Greenwich Steam Ferry
The ferry crossed the River Thames between Greenwich and North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs. It was unusual in that it followed early American practice of using trolleys to run up and down to the landing stage, and the landing stage would position itself on the water's edge according the ebb and flow of the tide.
The mechanics of this proved costly to build and maintain and in a few years the owners were eager to sell it. However it survived until the Woolwich Ferry, Blackwall Tunnel and Greenwich foot tunnel finally sealed its fate. The brief history was researched by the author and facts taken from periodicals and the press at the time.
It is documented that have been ferries from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs from the earliest times, certainly from the 1330's. Exactly where the sites at which different ferry services ran and how these locations varied however is not well documented.
One of the Potters Ferry's crossed from Billingsgate St, Greenwich adjacent to the where the foot tunnel was built, to the northern shore at the approximate location of the termination of Ferry Street. This is shown on a 1695 survey map. Potters were a company that run many of the ferries in East London.
It is reported that there are legal records of transfers of ownership of these various ferries dating back to at least 1570.
At Greenwich the difference in high and low tides was 21 feet at this time, it is 24ft today.
Until 1800 very few people lived on the Isle of Dogs, as it was open windswept pastureland. On the west side of the Island stood windmills, which gave the place name Millwall.
With the cutting of the docks came prosperity and the Isle became populated with industry, including a rope works, iron works and a chain works.
Pepys’ diary tells of a ferry at Greenwich that was capable, in favourable conditions, of transferring horses and carriages across the Thames. In 1762, the right was granted to the watermen of Greenwich to provide passage for men horses, beasts, and all other cattle and carriages whatsoever.
In 1796 a plan was launched to straighten the Thames. This was rejected by Parliament as being too much of an engineering feat. It would have cut a straight line across the Isle of Dogs making that place "South of the River".
The ferry was important not only for Greenwich but also the southern part of the Isle of Dogs. In 1812-15, two major roads were built from the docks to the ferry. These became the East Ferry and West Ferry roads and they speeded up the development of the whole Isle of Dogs.
Horseferry
In 1812 an Act of Parliament was passed creating a statutory ferry for horses and vehicles and it is around this time that Horseferry Road (now Place) first appears on maps. The end of Horseferry Rd must have run directly onto the sandy foreshore so that regardless of the state of the tide a horse and carriage could be driven onto the ferry boat. The Horseferry continued to operate from this site until the Metropolitan Board of Works Act of 1883 closed it. Prior to the steam ferry it cost 2p to be rowed across the river.
The Horseferry Public House was named the Unicorn prior to the appearance of the ferry. It changed its name in 1888.
The mechanics of this proved costly to build and maintain and in a few years the owners were eager to sell it. However it survived until the Woolwich Ferry, Blackwall Tunnel and Greenwich foot tunnel finally sealed its fate. The brief history was researched by the author and facts taken from periodicals and the press at the time.
It is documented that have been ferries from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs from the earliest times, certainly from the 1330's. Exactly where the sites at which different ferry services ran and how these locations varied however is not well documented.
One of the Potters Ferry's crossed from Billingsgate St, Greenwich adjacent to the where the foot tunnel was built, to the northern shore at the approximate location of the termination of Ferry Street. This is shown on a 1695 survey map. Potters were a company that run many of the ferries in East London.
It is reported that there are legal records of transfers of ownership of these various ferries dating back to at least 1570.
At Greenwich the difference in high and low tides was 21 feet at this time, it is 24ft today.
Until 1800 very few people lived on the Isle of Dogs, as it was open windswept pastureland. On the west side of the Island stood windmills, which gave the place name Millwall.
With the cutting of the docks came prosperity and the Isle became populated with industry, including a rope works, iron works and a chain works.
Pepys’ diary tells of a ferry at Greenwich that was capable, in favourable conditions, of transferring horses and carriages across the Thames. In 1762, the right was granted to the watermen of Greenwich to provide passage for men horses, beasts, and all other cattle and carriages whatsoever.
In 1796 a plan was launched to straighten the Thames. This was rejected by Parliament as being too much of an engineering feat. It would have cut a straight line across the Isle of Dogs making that place "South of the River".
