Misplaced Pages

#607392

53-571: The River Neckinger is a reduced subterranean river that rises in Southwark and flows approximately 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) through south London to St Saviour's Dock where it enters the Thames . What remains of the river is enclosed and runs underground and most of its narrow catchment has been diverted into other combined and surface water sewers, flowing into the Southern Outfall Sewer and

106-510: A sauna , mostly linked closely to the churches. Some of the redeveloped areas were built by Nordic architects, such as the Greenland Passage development by Danish Company Kjær & Richter . This gives some areas a distinctly "Nordic" feel in terms of house and street design. The relationship with Scandinavia and the Baltic is also reflected in the names of some of the buildings (such as

159-767: A million tonnes of timber in Quebec Yard, causing the most intense single fire ever seen in Britain. The bombing of the old Rotherhithe Town Hall during the Second World War gives an indication of how heavy the bombing in Rotherhithe was. The first damage to the building occurred when Luftwaffe bombs landed nearby in April 1941, and there was more bomb damage in February and June 1944. Later

212-410: A shipyard near what is now Lavender Street. John Whetstone took over in 1709, Robert Inwood in 1756 and Job Cockshott in the early 1800s, when it was divided into Lavender Dock and Lavender Wharf. In 1862 William Walker re-amalgamated the dock and wharf, but in 1870 they were separated. From 1865 John and William Walker built clippers and W. Walker & Co, who had a 256 ft (78 m) dry dock on

265-440: A significant regeneration project focused on Canada Water and Rotherhithe. Known as the 'Canada Water Masterplan', the project has proposed the development of an additional 3,500 homes, as well as a new high street, town square, parks, leisure centre and footpath links. The landmark Tesco store will also be relocated. The project would be developed in multiple phases over the coming 15 to 20 years. Some local community groups oppose

318-626: Is joined to the north bank of the Thames by three tunnels. The Thames tunnel to Wapping was the first underwater tunnel in the world. Built by the Brunels , and originally intended to carry cross-river freight, it became a pedestrian tunnel due to the money running out to build the necessary ramps for vehicle traffic. It was used as a railway tunnel from 1869, and is now part of the London Overground network, which on 27 April 2010 started running trains on

371-422: Is now a gentrifying residential and commuter area, with urban regeneration progressing around Deal Porter Square at Canada Water ; a new town centre with restaurant and retail units, as well as new residential developments, is emerging here around the existing freshwater dock and transport hub. Rotherhithe is 4.5 km (2.8 mi) east of London's centre point at Charing Cross . The name "Rotherhithe"

424-507: Is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames , facing Wapping , Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, with the Isle of Dogs to the east. It borders Bermondsey to the west and Deptford to the south-east. The district is a part of the Docklands area. Rotherhithe has a long history as a port, with Elizabethan shipyards and working docks until the 1970s. In the 1980s, the area along

477-465: Is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon Hrȳðer-hȳð and it is suggested it means "landing-place for cattle". The first recorded use of this name was in about 1105, as Rederheia . Other explanations of the name have been 'Red Rose Haven' and 'rehra' (mariner's) hythe (haven or landing place). In the past Rotherhithe was also pronounced and written as Redriff or Redriffe , however until

530-747: The Cheonggyecheon in the centre of Seoul . Some fish (colloquially known as cavefish ) and other troglobite organisms are adapted to life in subterranean rivers and lakes. Examples of subterranean rivers also occur in mythology and literature. There are many natural examples of subterranean rivers. Among them: In many cities there are natural streams which have been partially or entirely built over. Such man-made examples of subterranean urban streams are too numerous to list, but notable examples include: Some fish (popularly known as cavefish ) and other troglobite organisms are adapted to life in subterranean rivers and lakes. Greek mythology included

583-562: The Diocese of Southwark . From 1840, as the population of Rotherhithe increased, a number of new parishes were formed: In addition, as the population of neighbouring Deptford increased, parts of Rotherhithe parish were included in the new parish of: Because much of the former Surrey Docks had strong trade links to Scandinavia and the Baltic region, the area is still home to a thriving Scandinavian community. During World War II, in fact, it housed

