The Thames and its docks

by Alexander Forrow

The first of these schemes, to which I would invite your attention, is what was known as Mr. Ogle’s scheme. Mr. Ogle was a wealthy ship broker and ship’s-husband. He was also Chairman of the Committee of Proprietors, Lessees, and Wharfingers of the Legal Quays, and, without doubt, one of the most intelligent and able men of his party. It is a fact, which should always be borne in mind, that the scheme submitted by this gentleman—who was, of course, deeply interested in getting it adopted—was the only plan before the public based on the theory that the river could be so deepened, and otherwise improved, as to answer the purposes of the commerce of the port. All the other plans were founded on the one general principle of the necessity of docks or recesses being made out of, and clear from, the channel of the river. I lay particular stress upon this fact, because it is the practice in some quarters to regard the origin of the docks of London as exhibiting something like an act of grace on the part of the wharf proprietors, and only tolerated by them on conditions from which the Dock Companies in a spirit of doubtful faith would now gladly be absolved. But I think I have already said enough to prove that no view of the question could be less in harmony with the facts. The docks of London were started, in the first instance, not so much as a profitable speculation to investors, as a response to an urgent national demand which the vested interests in the old order of things were no longer able to resist; not so much in a spirit of competition with the wharves, as the only means of saving the commerce of the port from utter ruin; not so much as wealthy grasping corporations, who, finding they have made a bad bargain, now wish to draw out of it, as the pioneers of the marvellous prosperity of the port, if not its founders, its liberators. Certainly, without its docks, the London of to-day would have been an impossibility; but of this I shall speak more fully presently.

Mr. Ogle, whose plan is before you (see Appendix [A]), proposed to deepen the river, extend and improve the Legal Quays, and to increase the number of mooring chains. He further proposed that the moorings should be appropriated in proportion to the claims of the several classes of commerce, and that harbour masters should be appointed to see that vessels took up their proper position as they came up the river. The different colours on the plan represent the moorings. It was, however, the opinion of nine-tenths of the practical men of the port that under no scheme would it be possible so to improve the river and extend the Legal Quays as to obviate the necessity for wet docks.

The next scheme to which I would ask your attention was known as the Merchants’ Plan of Docks at Wapping (see Appendix [B]). The desirability of having goods landed as near the City as possible is, of course, obvious. As a natural consequence, all the schemes for docks at Wapping were warmly supported by the City. The dock here represented was to be 39 acres in extent, with a smaller one of 2 acres for the accommodation of lighters. One of the entrances was to be by a canal 22 feet deep, 170 feet wide, and 2¾ miles in length, and navigable for ships of 300 tons: and, as you will see, communicating with the river immediately above Perry’s Dock, at Blackwall. The object of this canal was, of course, to avoid the circuitous and dangerous navigation round the Isle of Dogs, which was always a great difficulty with the early dock engineers. To get from the Pool to Blackwall when ‘kedging’ was the only means of getting a vessel along, sometimes occupied fourteen days, and it was felt that no scheme would be satisfactory which did not in some way enable vessels to avoid this obstinate bend in the river. The line taken by this canal was, as nearly as possible, that now occupied by the Commercial Road. This scheme was estimated to cost £1,000,000. While this plan is before you, I wish to call your attention to a small canal known as the ‘Bromley Cut,’ connecting the River Lea with the Thames at Limehouse. It is not generally known that this Cut was commenced so early as the reign of Elizabeth, in the year 1571. Before this Cut was made, the connection of the traffic on the Lea with the City was most difficult, inasmuch as barges had to leave the mouth of that river at Blackwall, and wind their way round the Isle of Dogs—a most hazardous undertaking. All this was obviated by the now despised and unsavoury Cut. This system of docks, although not accepted, was the basis of the existing London Docks.

The third plan was known as the ‘Corporation Scheme’ (see Appendix [C]). This scheme, with the munificence which distinguishes every undertaking of the Corporation of London, was at once the most extensive and expensive of the many schemes which engaged public attention. The Corporation proposed to excavate one dock in the Isle of Dogs of 102 acres, and another at Rotherhithe of the same extent, with a canal to Vauxhall. They further proposed to extend the frontage of the Legal Quays by the acquisition of Billingsgate, and to provide for the construction of slips for the accommodation of lighters. They also intended largely to increase the warehouse space, by arching over the quays and constructing warehouses on them.

