Julia, our London greeter meets us outside the Welcome Centre at the Tower of London. After a couple of days retracing our path around London’s popular tourist spots, we are looking forward to seeing a little of the hidden London reserved for those who dare to look for more.
St Katharine Dock
Along the Thames end of the Tower following the path around the corner, there is our first surprise: a marina full of all types of sailing vessels encircled by a mixture of old and new buildings. Just minutes from central London and we feel like we are in a completely different world.
Newer sailing vessels line up behind an older ship and we watch as the shipmaster shouts instructions to his shipmates as he carefully guides his charge through the lock into the River Thames.
After walking back and forth over small footbridges around the marina we arrive at the pride and joy of the marina. The Gloriana is the British Royal barge commissioned for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The regal rowing barge is based at the Dock and kept in pristine working order ready to make an appearance on the river at the drop of a hat. And, in the summer months, Gloriana sometimes sails up and down the Thames albeit powered by its onboard motors.
Wapping
Further along from the Dock, we pass stately Georgian and Edwardian homes sitting on the banks of River then enter the narrower paths. This is Wapping.
A passageway leads us to the old stairs leading down to the River at the rear of the Town of Ramsgate pub, one of the oldest pubs in London. Julia recounts stories from the past of east London while we sit on the stairs to admire the views up, down and across the River.
Wapping was once a pretty rough part of town. This is where ships arrived from all parts of the world to unload their cargo and thieves and petty criminals hung hoping for a bit of luck. Most were unlucky ending up at the gallows for their efforts. The area is known for its Execution Dock, where these thieves and criminals along with mutineers and pirates met their end. One of the most famous in history is Scottish Captain William Kidd, whose life and times are now portrayed in literature, film and music.
There is more to see. Walking further along, there are memories of the past all around us that we would not have noticed had our attention not been drawn to them. Many of the old warehouses which used to store tobacco, rice and wine have now been converted into upmarket apartments and houses or eating establishments and cafes. Their facades still hold remnants of their historic past lives.
St Johns Old School with its two distinctive statues standing above the doorways indicating separate entrances into the school for boys and girls stands opposite the old St John’s Churchyard. The school building dates back to the mid-1700s. Little remains of the churchyard today. Instead, it has given way to become a leafy garden with park benches on which to sit and appreciate the school building. The building is no longer used for the purpose it was built for. It is now a private residence and the two statues are replicas with the originals stored safely away.
Wapping was and is home to many old pubs and one of them, Turner’s Old Star, has a story behind it. The pub was originally two homes inherited by the artist Joseph William Turner (William Turner). He converted them into a tavern named The Old Star and ensconced one of his mistresses in there to run it. To ensure his anonymity he went as far as assuming her surname “Booth” and soon became known in the area as “Puggy Booth” because of his short height and plumpness. The “Old Star” was refurbished in 1987 and renamed “Turner’s Old Star” in Turner’s honour.
A beautiful stroll along the Ornamental Canal leads us back to where it all started past the picturesque Dickens Inn to finally stop at the two elephants which stand on the pillars of the gate outside the only original warehouse standing in St Katharine Dock, Ivory House and convey our gratitude and say our goodbyes to Julia.
We turn back to re-enter the Dock. It’s lunchtime and there are a myriad of cafes, restaurants and pubs to choose from.