The ferry was important not only for Greenwich but also the southern part of the Isle of Dogs. In 1812-15, two major roads were built from the docks to the ferry. These became the East Ferry and West Ferry roads and they speeded up the development of the whole Isle of Dogs.
Horseferry
In 1812 an Act of Parliament was passed creating a statutory ferry for horses and vehicles and it is around this time that Horseferry Road (now Place) first appears on maps. The end of Horseferry Rd must have run directly onto the sandy foreshore so that regardless of the state of the tide a horse and carriage could be driven onto the ferry boat. The Horseferry continued to operate from this site until the Metropolitan Board of Works Act of 1883 closed it. Prior to the steam ferry it cost 2p to be rowed across the river.
The Horseferry Public House was named the Unicorn prior to the appearance of the ferry. It changed its name in 1888.
Isle of Dogs railway
On July 27th 1872 a branch line opened from the Fenchurch St- Blackwall Railway to North Greenwich, the Millwall Extension Railway. This terminated just across the river from Greenwich in what is now known as Island Gardens. (There had been a railway south of the river, in Greenwich since 1838). The station was opened as “North Greenwich and Cubitt Town” this was later shortened to North Greenwich.
The Potters Ferry, originally ran from Ferry Rd to Billingsgate St, Greenwich. They leased their rights to the Great Eastern Railway. In 1874 the GE introduced a foot ferry using a small paddle steamer called the “Rifleman” which ran every 20 minutes. This ran from Johnson’s Public Draw Dock (Island Gardens) to a point near where Cutty Sark is now.
GREENWICH STEAM FERRY
Purpose of the ferry
Because of the high rise and fall of the tide, some 20ft, and the extreme slope of the shore, embarking and disembarking was an inevitable a “wet foot” experience. The principle was to enable a smooth transfer of passengers, horses, carriages and even railway trucks onto a ferry steamer whatever the state of the tide. The mechanics of the ferry loading would enable this.
There was a serious need for a vehicular ferry, more robust than the horse ferry, at a point up river from Woolwich. Sir Frederick Bramwell, President of the Institute of Civil Engineers told the Metropolitan Board of Works that this was an urgent necessity, he had studied ferry practice in the USA and it was possible.
The Arsenal at Woolwich lobbied, as they had to transport munitions from Woolwich via London Bridge to Albert Dock. However by the mid 1880’s approval had been given for a Woolwich Ferry, which started in 1889.
On 26th February 1886 a proposal was approved by the MBOW.
The 13th of February 1888 saw the opening of by far the most ambitious and mechanically daring ferry operation system ever to be seen on the River Thames. This had been first employed in the USA. It is a truly remarkable testament to the ambitions of the late 19th century engineering skills.
However the completion of the works for the ferry was delayed by 3 serious setbacks.
The death of the first contractor, the failure of the second and the death of the engineer.
Because of the high rise and fall of the tide, some 20ft, and the extreme slope of the shore, embarking and disembarking was an inevitable a “wet foot” experience. The principle was to enable a smooth transfer of passengers, horses, carriages and even railway trucks onto a ferry steamer whatever the state of the tide. The mechanics of the ferry loading would enable this.
There was a serious need for a vehicular ferry, more robust than the horse ferry, at a point up river from Woolwich. Sir Frederick Bramwell, President of the Institute of Civil Engineers told the Metropolitan Board of Works that this was an urgent necessity, he had studied ferry practice in the USA and it was possible.
The Arsenal at Woolwich lobbied, as they had to transport munitions from Woolwich via London Bridge to Albert Dock. However by the mid 1880’s approval had been given for a Woolwich Ferry, which started in 1889.
On 26th February 1886 a proposal was approved by the MBOW.
The 13th of February 1888 saw the opening of by far the most ambitious and mechanically daring ferry operation system ever to be seen on the River Thames. This had been first employed in the USA. It is a truly remarkable testament to the ambitions of the late 19th century engineering skills.
However the completion of the works for the ferry was delayed by 3 serious setbacks.
The death of the first contractor, the failure of the second and the death of the engineer.
