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Draw Docks
The traditional method for unloading barges was simply to tie up to a Draw Dock and wait for the tide to go out. Barges could then be re-floated on the incoming tide. An example of this could be seen in photographs from Putney in the 1880's. Queenhithe was the dominant port in London from Saxon times, and this scene would have been common.
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Putney Embankment 1900 |
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Alchin's draw dock 1880 |
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Horse drawn carts
Heavy goods were unloaded onto horse drawn carts which were brought alongside the barges whilst the tide was out. The ease with which goods could be unloaded increased the possibility of tax evasion. Henry VIII commanded the Constable of the Tower of London to compel sea-going ships to use Queenhithe, to ensure that import duties were collected.
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Lightermen
International Trade grew rapidly in the Medieval and Tudor periods, and large sea going ships had to moor in deeper water. Lighters were used to transport goods to and from the shore. The opportunities for theft were enormous, and vast quantities of stolen goods were sold in the back streets of London.
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London Pool |
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Warehouses |
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Wharves
The Romans were probably the first to build solid wharves and warehouses on the banks of the Thames. The Norman period saw the growth of a merchant class, many of whom came from Bordeaux. They erected large warehouses and wharves in the area around Thames Street, especially for the importation of wine. Henry VIII, later in his reign, established around 20 legal quays, between the London Bridge and the Tower.
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West India Docks
In 1800, building began on the world's largest dock complex. When completed, the West India Import and Export Docks covered an area of 164 acres, including 62 acres of water, running east and west from Limehouse to Blackwall on the Isle of Dogs.
They were the first commercial wet docks built on the north side of the Thames, and were designed to take the trade from the Caribbean, and reduce the volume of shipping and theft which crowded in the Pool of London. Eleven huge warehouses were built on the northern side of the Import Dock capable of handling nearly a hundred thousand tons of flour, coffee, cocoa, sugar and spices, etc.
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West India Import Dock |
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A good read
Hounslow Central Library hold copies of The Home Counties Magazine. The commerce of the Thames, written by Francis E. Tyler in 1910, can be found in volume 12.
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Introduction
Wharves and docks