SECTION 10

#1732847940608

636-536: The King Frederik IX Tower), the street names (e.g. Finland Street, Sweden Gate, Baltic Quay , Norway Gate, Helsinki Square) or other place names (e.g. Greenland Dock). Another major influence factor was trade with Russia and Canada (mainly timber), reflected in names such as Canada Water and the Russia Dock Woodland. Rotherhithe is also a popular place to live with South Africans, according to

689-745: The Styx , Phlegethon , Acheron , Cocytus , and Lethe as rivers within the Underworld . Dante Alighieri , in his Inferno , included the Acheron , Phlegethon , and Styx as rivers within his subterranean Hell . Similar references were made in John Milton 's Paradise Lost . The river Alph, running "Through caverns measureless to man / Down to a sunless sea" is central to the poem Kubla Khan , by Samuel Taylor Coleridge . The characters in Jules Verne 's Journey to

742-608: The " Pilgrim Fathers ", were mostly still living in the city of Leiden , in the Netherlands . There they hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfshaven in the Netherlands to Southampton to join the Mayflower . The ship's master, Christopher Jones , died shortly after his return in 1621 and is buried in an unmarked grave at St Mary's Church. No one can be sure where on

795-687: The "usual arbours and 'boxes'" during the Victorian period, but by the 1920s, most of the gardens had been absorbed into the Surrey Commercial Docks as part of a timber yard. Like the rest of the London Docks, the Surrey Commercial Docks were targeted by the Luftwaffe . On 7 September 1940, on the first day of the London Blitz , the deal yards of Surrey Docks were set ablaze. The raid ignited over

848-625: The 14th century, the crossing point of the Neckinger and the Old Kent Road was known as the wateryng of Seint Thomas , or St. Thomas-à-Watering , and was mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales as a place where the pilgrims water their horses on their way to Thomas Becket 's shrine. In the Tudor period St. Thomas-à-Watering was also the location for public executions. In

901-508: The 16th century, herbalist and botanist John Gerard wrote of the wild willow herb that 'It is found nigh the place of execution at St. Thomas a Watering; and by a style on a Thames bank near to the Devil's Neckerchief on the way to Redriffe.' During the Middle Ages , the local religious house, Bermondsey Abbey , made use of the water of the Neckinger to power a Tide mill . The mill's early name

954-631: The 1980s been quiet and suburban in nature. Durand's Wharf is a park in Rotherhithe Street and holds an Outdoor Gym. Rotherhithe is served by three stations: Other nearby stations are Bermondsey tube station (also on the Jubilee line), South Bermondsey railway station to the south-west and London Bridge railway station to the west. The area is served by Transport for London bus services 1, 47, 188, 199, 225, 381, C10 and P12; night buses N1, N199 and N381 also stop here. Canada Water bus station

1007-500: The Center of the Earth encounter a subterranean river: "Hans was not mistaken," he said. "What you hear is the rushing of a torrent." "A torrent?" I exclaimed. "There can be no doubt; a subterranean river is flowing around us." Several other novels also feature subterranean rivers. The subterranean rivers of London feature in the novel Drowning Man by Michael Robotham as well as in

1060-639: The Immaculate Conception. King's Stairs Gardens is a small park on the river towards the Bermondsey boundary. In September 2011 Thames Water announced that they wanted to build an access shaft for the "super-sewer" Thames Tideway Tunnel . Due to local action by The Save King's Stairs Gardens Campaign, which collected over 5000 signatures, Thames Water decided to build the access shaft in Chambers Wharf instead. The Mayflower TRA Hall now occupies

1113-599: The London Mayor Boris Johnson said he would not fund the bridge, citing budget cuts due to the credit crunch, with the result that the project was effectively put on ice. However the idea is still being supported by Sustrans. There are two Anglican churches in Rotherhithe: St. Mary's Church , and Trinity Church. There are two Roman Catholic churches: St Peter and the Guardian Angels, and Our Lady of

SECTION 20

#1732847940608

1166-504: The Neckinger's early section, where it crosses the Kent Road, at Lock Bridge, was also known as Canute's Trench . In May, 1016, Danish Cnut the Great , who had invaded England, dug a trench through Southwark to allow his boats to avoid the heavily defended London Bridge . In 1173, a channel following a similar course was used to drain the Thames to allowing building work on London Bridge. In

