Edith's Streets

Riverside east of the tower, north bank. Barking Levels. Riverside strip of marshland used as a dump.  Some small industrial and haulage sites, but huge plans for housing development This post covers sites north of the river only Post to the west Barking Post to the east Dagenham Riverside Post to the south North Thamesmead and Crossness Barking Levels Marshes. This was once extensive grazing made up of low lying land dissected by dykes reclaimed from saltmarsh by building seawalls. They are an important habitat. The amount of grazing marsh in the Thames estuary is now greatly reduced and the whole area is on development pressure.  Much of the site has been used to store coal and power station waste – however some plants and animals are here because of that and are not native to the area. Attempts at agriculture here have often failed because of flooding. Most of this area was called Ripple Level. In the late 19th ice was collected here to sell to fishing boats an...

Riverside East of the Tower, north bank Barking Power Station site Riverside strip of marshland where a major power plant was built in the early 20th.  Many small industrial and haulage sites, but huge plans for housing development This post only covers sites north of the river. The south bank part is Thamesmead Pumping Station Post to the west Creekmouth Post to the north Barking Marsh Atcost Road Buzzard Creek Industrial Estate. Trading estates and light industry Railway Rail line coming into the powers station site from the north east originating from Ripple Lane sidings. River Road Barking A Power Station . In 1920, the County of London Electric Supply Company applied for permission to build a power station here capable of expansion to 600 MW.  This was a consortium of local authorities to rival privately built Battersea. Although originally built to supply the county of London it then served a wider area, including part of Kent, as well as the national...

Riverside east of the Tower, north bank Beckton Marshland which became the site of a major 19th century gas works and 19th century sewage works.  Now encroached by housing development, some modern industry and the light railway depot Post to the south Galleons  and Gallions Post to the north Jenkins Lane Post to the east Creekmouth Post to the west Beckton Armada Way Armada Point BDM . Delivery contracting company. Docklands Light Railway Beckton Depot. The depot was built to service and stable the trains needed for the operation of the Beckton Extension and for the use of double-unit trains across the network. There are facilities for 45 trains. Rail access is from spurs from the running lines from the Beckton branch. This is on part of the gas works site Control Centre, this was built In preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games to ensure the rail service remained operational in the event of a major incident.  Beckton Gas Works This square covers only t...

Riverside east of the Tower, north bank Galleons Riverside area where entrance areas to the River for late 19th and early 20th docks were placed along with associated facilities and works including an important shipyard. This post only includes items north of the river. Sites in the south part of the square are at Gallions Post to the north Beckton Post to the east Tripcock Ness Post to the south Broadwater and Arsenal Post to the west Cyprus and Gallions Atlantis Avenue Bohler Sortex . Buhler is a company with Swiss origins who make a wide variety of machinery. Buhler Sortex is involved in the field of optical sorting. Galleons Road Royal Quays . Housing scheme on old rail land. Galleons Hotel . The hotel was originally built in the early 1880s for P&O shipping company and originally catered for passengers waiting to embark on their liners in the Royal Albert Dock.  It was built on piles with stables in the basements, and with a subway from the hotel to the...

Riverside east of the Tower. North bank.  North Woolwich Old riverside settlement, once in Kent and part of Woolwich proper. and thus the north end of ferry and foot tunnel.  19th railway development plus a pleasure park and later a museum.  Surrounded by industry the area of an important shipyard is now modern housing. Otherwise a down market area with many facilities closed This post covers north of the river only for this square Post to the west North Woolwich Post to the south Woolwich Post tohe east Broadwater and Arsenal Post to the north Cyprus and Gallions Albert Road 12 The California .  Pub of 1914 with art nouveau lettering designed by Robert Banks-Martin. Closed 2007 and demolished. North Woolwich Police Station , Built 1904 and designed by J. Dixon Butler, in striped brick and stone. The station was "K" Division of the Metropolitan Police.  There is a lamp at the corner of the road with "POLICE" in the glass. It is now partly closed. ...

Riverside east of the Tower, north bank North Woolwich Riverside industrial strip which includes a still functioning a very large sugar refinery. Other industry replaced by haulage and retail. This post covers the north bank of the river only. South of the river is Woolwich Dockyard Post to the west Silvertown Post to the south West Woolwich Post to the east North Woolwich Post to the north Royal Albert Albert Road St John with St Mary and St Edward.  This is a combined Church of England and Roman Catholic Church by Laurence King & Partners. It was planned as part of the Pier Estate and like the housing, of dark brick. Painteds of St Mary and St Edward come from the former Catholic church which was on the corner of Kennard Street. The entrance is through a glazed link to the centre another dark brick box Factory Road Tate and Lyle Thames Refinery . Thames Refinery is the largest sugar refinery in the EU and one of the largest in the world, with a capacity of 1...

Riverside east of the Tower. North bank only Silvertown Riverside industrial strip now under development pressure. 19th century industries included an important tar works and a major cable and rubber products factory.  The north end of the Thames Barrier. This posting covers only the north bank of the river on this square. The south side is Charlton Riverside Post to the west Silvertown Post to the south North Charlton Post to the east North Woolwich Post to the north Silvertown Barrier Point Road This housing complex and the park are on the site of Prince Regent Wharf. Barrier Point is an 18 storey block of flats built in 2001 designed by the Goddard Manton Partnership Booth Road More flats Minoco Wharf Minoco Wharf . The site is currently owned by the developers Ballymore and is being promoted as “Royal Wharf”. Silvertown Lubricants . In 1896 the Mineral Oils Corporation was formed by Charles Hunting to distill and refine lubricants from Russian crude oil imp...

River side east of the Tower, north bank. Silvertown Riverside strip used for 19th century industry which includes the TNT works site of a devastating 1917 explosion. The area is now under intense development pressure This post covers only the north bank of the river for this square. On the south bank is Charlton Angerstein Post to the south Charlton Post to the east Silvertown Post to the west Greenwich Marsh Post to the north Custom House Bradfield Road On Port of London Authority maps Bradfield Road is sometimes marked as West Ham Causeway. Lyle Park well-hidden pocket provided by Lyle's for the Borough of West Ham in 1924. The Park was opened in 1924 by Sir Leonard Lyle, JP on land that was gifted to West Ham by the Golden Syrup manufacturer. It one of only three riverside parks in the borough. The park changed now contains a set of ornamental wrought iron gates, originally the entrance gates to Harland & Wolff Ltd, ship builders. It is a rectangular piece of ...

River bank – east of the Tower north bank only Old Blackwall, East India and Poplar. TQ 38484 80477 An riverside area of paramount importance in British history. This was once a centre of world trade and British shipbuilding. Small 17th century shipyards developed into major works. From here the Pilgrim Fathers left to found Virginia. The East India Company had a ship yard here and later the East India Docks provided an international trading focus. In the 19th century most British railway companies had depots here and some had docks for goods transhipments. A specialist railway line was built to distribute sea bourne coal to the metropolis. The Blackwall Tunnel continues to provide a major cross river link.  The area is also full of housing, facilities and small works.  It is under intense development pressure and has some new, brash and gated developments which do not refer to the historic sites they are occupying. This post is north bank only on th...