The Big River : Limehouse to Lambeth

Note : I have changed the title as this would be such a large blog for the Thames. As my internet signal has been so poor recently, I have only been able to add relatively small numbers of photos and bits of info at a time. To save you hunting through for additions I shall cover the Thames in sub blogs from now on. Hope this helps and thanks again for your support.

With John and Vinnie, I met Rachel and Ben one evening in the pub in Great Bedwyn. We shared one of the large tables in the pub and talk as it always does turns quickly to boating : comparing notes and discussing plans. We told them that we hoped to go along the Thames in London from Limehouse to Brentford and it turned out that they are  the owners of 2 working boats and both have a lot of experience of taking boats out on the Thames. So not only did they share their invaluable expertise but they also very kindly offered to come down with us to help. John very much wanted to do this trip and, I know, was sorely tempted - but sadly family commitments meant that for him it was not possible.

But for me, Rachel and Ben's help made the trip possible. It is certainly not be something I would have tackled on my own.

Just in case you are wondering :- 
the plan to go into Brentford and then out upstream onto the Thames at Limehouse instead of downstream into Limehouse directly is due to difficulties in entering the lock at Limehouse downstream due to the currents and the tides. It does mean redoing part of the Grand Union but its only a short section

Limehouse Basin

So Rachel and Ben met me at Limehouse Basin.  I had booked to lock in at 10.30 so whilst reporting our arrival at Limehouse Lock, I took the opportunity to take some photos of boats locking out. Judging by the waters of the Thames, it looked as though I would not have the opportunity when it was our turn.

As I was at the helm Ben very kindly agreed to take some photos
The skyline downstream just after we left Limehouse.
The look on my face is a combination of "I wish I had a bigger boat" and wow this is exciting!

In the distance is the Shard. The weather was better than I was expecting in that it wasn't raining. but the winds were very strong with gusts in the region of 35-40 knots

Ben did explain what this is. It is some kind of special lift but remembering more detail than that would have required me not to be concentrating so hard on the river -  sorry Ben

Tara as usual took it all in her stride

This bridge needs no identification - Tower Bridge
 overshadowed by The Shard with 72 stories it is the
 tallest building in the EU


To follow are loads of photos taken on the Thames. When I can name them and give some info I will. There was so much to take in !!

As you can see ; Ben loves his boats

Lubrication but not of the gin and tonic variety I'm afraid (Wendy)

And all before....Tower Bridge

What a thrill to pass under its majestic towers

It was built 1886–1894 is a combined bascule and suspension bridge. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name. It has become an iconic symbol of London.

The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee.

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And in total contrast.........

HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast is a museum ship, originally a Royal Navy light cruiser, permanently moored in London on the River Thamesand operated by the Imperial War Museum.

Construction of Belfast, the first Royal Navy ship to be named after the capital city of Northern Ireland. and one of ten Town-class cruisers, began in December 1936. She was launched on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1938. Commissioned in early August 1939 shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, Belfast was initially part of the British naval blockade against Germany. In November 1939 Belfast struck a German mine and spent more than two years undergoing extensive repairs. Returning to action in November 1942 with improved firepower, radar equipment and armour, Belfast was the largest and arguably most powerful cruiser in the Royal Navy at the time

Apparently the guns of turrets A and B are aimed at a specific place, namely at Scratchwood Service Station (now renamed as London Gateway Services) on the M1 motorway on the northern edge of London.  The 'target' is over 12 miles away.

                         Why this deserves such ignominy, I don't know

The Tower of London

It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built byWilliam the Conqueror in 1078. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.

The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.  In the late 15th century the castle was the prison of the Princes in the Tower. 

The peak period of the castle's use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures who had fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls. This use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower". Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, popularised by 16th-century religious propagandists and 19th-century writers, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period. 

 In the First and Second World Wars, the Tower was again used as a prison, and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage. After the Second World War, damage caused during the Blitz was repaired and the castle reopened to the public.

Brilliant photo, Ben

And then overshadowed by modern buildings, tucked away is The Golden Hinde II

This is a full sized reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s Tudor galleon. Visitors can experience Tudor life aboard Golden Hinde II and exploration of this vessel offers a unique insight into Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe from 1577 - 1580.

The Globe Theatre

Founded by the pioneering American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare's Globe is a unique international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's work and the playhouse for which he wrote, through the connected means of performance and education.

