. I happened to trip over an advert that the Canal and River Trust were hosting an open day at the site, where (for a modest fee) one could enjoy a guided tour and explanation. In a word, it was excellent.

The Canal and River Trust is, remarkably, a charity whose sole purpose is to maintain the country’s inland waterways, its docks and reservoirs and all its associated buildings, many of them listed. They are the third largest ‘owners’ of listed buildings in the UK.

Our cause

As the UK’s largest canal charity, our role in protecting and revitalising our nation’s canals never stops. And we couldn’t do this without you.

canalrivertrust.org.uk

It’s extraordinary that all of this falls on a charity. That said, God only knows what would happen if it were left to the government or local authorities, who can’t even repair potholes in the nation’s roads.

 

[Wapping]

As you might imagine, the water is drawn in (‘impounded’) from the Thames:



Flowing through what used to be lock gate into a kind of ‘reservoir’ before being drawn (pumped) through two six foot diameter pipes running under the road and into the the pumping station itself. From there, pumped through into the docks themselves:

 

[Wapping]

The building itself (oddly perhaps) is not listed. The only listing is applied the dock gates and the ‘reservoir’.



To be continued…..

 

[Wapping]

Some pictures from the machine floor on the guided tour.

A history of the West India Docks. They were originally in two parts:

Import, predominantly sugar and rum from the Caribbean, in vast quantities.

Export, predominantly machines, guns and other goods, from Britain’s vast manufacturing base in the Midlands.

It formed the key two legs of the three-legged ‘Slave Triangle’, the third leg being the notorious ‘Middle Passage’ of slaves from Africa to the Caribbean.



Then a tour of the pumps, conducted by the chief engineer:




Yes, 1929 but still going, but with some problems. Two of the thee pumps are awaiting repair:



‘Only’ 60 volts but look at the amperage:




To conclude, these are the internal blast walls of the bomb shelter built into the machine hall. The dock and the whole area was heavily bombed in 1940. Somehow the building was not hit:

 

[Wapping]

An interesting way to spend an afternoon.

That’s yer lot, as they say.


PS Every day a school day. I did learn about one more thing (I’m sure there’s lots more) to see on the same docks. I’ll try to go to see it tomorrow.

 

[Smartbazza]

Very interesting to hear all the knowledge. The sloping edge building is called Bank Street, I tend to regularly be in the newer structures in London.

Barry

An interesting way to spend an afternoon.

That’s yer lot, as they say.


PS Every day a school day. I did learn about one more thing (I’m sure there’s lots more) to see on the same docks. I’ll try to go to see it tomorrow.

 

[Gee-]

Fantastic post and pictures, I recall my older brother taking me on my first train journey to London, we walked all the way, searching a map to find sites to visit, Madam Tue-sades, Soho, into Hyde park, Piccadilly Circus, then to Buckingham Palace, but what most impressed me was feeding some sparrows in St. Jame's park, in my hand, and Parakeets never seen those in Scotland.

Later as a lorry driver delivering paper to print factories around the M11 before M25 was completed, back loading full load of sugar at Tate N Lyle, sure that used to be in Canary Wharf then.
Many other trips since then, but last time was over 30 years ago. So many changes now. Just how it always is I suppose.

 

[Wapping]

Fantastic post and pictures…. back loading full load of sugar at Tate N Lyle, sure that used to be in Canary Wharf then.

Thank you.

It’s certainly not far away but close to a different dock. It’s by the former ‘Royal Docks’ at Silvertown, close by the City of London airport.

 

[Boxerboy55]

Thanks for a great wee story.

 

[Wapping]

PS Every day a school day. I did learn about one more thing (I’m sure there’s lots more) to see on the same docks. I’ll try to go to see it tomorrow.

I’ve done it. A success and a self inflicted failure. But hey, nobody died. I’ll do a little report when the pictures have across.

 

[Ectopic]

As a little diversion - I'll be cashing in a gift voucher to visit the Shard round the corner next week.

It's fuckin' miles from home but I managed to put my grateful smile on

Dear wife has added a show and now we've added a visit to Tower bridge as we're bunking up beside it.

Might even say hello to a sister who lives across the river.

Have you thought about taking your wife up the Oxo Tower?

 

[Ectopic]

Nice report. Good work from Our Man in Wapping.

 

[timeandtide]

Really enjoyed that Richard, thanks for taking the time.
You have a good eye for a pic and blend well with the narrative!

 

[Micky]

Really enjoyed that Richard, thanks for taking the time.
You have a good eye for a pic and blend well with the narrative!

What he says Wappers .... fascinating stuff

Thank you

 

[Wapping]

Thank you all.

I now have the pictures from my next little wander and will write it up.