Riverside east of the Tower south bank, Greenhithe
Riverside east of the Tower south bank Greenhithe
Interesting riverside industrial village, now just another 'development' area full of identikit housing
Post to the east Ingress
Post to the north Stoneness
Post to the south Greenhithe
Post to the west Stone Marshes
Charles Street
ASDA Supermarket
Sails. Sculpture commissioned by ASDA supermarkets to mark the entrance to this shop. It is in stainless steel with fibre optic lighting by Richard Thornton
Lafarge Riverside site. This a site producing cement and handling sea dredged aggregates on the site of Johnson’s Wharf. The address given is King Edward Street which is difficult to locate. The site entrance is off Charles Street.
Johnson’s Wharf. Johnsons Cement works was to the south of this square and a complex of rail lines connected it to the wharf. Split before it gets to the river. The tramway system and the jetty had originally been built to convey ballast to ships sailing to the Far East. Johnson’s took this over, probably with the locomotives, in 1877. In 1928 a concrete packing shed was built on the jetty and the pier was extended out into the river to take larger ships. The lines were partially electrified in 1978.
West Wharf Jetty
Lamb Wharf Chalk Works. Operated by John Tilden & Co. This works is thought to have been on the site of the later extension to Johnson’s Wharf.
Lamb Inn. This was at the end of Thames Road alongside the rail line to Johnson’s Wharf
Eagles Road
The road goes alongside Eagle Cliff, A wooden promontory along one side of a chalk pit. The pit was at one time filled with oil tanks belonging to Everard
Eagles Wood. This is woodland overlooking the River and given to the Woodland trust by Crest Homes in 1995. It is surrounded by houses built on an old chalk pit in the 1980's. The wood is on a chalk spur on the rim of the pit.
Play area near chalk cliff. A dene hole was found there.
Fiddlers Close
This is near a chalk pit which was behind the Brown Bear in the High Street. The pit was used by Everards for oil storage tanks from 1957
Frobisher Walk
On the site of Everards offices and yard.
High Street
6 Pier Hotel. This has a cobbled yard at the back and until 1832 was called the Admiral Keppel. T's his was because Keppel tried ringleaders of the naval mutiny at the Nore here. Although the current pub is said to date from 1847.
9 The Hollies – Double fronted white house with two large holly trees in the front. 1930s Conservative Working Men’s Association Club. Now let as flats.
8 Ye Village Club. This had a library and a reading room and was built in 1883 by R, Dunbar who lived at Eagle Cliff.
17 and 21 were apparently built as cottages for the congregational church. They are early 19th flint cottages
19 This was originally the Flint Congregational Church dating from 1810, and may later have been used by the Thornton Brush Co, factory. It is in flint and red brick and inside is a gallery supported on cast iron columns. The ceiling has 2 domes. The congregation moved to London Road.
Interesting riverside industrial village, now just another 'development' area full of identikit housing
Post to the east Ingress
Post to the north Stoneness
Post to the south Greenhithe
Post to the west Stone Marshes
Charles Street
ASDA Supermarket
Sails. Sculpture commissioned by ASDA supermarkets to mark the entrance to this shop. It is in stainless steel with fibre optic lighting by Richard Thornton
Lafarge Riverside site. This a site producing cement and handling sea dredged aggregates on the site of Johnson’s Wharf. The address given is King Edward Street which is difficult to locate. The site entrance is off Charles Street.
Johnson’s Wharf. Johnsons Cement works was to the south of this square and a complex of rail lines connected it to the wharf. Split before it gets to the river. The tramway system and the jetty had originally been built to convey ballast to ships sailing to the Far East. Johnson’s took this over, probably with the locomotives, in 1877. In 1928 a concrete packing shed was built on the jetty and the pier was extended out into the river to take larger ships. The lines were partially electrified in 1978.
West Wharf Jetty
Lamb Wharf Chalk Works. Operated by John Tilden & Co. This works is thought to have been on the site of the later extension to Johnson’s Wharf.
Lamb Inn. This was at the end of Thames Road alongside the rail line to Johnson’s Wharf
Eagles Road
The road goes alongside Eagle Cliff, A wooden promontory along one side of a chalk pit. The pit was at one time filled with oil tanks belonging to Everard
Eagles Wood. This is woodland overlooking the River and given to the Woodland trust by Crest Homes in 1995. It is surrounded by houses built on an old chalk pit in the 1980's. The wood is on a chalk spur on the rim of the pit.
Play area near chalk cliff. A dene hole was found there.
Fiddlers Close
This is near a chalk pit which was behind the Brown Bear in the High Street. The pit was used by Everards for oil storage tanks from 1957
Frobisher Walk
On the site of Everards offices and yard.