This plan (see Appendix [D]) represents what was known as Mr. Wyatt’s Scheme. Mr. Wyatt was an eminent architect and civil engineer. His plan of docks in the Isle of Dogs was, as you will observe, very extensive—so extensive that, although the price of land in the island was then only £5 per acre—indeed the whole of the island might have been purchased for £10,000—and labour was cheap, the estimated outlay was nearly £900,000. The water space afforded by the docks and basins proposed by Mr. Wyatt would have been upwards of 200 acres; and in view of the vast increase in the commerce of the port, and the present great cost of dock extensions, one cannot but regret that some modification of this scheme was not adopted.

This plan of docks at Rotherhithe (see Appendix [E]), designed by Mr. Cracklow, a surveyor, and which bears some slight resemblance to the network of docks constituting the Surrey Commercial system, was known as the ‘Southwark Plan,’ and included a canal opening to the Thames at Bankside, above London Bridge. These docks, principally intended for colliers, timber ships, and vessels for sale, were the most inexpensive of the many schemes proposed, the estimated outlay being only £300,000.

These docks at Wapping (see Appendix [F]) were proposed by Mr. Walker, a wealthy shipmaster and Jamaica planter. The docks here shown included a water space of 55 acres, leaving 35 acres for quays and warehouses. You will observe that Mr. Walker also proposed a canal similar to that suggested by the Merchants’ Plan, but taking lower ground near the river. Besides the access to this dock afforded by the canal, Mr. Walker proposed two others: one at a little bay known as ‘Hermitage Dock,’ and the second at a place called ‘Pellican Stairs.’ His scheme also included a dock in the Isle of Dogs for timber-ships, reaching across the island by what was known as ‘Poplar Gut,’ a large piece of swamp or boggy ground at the Limehouse side of the island, and now absorbed by the West India Docks. The total cost of this great scheme was estimated at £880,000. This plan of docks was very warmly supported by the Brethren of the Trinity House, who alleged that it furnished every requisite for the accommodation of the trade of the port and the proper navigation of the river; and I am sure that those of my hearers who would like to see a dock of 55 acres at Wapping, will agree with me in expressing regret that this scheme was not carried out.

This plan (see Appendix [G]) represents a scheme for docks proposed by Mr. Spence, a maritime surveyor to the Admiralty. He proposed to divide the shipping of the port into twelve different classes, each class to have a separate dock for its accommodation. He proposed that six of these docks should be 600 feet square, the other six being 400 feet, connected with each other on the plan of the docks at Liverpool. As you will see by this plan, Mr. Spence suggested two alternative sites for these docks. There cannot be a doubt that, had the principle here indicated of localising the warehousing of the various classes of merchandise been more fully carried out, the working of goods would have been more efficient, more economical, and more satisfactory in every way to both merchant and Dock Company. In the monopolies granted to the earlier Dock Companies, the Government seem to have made an attempt in this direction; but it is to be feared that the spirit of competition and the morbid jealousy of anything tending to a monopoly will always be a barrier to any extended application of this principle, however much it might be the interest of the public to promote it. The docks proposed by Mr. Spence were estimated to cost £500,000.

The last, but by no means the least interesting, of these rejected dock schemes to which I shall invite your attention, consists of four alternative plans proposed by Mr. Willey Reveley, an engineer and architect. You will observe by the plan before you (1), that Mr. Reveley proposed (see Appendix [H]), by a bold stroke, at once to demolish the Isle of Dogs, as an impediment to the navigation of the river, by cutting a channel straight through it from Limehouse to Blackwall; leaving the long reach round the island as a magnificent dock of 434 acres, with flood-gates at each entrance to the new course of the river.

Under the second scheme proposed by him (see Appendix [I]), Mr. Reveley, as you will observe by this plan, suggested the cutting of a new channel for the river, inclining towards Woolwich Reach below Blackwall, so as to convert the upper bend of the river by Perry’s Dock into a second dock, thus securing for the two docks a water space of 524 acres.