1219-779: The Norwegian Government-in-Exile. Originally established as seafarers' missions, Rotherhithe is home to a Norwegian , a Finnish and a Swedish church. The Finnish Church and the Norwegian Church are both in Albion Street; they were built in 1958 and 1927 respectively (Rotherhithe Library is between them). There are also a number of "community centres" for the Nordic community in London, including hostels, shops and cafés and even

1272-537: The Old Kent Road, dated to the time of Bermondsey Abbey, which was still visible as part of the sewer system in the 19th century. It was 'of a pointed arch of stone with six ribs, similar to the oldest part of the London Bridge and to those of Bow and Eltham. There are, however, no mouldings to the bridge; it was merely chamfered at the edges. Its date may be about the middle of the fifteenth century... The dimensions of

1325-661: The River Thames in the Surrey Docks complex, and it was linked to Albion Dock and Greenland Dock at its northern and south-eastern extremities via the Albion Canal. The dock has been remodelled, and its northwest half retained as an ornamental lake, renamed Canada Water . The canal has remained as a walkway and water feature within the redeveloped area. Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority have announced

1378-541: The Rotherhithe peninsula the Mayflower was berthed, but the Mayflower pub near St Mary's Church claims the honour, and lists the names of the Mayflower passengers on their wall. The building itself, despite external and interior appearances, dates only from the 1950s. The extent to which the pub was damaged during the Second World War , and was rebuilt or simply restored, is uncertain. On Lower Road, about halfway between Surrey Quays and Canada Water stations, there

1431-485: The Thames bank from 1869, built 17 ships there between 1866 and 1882. James Turner built ships there from 1873 to 1886, followed by John Medhurst until at least 1890. Rotherhithe is part of the SE16 postcode district. Electorally, the western half is Rotherhithe ward of Southwark London Borough Council and the eastern half in Surrey Docks ward. As much of Rotherhithe was occupied by the now-defunct Surrey Commercial Docks ,

1484-582: The Thames, respectively. The watercourse drained first the seasonally wet (and occasionally flooded) ground at St George's Fields, where the former building of the Bethlem Royal Hospital , now the Imperial War Museum , stands. Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park , in western Southwark . Its course was east as follows: it took the line of Brook Drive then passed by the Elephant and Castle , then passed

1537-604: The UK census of 2011, and there was a South African themed pub at 351 Rotherhithe Street. In July 1620, the Mayflower sailed from Rotherhithe and picked up 65 passengers, probably from Blackwall , then proceeded to Southampton on the south coast of England to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage to America . At that time, the English Separatists , who later became known as

1590-463: The area as one its oldest, was also demolished. The Daily Mail and Evening Standard newspapers were printed at Harmsworth Quays in Rotherhithe from 1989 to 2012. The building became the Printworks events venue until its demolition in 2024. The ancient parish , dedicated to St Mary , was in the Diocese of Winchester until 1877, then the Diocese of Rochester until 1905, and then finally in

1643-504: The book's Bill Sikes meets his death. In the 1790s Neckinger Mill was established to produce paper, which continued until 1805 when the site was sold to the leather manufacturers Bevingtons. In 1838, the construction of a new line for the London and Greenwich Railway divided the mill land into two uneven portions, with further railway works taking place in 1841 and 1850. In 1935, Bevingtons moved most of their business to Dartford , keeping

River Neckinger - Misplaced Pages Continue

1696-583: The bridge are: width, 20 feet; span of arch, 9 feet.' In 1640, the City of London issued an order to 'make up and amend' the Lock Bridge as part of sewer works. According to Rendle the sewers were built up to adjoin the bridge at each side and it was a familiar landmark to 'sewer people' in the tunnels. During the 19th century improvements 'the ancient relic was not injured by the new works but necessarily covered up again. Private homes and businesses began to be built on