Approaching Hungerford Bridge with The Eye and Houses of Parliament in the background

Ben did take a video at this point but it is taking so long to download with the poor internet signal that I shall add it at a later time

These need no introduction 

The first royal palace was built on the site in the eleventh century, and Westminster was the primary London residence of the Kings of England until a fire destroyed much of the complex in 1512. After that, it served as the home of Parliament, which had been meeting there since the thirteenth century, and the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and around Westminster Hall.

 In 1834, an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament, and the only structures of significance to survive were Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen's, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft and the Jewel Tower.

 The architect Charles Barry led the reconstruction of the Palace. He was assisted by Augustus W. N. Pugin, a leading authority on Gothic architecture and style, who provided designs for the decoration and furnishings of the Palace. Construction started in 1840 and lasted for thirty years.

The Sea Life London Aquarium

Westminster Bridge

According to Ben, this is the halo effect......at last!! 

This church is St Mary's, Lambeth situated next to Lambeth Palace

 

A painting of St Mary's from late 1700's showing the palace, the church, St Mary's stairs and Westminster Bridge in the background

The churchyard is the burial place of many archbishops of Canterbury, Captain Bligh of the Bounty and members of the Trandescant family (gardeners and plantsmen).

Over 26,000 people are buried in this small area. It was notorious for the activities of bodysnatchers and in 1794 the vestry urged the government to increase the penalty for this crime - to no effect

The parish church of St Mary-at-Lambeth was rebuilt around 1850, though the ancient monuments preserved give it an appearance of antiquity.

She is 'moored' near Lambeth Bridge at the TAMESIS Dock.

Previously known as the English Maid this converted Dutch barge is a popular pub and entertainment venue with 2 floors and an outside deck.

Here she is at low tide!

I have a very poor internet signal at the moment and so I shall add more to this blog as and when I can.

Thank you for your patience!!!

That's all for tonight , folks

 Except that I have discovered you can enlarge a photo on the blog if you put the cursor on it and hit enter. You clever ones may well know this already so just humour me :-) xx

Graffiti in the Hamlets

The next day promised to be warm and calm and so I set off for Limehouse where I would join the Thames again
I got away promptly and paced myself for the 8 locks ahead of me. I thought that if I didn't rush them then another boat might catch me up and we could go through together. Just makes life easier.

There was  CRT working boat using the same bit of canal and I had some help at a couple of the locks and then the last 2 into Limehouse I shared with another boat. So it went well and had time to give Tara a break as well because it was getting really hot in the afternoon.


On arrival at Limehouse there were several moorings, but against a high wall which would make it difficult for me to get Tara off safely on my own
So I pressed on up the Limehouse Cut which goes up towards the Olympic Park and I moored up just above Old Ford Lock (not to be confused with the one on the Regents) in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium.

For Tara it was actually better there as we were now much closer to Victoria Park which we had passed on the Regents Canal.

We spent a couple of days there. To be honest I had had enough of London and was really looking forward to locking out of Limehouse on the Saturday. The boaters were lovely. Mostly young people, a lot of students and it had a bit of a Little Venice feel to it, albeit a little downmarket.

There is a lot of amazing graffiti in this area

These were all in the basin below Old Ford Lock

And these are just amazing.

They certainly brighten up life inTower Hamlets

And then I found a viewing platform to see the Olympic Park. 

 It originally looked as if they were still finishing it off........

But then it dawned on me that they were redeveloping it!!!!

So this is how they spend our taxes. They spend millions building sports complexes and roads for one event and then change it all for use by the general public. Am I missing the point here?

Surely it would be better to design something that could be used by both without having to spend millions changing it. Doh!

On the planned site of the Olympic Park was the last remaining salmon smokery in London. The owners apparently refused to be bought out by the developers and fought a compulsory purchase order.   

A Stratford salmon factory under threat from Olympic development has agreed a deal with the London Development Agency to relocate two hundred metres away

Nestled in an industrial corner of Stratford, H Forman & Son has supplied smoked salmon to London's top restaurants for more than 100 years.

Plans for Olympic development in the area had threatened to relocate the company, which employs around 50 people, much further away from Central London.

The design of the new factory

But the salmon supplier has struck a deal with the London Development Agency which means that its new site will be just two hundred metres away, in an area of Stratford known as 'Fish Island'.

The new factory will be shaped like a piece of salmon, with a roof looking like salmon skin. It will also include a delicatessen and a visitor's centre. Construction is expected to be completed by July 2007.

The cost of relocation is being shared between H Forman & Son and the London Development Agency (LDA).

It is apparently a very good restaurant as well.

But by Hackney Marshes, we found a wood !!!

And tomorrow we were bound for Limehouse. With high winds and a wet morning forecast, I moved the boat in the evening to a mooring in the basin below the lock.