High Street
6 Pier Hotel. This has a cobbled yard at the back and until 1832 was called the Admiral Keppel. T's his was because Keppel tried ringleaders of the naval mutiny at the Nore here. Although the current pub is said to date from 1847.
9 The Hollies – Double fronted white house with two large holly trees in the front. 1930s Conservative Working Men’s Association Club. Now let as flats.
8 Ye Village Club. This had a library and a reading room and was built in 1883 by R, Dunbar who lived at Eagle Cliff.
17 and 21 were apparently built as cottages for the congregational church. They are early 19th flint cottages
19 This was originally the Flint Congregational Church dating from 1810, and may later have been used by the Thornton Brush Co, factory. It is in flint and red brick and inside is a gallery supported on cast iron columns. The ceiling has 2 domes. The congregation moved to London Road.
29 The Warren. The present house was built pre-Second World Warn on the site of an earlier house for Frederick T Everard, founder of the shipbuilding who died in 1929. There is an octagonal tower in the grounds. This is a late 18the gazebo built of flint. There is a continuous wooden casement to three sides and an entrance up stairs to rear. This came from Ingress Park where it overlooked the Thames. The earlier house was for a while the home of Sir Erasmus Wilson who brought Cleoatra's Needle to London. Also home of Henry Havelock of the Indian Mutiny.
Keeps Yard. These were the barge builders on the site of the Everard Yard, where Frederick Everard worked and then took over.
34 Francis Everard home
35 Accuba. Double fronted house occupied from the 1930s by W.J. Everard 1930s. One of the original 3 sons and a manager of the yard
45 used by a butcher in the 1930s this still has a fascia board outside possibly used for hanging meat for sale.
54 Everard’s offices. This was a brick building with their house flag, quartered diagonally red and white. F.T.Everard, shipbuilders, were founded in 1889 by Frederick T Everard who had taken over Keep’s barge yard and moved from building into ship operation. Originally Frederick T Eberhardt, he took over a salvaged barge named ‘Elizabeth’ which was rebuilt by his yard in 1895 and continued there. His three sons and daughter joined him as directors when F.T Everard and Sons Ltd was formed in 1922.they had s large fleet of sailing barges. One of the sons had trained at Plenty and Co of Newbury who manufactured engines, for marine use and Everard's began to make vessels with mechanical propulsion. The first was the Grit, a sailing vessel with an auxiliary engine. The company played their part in both world wars providing repairs to war damaged ships and with an accelerated building programme. The company ran a large fleet of coasting and other vessels and had a tradition of naming its ships with the name ending in ‘ity’ and usually, the name beginning with an A. They took over a number of other companies both locally and elsewhere – including Plenty and Sons, engine builders. Other takeovers were at Gunness, Yarmouth, Goole and elsewhere in Greenhithe. Everard Transport Services were formed for the road transport mainly of their expanding oil transport business. The shipyard continued at Greenhithe although it was split from the fleet and a tank farm built on part of the site but it closed in 1982 although subsequently leased to South Thames Ship repairers. In 2006 the company was sold to James Fisher & Sons. Ltd.
64 Sir John Franklin. The White Hart; dates from 1840 but may be earlier and incorporates an earlier building. In the 16th it was called the King's Head said to have been set up in 1661 and renamed the White Hart in 1742. In 1840, the pub was redesigned and built to face onto the Thames to service visiting boat crews. And there was a recent attempt to rename the pub 'Allison's Bar'. In the 19th the pub was the clubhouse for the Royal Thames Yacht Club which held its sailing races off Greenhithe, Sir John Franklin the explorer spent his last night here in 1845 before leaving to find the north-west passage and to die. It was also from here that Scott left to die in the Antarctic.
Public passageway to the side of what was the White Hart public house led to a public causeway and draw dock,
The public causeway was where the public ferry landed on the Kent side of the river, came from Thurrock and was traditionally where pilgrims from East Anglia to Canterbury crossed. The building of the new seawall in the late 1970s also meant the loss of the public causeway by known called Everard Drawdock
35 Accuba. Double fronted house occupied from the 1930s by W.J. Everard 1930s. One of the original 3 sons and a manager of the yard
45 used by a butcher in the 1930s this still has a fascia board outside possibly used for hanging meat for sale.