1749-544: The district is sometimes referred to as "Surrey Docks" or (since the late 1980s) " Surrey Quays ", though the latter name tends to be used more for the southern half of the peninsula. An eastern part, which became an island when the docks were in use and the locks open, is called "Downtown". This name was never related to the idea of a " downtown " in the American sense, although there was a club of that name there for many years which has now closed. This part of Rotherhithe has since

1802-613: The early 19th century, this name was applied to the whole river front from St Saviour's Dock to Bull Head Dock, this near the entrance to Surrey Water. On the Ordnance Survey five feet to the mile, London 1893–1896 maps, Redriff appears in two places, by Beatson Street and by Nelson Dockyard to Durand's Wharf. The docks were closed and largely filled in during the 1980s, and have now been replaced by modern housing and commercial facilities, but Rotherhithe retains much of its character and its maritime heritage. The largest surviving dock on

1855-482: The east end of Horsleydown island, known as Shad Thames and the low part of Bermondsey historically known as Jacob's Island to the east, which has also been built-up. In the 17th century convicted pirates were hanged at the wharf where the Neckinger entered the Thames. The name of the river is believed to derive from the term "devil's neckcloth", a slang term for the hangman's noose. In London Past and Present , published in 1891, Henry B. Wheatley argued that there

1908-418: The first millennium, the river merged into the Thames by hooking north at three points. At least three tidally broadly flooded mouths existed, two of which were west of the former small island of Horsleydown and the third at the approximate site of St Saviour's Dock. The Neckinger's northern mouth (now a surface water point of discharge into a deep, excavated inlet) divides the much-built up former marshland at

1961-418: The former Abbey grounds and the water of the Neckinger attracted tanners to its banks. In the late 1700s competition for the water led to the tanners bringing a suit against the mill owner which was won on the argument of 'ancient usages of the district' which ensured the inhabitants had the right to a supply of tidal water. The Jacob's Island district was notoriously squalid from early Victorian times until

2014-458: The mid-20th century. It was described by Charles Dickens in 1838 as "the filthiest, the strangest, the most extraordinary of the many localities that are hidden in London" , and by the Morning Chronicle in 1849 as "The very capital of cholera" and "The Venice of drains" . In Dickens' novel, Oliver Twist a branch of the Neckinger is given the name Folly Ditch and is the place where

2067-539: The novel Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L. Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh in which a character remarks: "You can bury them deep under, sir; you can bind them in tunnels, but in the end where a river has been, a river will always be." Rotherhithe Rotherhithe ( / ˈ r ɒ ð ər h aɪ ð / RODH -ər-hydhe ) is a district of South London , England , and part of the London Borough of Southwark . It

2120-536: The old town hall. Built originally in the early 1870s on land adjoining Rotherhithe Workhouse, it became the infirmary of St Olave's Union in 1875, and was renamed St Olave's Hospital in 1930. Subsequently, becoming part of the Guy's Hospital Teaching Group in 1966, it closed in 1985 and the site has been redeveloped into the residential Ann Moss Way. The Terriss Theatre (named after the actor, William Terriss ) opened in 1899 and

2173-521: The plan based on environmental and cost considerations. Rotherhithe is the home of the football team Fisher F.C. and Ballers Football Academy, who train & play fixtures at St Pauls Stadium. The Championship team Millwall Football Club is nearby in the London Borough of Lewisham . The sustainable transport charity Sustrans has proposed the construction of a bicycle and pedestrian swing bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf, and cost-benefit and feasibility studies were undertaken. In January 2009

River Neckinger - Misplaced Pages Continue

2226-609: The river was redeveloped as housing through a mix of warehouse conversions and new-build developments. The Jubilee line was extended to the area in 1999, giving fast connections to the West End and to Canary Wharf ; the East London underground line was converted to part of the London Overground network in 2010, which provides easy access to the City of London . As a result, Rotherhithe

2279-568: The route of the former East London Line . The later Rotherhithe Tunnel (opened 1908) carries a two-lane road to Limehouse . The Jubilee line extension (opened 1999) has a railway tunnel to Canary Wharf in the Isle of Dogs . Parts of Rotherhithe Street were at one time or another called Jamaica Street, Lavender Street, Low Queen Street, Queen Street, Redriff Wall, Redriff, Rotherhithe Wall, Shipwright Street and Trinity Street. In 1702 Edward Swallow built

