|
The Thames at Twilight- Limehouse |
| This lovely view
was drawn from King Edward VII Memorial Park, Shadwell, by Thomas Robert Way. It shows the
Lower Pool of London looking east towards Limehouse Reach. Dominating the scene is St
Anne’s Church with the Limehouse and Millwall waterfront in the background. The
crane seen to the left is on Charrington’s jetty; part of Free Trade Wharf, while the
barges are moored on Charrington’s Road. Charrington’s, the coal merchants, started trading from here in the late 18th century and the Road was where their barges, tugs and ships were moored. Barges were a common feature of the London River. They carried goods to and from the Docks and Warehouses found all along the tidal Thames. The Thames Sailing Barge, seen near the centre of the view, was another common feature of the London River. They carried cargo to all the ports on the Thames Estuary as well as those on the North Sea and English Channel coast. Much has changed today. You would be lucky to see a barge or a Thames Sailing Barge while sitting beside the Thames at nearby Shadwell Park. Apart from pleasure boats sailing between the Tower and Greenwich, the river is empty and a sad reflection on the decline of Britain’s Maritime Industry. Beyond Millwall’s waterfront, on the site of the old West India Docks, have risen the huge towers at Canary Wharf. These have now come to dominate this view. |