54 Everard’s offices. This was a brick building with their house flag, quartered diagonally red and white. F.T.Everard, shipbuilders, were founded in 1889 by Frederick T Everard who had taken over Keep’s barge yard and moved from building into ship operation. Originally Frederick T Eberhardt, he took over a salvaged barge named ‘Elizabeth’ which was rebuilt by his yard in 1895 and continued there. His three sons and daughter joined him as directors when F.T Everard and Sons Ltd was formed in 1922.they had s large fleet of sailing barges. One of the sons had trained at Plenty and Co of Newbury who manufactured engines, for marine use and Everard's began to make vessels with mechanical propulsion. The first was the Grit, a sailing vessel with an auxiliary engine. The company played their part in both world wars providing repairs to war damaged ships and with an accelerated building programme. The company ran a large fleet of coasting and other vessels and had a tradition of naming its ships with the name ending in ‘ity’ and usually, the name beginning with an A. They took over a number of other companies both locally and elsewhere – including Plenty and Sons, engine builders. Other takeovers were at Gunness, Yarmouth, Goole and elsewhere in Greenhithe. Everard Transport Services were formed for the road transport mainly of their expanding oil transport business. The shipyard continued at Greenhithe although it was split from the fleet and a tank farm built on part of the site but it closed in 1982 although subsequently leased to South Thames Ship repairers. In 2006 the company was sold to James Fisher & Sons. Ltd.
64 Sir John Franklin. The White Hart; dates from 1840 but may be earlier and incorporates an earlier building. In the 16th it was called the King's Head said to have been set up in 1661 and renamed the White Hart in 1742. In 1840, the pub was redesigned and built to face onto the Thames to service visiting boat crews. And there was a recent attempt to rename the pub 'Allison's Bar'. In the 19th the pub was the clubhouse for the Royal Thames Yacht Club which held its sailing races off Greenhithe, Sir John Franklin the explorer spent his last night here in 1845 before leaving to find the north-west passage and to die. It was also from here that Scott left to die in the Antarctic.
Public passageway to the side of what was the White Hart public house led to a public causeway and draw dock,
The public causeway was where the public ferry landed on the Kent side of the river, came from Thurrock and was traditionally where pilgrims from East Anglia to Canterbury crossed. The building of the new seawall in the late 1970s also meant the loss of the public causeway by known called Everard Drawdock
Flood defence works carried out at Greenhithe in the late 1970s are subject of the retention of rights for riparian landowners including that of access across the reclaimed seabed, which were granted by the Port of London Authority in perpetuity.
Town Wharf. Globe Wharf where there was clinker manufacture. These related to large whiting quarries owned 1869-1889 by J. C. Gosling and Co.1889-1899 by Globe Portland Cement and Whiting Co. Ltd and 1899-1911 by New Globe Cement, Chalk and Whiting Co. Ltd From 1911 is was Blue Circle. The company had originated as a cement manufacturer at Globe Works, Frindsbury. But at Greenhithe it was a whiting works. On Town Wharf, they probably had only a warehouse for shipment of the whiting products. It was acquired by BPCM for the sake of its whiting capacity and chalk reserves. From here a rail line ran to a pit south of the London Road,
Town Wharf. Globe Wharf where there was clinker manufacture. These related to large whiting quarries owned 1869-1889 by J. C. Gosling and Co.1889-1899 by Globe Portland Cement and Whiting Co. Ltd and 1899-1911 by New Globe Cement, Chalk and Whiting Co. Ltd From 1911 is was Blue Circle. The company had originated as a cement manufacturer at Globe Works, Frindsbury. But at Greenhithe it was a whiting works. On Town Wharf, they probably had only a warehouse for shipment of the whiting products. It was acquired by BPCM for the sake of its whiting capacity and chalk reserves. From here a rail line ran to a pit south of the London Road,
Rails sunk in the street still there 1980s relics of line from the pit
Ferry. This served what is said to be the pilgrim traffic from West Thurrock, in particular St. Clements Church. It originally belonged to the nunnery at Dartford but was leased out under Henry VIII and later belonged to the Manor. A flood in the late 17th put the ferry out of action and was revived in the 1830s when it carried goods and cattle as well as pedestrian traffic. It ran into the 1950s, probably until the opening of the Dartford Tunnel.
Chapel – called the Chantry – founded by John Lucas in 1347 dedicated to Virgin Mary. Had 20 acres to support the priest. Suppressed under Edward VI. Said to be some flint walls remaining in the fabric of Woodlands.
Ferry. This served what is said to be the pilgrim traffic from West Thurrock, in particular St. Clements Church. It originally belonged to the nunnery at Dartford but was leased out under Henry VIII and later belonged to the Manor. A flood in the late 17th put the ferry out of action and was revived in the 1830s when it carried goods and cattle as well as pedestrian traffic. It ran into the 1950s, probably until the opening of the Dartford Tunnel.