2332-505: The same month (June 1944) the Town Hall was severely damaged by a direct hit from a V1 doodlebug . In November 1944 it was further damaged by near misses, and was finally destroyed by one of the last V1s to land on London. King Haakon VII made many of his famous radio broadcasts to occupied Norway from Saint Olav's Norwegian Church in Rotherhithe, where the Norwegian royal family were regular worshippers during their exile. Rotherhithe

2385-467: The site of Lock Hospital, Kent Street . This upper section was also known before that hospital's closure in the early 19th century as the Lock Stream. It then runs under abbey street and passed the grounds of (since ruined and underground) Bermondsey Abbey to the south, forming the channel north of what was the large Thames island of Bermond's ey (island). The channel is today resembled by Abbey Street. In

2438-581: The site of the old Rotherhithe Town Hall. The building ceased to be a town hall in 1905 when the former Rotherhithe Council merged with the old Bermondsey Borough Council and the new council used premises in Spa Road . The old Rotherhithe Town Hall became a library and a museum. It was razed to the ground by repeated bomb hits and near misses during the Second World War (see below ). Rotherhithe had its own general hospital, St Olave's Hospital , on Lower Road close to

2491-822: The smaller section of their divided site as a warehouse, and selling the larger portion to the Bermondsey Borough Council. When Bevingtons sold the warehouse in early 1980s it was converted into a residential development, and it has since been joined by new blocks of flats, which coexist, with some friction, with the more bohemian houseboats moored offshore at Reed Wharf. 51°30′02″N 0°04′24″W  /  51.50056°N 0.07333°W  / 51.50056; -0.07333 Subterranean river Some natural rivers may be entirely subterranean, collecting in and flowing through cave systems. In karst topography , rivers that originate above ground can disappear into sinkholes , continuing underground until they reappear on

2544-539: The south bank, Greenland Dock , is the focal point for the southern part of the district, while there are many preserved wharves along the riverside at the north end of Rotherhithe. St. Mary's Church is at the centre of the old Rotherhithe village, which contains various historic buildings including the Brunel Engine House at the south end of the Thames Tunnel . Canada Dock was the dock basin furthest away from

2597-466: The surface downstream, possibly having merged with other subterranean rivers. The longest subterranean river in the world is the Sistema Sac Actun cave system in Mexico. Subterranean rivers can also be the result of covering over a river or diverting its flow into culverts , usually as part of urban development . Reversing this process is known as "daylighting" a watercourse and is a major form of visible river restoration. Successful examples include

2650-404: Was Redriff , also an early name for the present neighbouring district of Rotherhithe , On 31 June 1536, the Abbey leased the mill to John Curlew, but the Dissolution of the Monasteries saw it privately acquired. At this time the Neckinger was navigable from the Thames up to the Abbey grounds. Local doctor, William Rendle, writing in Old Southwark And Its People , in 1878, describes a bridge on

2703-445: Was 'much good evidence' that 'the 'Devil's Neckinger'... the ancient place of punishment and execution' was at the site of the 'Dead Tree public-house' on Jacob's Island . Writing in The Inns of Old Southwark And Their Associations , in 1888, authors William Rendle and Philip Norman note that a place called Devol's Neckenger appears on a map in 1740 and, in the same location, in 1813, the Dead Tree inn. Historian Walter Besant says

SECTION 50

#1732847940608

2756-417: Was a public house called the China Hall; at one time it was the entrance to a riparian playhouse visited by Samuel Pepys and mentioned in his diary. It is not known how long the theatre remained on the site, but it was reinvigorated in 1777 and George Frederick Cooke acted there the following year. In the winter of 1779, it was destroyed in fire. The site of the theatre became a well-known tea-gardens, with

2809-414: Was later renamed the Rotherhithe Hippodrome of Varieties. It stood on Lower Road by Culling Road. It was bombed in the 1940s and stood empty until demolition in 1955. When the roundabout facing the Rotherhithe Tunnel was redeveloped in the early 1980s, several 19th century buildings were demolished including a school and a nunnery. A public house, the "Europa" , described in an early 20th-century history of

#607392