See more ideas about old london, london history and history. The wapping project is the creation of the women s playhouse trust wpt, which was set up in 1981. It is in the borough of tower hamlets, in london, united kingdom. Like most of london, wapping is an area that is steeped in history, evidence of which can be easily found in the period buildings and converted warehouses which are common to the area. Mr stuart robertsons book, with but little dramatic basis is ingeniously. It is the site of one of the worst disasters in the country during the second world war, even though it wasnt in use as a station and didnt take a direct hit in bombing raids. The history of wapping trust howt wapping, london e1w. Here he takes us on a tour of wapping and the dock london lost. Really like a village, properlysocalled, with all the advantages and disadvantages of a. Like most of london, wapping is an area that is steeped in history, evidence of which can be easily found in the period buildings and converted. The victims of the first murders were the marr family. If youre after river views from wapping restaurants, a sure bet is the river lounge italian, just 8. A walk along wapping high street and wapping wall give a glimpse of the history of this area with original river stairs, wharves and pubs lining the thames. Madge darby, historian of wapping spitalfields life.
Wapping was probably named by the saxons when they lived here. A london inheritance a private history of a public city. London is packed with haunted districts and forgotten streets. Thames river stairs are rich sources of history for that part of london that forms the. Wapping, 16001800 a social history of an earlymodern london maritime suburb by derek morris and ken cozens. Wapping high street and wapping wall a london inheritance. The thames police museum, dedicated to the history of the marine police force, is currently housed within the headquarters of the marine support. The procession itself was led by the admiralty marshal or one of his deputies who would be carrying a silver oar, an item representing the authority of the. Wapping to limehouse a free walk for tourists, going through the old docklands areas of wapping, shadwell and into limehouse which lie immediately east of the city, and past numerous old london pubs, and real 1800s warehouses, the walk starts at the tower of london, then via st katharines dock passing tower bridge. Wapping, tower hamlets a recolonised waterfront neighbourhood conveniently located between the city of london and docklands. A social history notes in his introduction, inwoods london is a social london, and much of the book is spent recounting who did what when, and how much it cost them, from the roman londinium that waned as the empire did to the divided city of 1965 to the present. Professor sarah palmer, director of the greenwich maritime institute, university of greenwich has written in her preface. Morris, ken cozens east london history society, 2009 wapping london, england 181 pages. Wapping was an island, then, surrounded by the river and dock water.
Daniel asher alexander designed two terraces of dock officials houses either side of the entrance to the dock at wapping pierhead, built in 1811. From its riverside location to its fascinating history, wapping is one of london s bestkept secrets. The east london history society, founded 1952 exists to further interest in the history of east london, namely the london boroughs of tower hamlets, hackney and newham. Print unions tried to block distribution of the sunday times, along with other newspapers in rupert murdoch s news international group, after production was shifted to a new plant in wapping in january 1986. The wpt is a uk charity 286384 and has 501 c 3 status in the usa.
There were 163 bombs dropped in wapping including st katherines. The chapter structure is by subject rather than year which increases readability and there are some great pictures from archived images, including george. History books the 10 best nonfiction books about london from pepyss diary to ben judahs impressionistic survey, the city has provided a wealth of material for writers. Ratcliff highway and wapping, in old and new london. Another publication from the east london history society. With the expansion and dominance of english power on the sea, wapping s boat building and fishing industries. To extend the research into wapping, a riverside parish, derek cooperated with ken cozens, an expert on londons merchant networks in the 18th century. Wapping is a district in east london in the london borough of tower hamlets and uniquely. Englands first marine police force was created in 1798 in wapping. History of wapping, in tower hamlets and middlesex map. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of wapping.
Throughout the 80s and the early 90s wpt s artistic policy was defined by the playwrights it commissioned, produced and published, predominantly at the royal court theatre, london. Wapping, in the london borough of tower hamlets, is a recolonised waterfront. It was one of the most dramatic industrial disputes of the last century. It runs along part of the embankment of the thames and much of its trade history has a connection with the water. I took a group on a london history walk to wapping in april and so much has changed but the old wapping is still there but not that wonderful community. Wapping simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Those that were found guilty and sentenced to death would then be paraded from the prison over london bridge, past the tower of london and towards wapping where execution dock was located. Execution dock was a place in the river thames near the shoreline at wapping, london, that was used for more than 400 years to execute pirates, smugglers and mutineers who had been sentenced to death by admiralty courts. Lloyd shepherd is a writer whose first novel, the english monster, is set in regencyera wapping and based on the ratcliffe highway murders. Please click on the links, to the left, to find out more about us, our publications and. Wapping, says tuc general secretary brendan barber, is a story of betrayal, connivence and the use of force used against working people. Alternatively, it may have meant marshy place, via a connection with the old english word wapol. The following is a list of publications on sale at tower hamlets local history library and. Ratcliffe highway is the old name for a road in the east end of london, now called the highway, then one of three main roads leaving london.
Recollections of life in the east end of london between 1938 and 1945, by alice beanse. An irishcockney village in the east end collecting. Wapping photos, maps, books, memories francis frith. See more ideas about east london, london and old london. The romans built the highway, but it was the saxons who first settled here. Those that were caught, tried and found guilty by the british admiralty in london were hanged at execution dock in wapping in the east end for over four centuries. The society publishes two or three newsletters a year and organizes a program of talks. Skylight unique event venue space in london tobacco dock. Also see the east london postcards website for details of books and.
Wapping is by the river thames the longest river in england. Discover the incredible history of wapping, east london. A social history of an early modern london maritime suburb derek b. As its home to many finance bods from canary wharf and the city, restaurants in wapping tend to be at the smarter end, featuring upmarket cuisine from around the world.
Execution dock was used as a hanging site for over 400 years until the 1830s. See all books memories of wapping read and share your memories of wapping itself or of a particular photo of wapping. London dock was constructed at wapping between 1800 and 1815 opening in 1805 and specialised in rice, tobacco, wine, wool and brandy. It was in a dangerous and rundown area of seedy businesses, dark alleys and dilapidated tenements. The book also tackles deeper subjects of health, gender roles and attitudes towards jews and brings smiles and sadness whilst giving us a touching nostalgic record of wapping s history. The 10 best nonfiction books about london books the. Set in the ever popular st katherine docks in wapping, east london is the brand new contemporary restaurant and lounge bar churchills. For a closer look inside piety and piracy, take a look at wapping resident jo coxs book. First laid out in 1570, wapping high street retains a flavour of old riverside london. Wappingites of all ages joined the history of wapping trust at a packed. The station is served by national rail london overground services under the control of the london rail division of transport for london. Their book wapping 16001800 showed the diversity of interests and occupations in the. Denis described wapping in the 1930s in similar terms to observers at the turn of the century, and even in the 1870s. The history of wapping trust howt whats in wapping.
The thames tunnel, ratcliff highway and wapping british history. The modern explorer will find that this tight passage and timewarn steps debouch only onto the thames foreshore, and then only at low tide. Skylight is located in the heart of east london s thriving enterprise zone, within striking distance of central london, and super easy to reach by public transport. Browse 78 photo books on wapping and the surrounding area. Wapping was first mentioned in around 1220 when it was little more than a settlement on the banks of the river. Londons execution dock in wapping east london history. Wapping is a station on the east london line located on the northern bank of the river thames in wapping within the london borough of tower hamlets.
Once a dockland slum, the winding cobbled streets are now lined. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860. Londons sailortown, 16001800 port towns and urban cultures. Wapping restaurants the best restaurants in wapping. The wapping dispute was a lengthy failed strike by print workers in london in 1986. Here he takes us on a tour of wapping and the dock.