Chapel – called the Chantry – founded by John Lucas in 1347 dedicated to Virgin Mary. Had 20 acres to support the priest. Suppressed under Edward VI. Said to be some flint walls remaining in the fabric of Woodlands.
59 The Brown Bear. This pub, now the site of new housing, is said to have been on site 1715 to 1922 although it still appears in the 1937 trade directory.
Almshouses. These seem to have been west of the Brown Bear and to have been three houses with two ladies in each. There is now new housing on this site. They were funded by a legacy from John Beare and had roon for three peoplel
79 Woodlands, Double fronted house built 1801. Formerly the home of the Colyer family and latterly used by Everards, the Shipping Company. It was also at one time the local Post Office, the National Westminster Bank and the local library. The telephone exchange was above the bank and there was also a flat for the postmaster. It is now offices for Trans Global
86 Maritime Lighterage 1930s J.R.Francis and Co . Wharf and offices.
Roman Catholic Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel built 1874 by a Franciscan friar. This was to be a Capuchin Church and Monastery associated with St. Simon Stock who had local connections. There was already a chapel on the site with that name but it was in a poor condition, along with a house next to it. The monastery would be for eight inmates alongside the church. This was demolished in 1973 by which time the monastery had become a priest’s house. also a convent for the Sisters of Mercy and a school until 1947 The site is now housing having been taken over by Everard's
Plaster products Jetty
Pier Road
Pier - this was built in 1842 by the Greenhithe Pier 's Company and was used up by Queen Victoria when she sailed to meet Prince Albert. she visited again in 1863 ,
Almshouses. These seem to have been west of the Brown Bear and to have been three houses with two ladies in each. There is now new housing on this site. They were funded by a legacy from John Beare and had roon for three peoplel
79 Woodlands, Double fronted house built 1801. Formerly the home of the Colyer family and latterly used by Everards, the Shipping Company. It was also at one time the local Post Office, the National Westminster Bank and the local library. The telephone exchange was above the bank and there was also a flat for the postmaster. It is now offices for Trans Global
86 Maritime Lighterage 1930s J.R.Francis and Co . Wharf and offices.
Roman Catholic Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel built 1874 by a Franciscan friar. This was to be a Capuchin Church and Monastery associated with St. Simon Stock who had local connections. There was already a chapel on the site with that name but it was in a poor condition, along with a house next to it. The monastery would be for eight inmates alongside the church. This was demolished in 1973 by which time the monastery had become a priest’s house. also a convent for the Sisters of Mercy and a school until 1947 The site is now housing having been taken over by Everard's
Plaster products Jetty
Pier Road
Pier - this was built in 1842 by the Greenhithe Pier 's Company and was used up by Queen Victoria when she sailed to meet Prince Albert. she visited again in 1863 ,
Replaced by a causeway in 1875
Royal Thames yacht club
Neptune Slipway
K6 telephone box
Neptune Cottages
Bendigo Wharf
Concrete barge. During the Second World War when, steel was in short supply barges were made of reinforced concrete.
Quay Lane
This appears to be roughly on the line of a tramway from the Town Wharf to pits south of the London Road.
Sara Close
Sara was Everard’s Champion racing barge, the road is on the site of Globe Wharf.
Station Road
Underground tunnel found in 1890s while digging a cess pit. Thought to go to the chantry 150 yards away
The Avenue
This is a steep narrow hill, nothing like an avenue at all
Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Bygone Kent
Cement Kilns. Web site
Dartford Council. Web site
DoverKent, Web site
Garrard. Everard of Greenhithe
Greenhithe Marina Residents Association
Kent County Council. Web site
Porteus. Dartford Country
Roberts. Breeze for a Bargeman
Stoyel and Kidner. The cement railways of Kent
Woodland Trust. Web site
K6 telephone box
Neptune Cottages
Bendigo Wharf
Concrete barge. During the Second World War when, steel was in short supply barges were made of reinforced concrete.
Quay Lane
This appears to be roughly on the line of a tramway from the Town Wharf to pits south of the London Road.
Sara Close
Sara was Everard’s Champion racing barge, the road is on the site of Globe Wharf.
Station Road
Underground tunnel found in 1890s while digging a cess pit. Thought to go to the chantry 150 yards away
The Avenue
This is a steep narrow hill, nothing like an avenue at all
Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Bygone Kent
Cement Kilns. Web site
Dartford Council. Web site
DoverKent, Web site
Garrard. Everard of Greenhithe
Greenhithe Marina Residents Association
Kent County Council. Web site
Porteus. Dartford Country
Roberts. Breeze for a Bargeman
Stoyel and Kidner. The cement railways of Kent
Woodland Trust. Web site
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