The Ferry
The Launch
On Monday 13th of February 1888, from the works of Steward and Latham at Britannia Yard, Millwall, was launched the first of the Steam Ferries that were to ply across the waters from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs. The ceremony was performed by Countess de la Warr (a woman’s right campaigner and suffragette), with Admiral Sir Edward Inglefield, Chairman of the Steam Ferry Company, who died 1894, a freemason of Dury Lane Lodge.
The Boat the “Countess of Lathom” glided into the water amid cheers and the sound of Rule Britannia. A second boat was named the Countess of Zetland (this ferry apparently went to Germany at the end of its service). The ferries were named after socially aware, nobility.
The Boats.
They were shaped like a “spoon” at both ends and were able to work to and fro with out turning. The ferry was very large for the time, about same size as Woolwich ferry is today and carried 16 plus vehicles and 200 foot passengers or 1300 foot passengers. It had provision for railway wagons. The ferries themselves were technologically very advanced being double-ended with steam driven twin screws at each end, that is 4 propellers on 4 separate engines to give manoeuvrability. The ferries had a rudder at each end. Trimming tanks allowed the boats to be exactly aligned with the land stage. The sides or bulwarks of the ferry were hydraulically lowered to connect with the platforms.
Details from the “Engineer” is as follows.
The ferry has a 466 tons displacement, divided by bulkheads, 8 athwart the ship and 3 longitudinal, there is no keel and the size is 120ft by 40ft with a 6.5ft draught.
The deck is 60ft by 36ft and holds 1300 passengers. Each of the steamers has captain’s bridges, steering wheel and telegraphs at each end.
The motion is by two screw propellers at each end and the ships can be turned in their own length. Two sets of compound surface condensing engines of 300hp with high pressure 16.5” diameter and low pressure 33” with a 24” stroke. The cylinders are lined with cast steel liners.
The propellers are 6ft diameter of cast steel with iron guards. A balance rudder of 6ft by 6ft is at each end and controlled by steam steering gear. each ship carries 25 tones of coal.
Two more sets of engines are for air and circulating pumps and a set for the hydraulic mechanism and two pumping engines to supply the boilers with water.
The bulwarks or landing ramps are hydraulic and fed by the above machinery.
On Monday 13th of February 1888, from the works of Steward and Latham at Britannia Yard, Millwall, was launched the first of the Steam Ferries that were to ply across the waters from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs. The ceremony was performed by Countess de la Warr (a woman’s right campaigner and suffragette), with Admiral Sir Edward Inglefield, Chairman of the Steam Ferry Company, who died 1894, a freemason of Dury Lane Lodge.
The Boat the “Countess of Lathom” glided into the water amid cheers and the sound of Rule Britannia. A second boat was named the Countess of Zetland (this ferry apparently went to Germany at the end of its service). The ferries were named after socially aware, nobility.
The Boats.
They were shaped like a “spoon” at both ends and were able to work to and fro with out turning. The ferry was very large for the time, about same size as Woolwich ferry is today and carried 16 plus vehicles and 200 foot passengers or 1300 foot passengers. It had provision for railway wagons. The ferries themselves were technologically very advanced being double-ended with steam driven twin screws at each end, that is 4 propellers on 4 separate engines to give manoeuvrability. The ferries had a rudder at each end. Trimming tanks allowed the boats to be exactly aligned with the land stage. The sides or bulwarks of the ferry were hydraulically lowered to connect with the platforms.
Details from the “Engineer” is as follows.
The ferry has a 466 tons displacement, divided by bulkheads, 8 athwart the ship and 3 longitudinal, there is no keel and the size is 120ft by 40ft with a 6.5ft draught.
The deck is 60ft by 36ft and holds 1300 passengers. Each of the steamers has captain’s bridges, steering wheel and telegraphs at each end.
The motion is by two screw propellers at each end and the ships can be turned in their own length. Two sets of compound surface condensing engines of 300hp with high pressure 16.5” diameter and low pressure 33” with a 24” stroke. The cylinders are lined with cast steel liners.
The propellers are 6ft diameter of cast steel with iron guards. A balance rudder of 6ft by 6ft is at each end and controlled by steam steering gear. each ship carries 25 tones of coal.
Two more sets of engines are for air and circulating pumps and a set for the hydraulic mechanism and two pumping engines to supply the boilers with water.
The bulwarks or landing ramps are hydraulic and fed by the above machinery.
