The Pool of London
By VISCOUNT THE Pool of London, stretching eastward for some two miles below London Bridge, is one of the most historic reaches of the River Thames. 'Is very name may well be the oldest of place- lilsalhes in the City of London, for a considerable body of opinion holds the view that the first settle- illent in this area, of Celtic origin, was located on Blow hills north of the present site of London ,(18e, and that this settlement was called 'Llyn 'In' meaning 'the hill by the pool.' What is certain is that a gravel strip, which formed a useful ford across the river at this point, was the reason for the position of the settlement, and in ancient days, as in modern times, this site !'as a focal point for the City's travellers and ttraders. Thus it became the centre of maritime rtle and, as the port developed through the In occupation and beyond, ships engaged .,:foreign and coastwise trade congregated in _tuts area, at first anchoring in the stream or tying :13-to the banks, and later lying alongside the harllost wharves, of which Queenhithc (still exist- illg, on the north bank just above Southwark illge) is the first known to have been con- structed.
r, AI the end of the twelfth century Peter of ',,cl!oehurch started to build the first stone London ..„Or,tdge, not. far removed from the present site. Ms structure with its twenty arches was a serious 71).ediment to river traffic, and after its com- olettn in 1207 the trade began to expand eatillY eastward. „_l'n the seventeenth century an edict of the I'vernment of the day gave to the wharves on the north bank of the river between London Bridge and the Tower the status of 'Legal Quays,' where alone goods could be loaded or discharged. This legislation was introduced to obtain a measure of control over the collection of revenue, for the commercial progress of the Port had led to some congestion and, in consequence, the collection of customs duties was imperilled. The establishment of these Legal Quays once again concentrated shipping in this area.
Today the Port of London stretches up and down the river a distance of some sixty-nine miles, and includes the five systems of enclosed docks owned by the Port of London Authority. But the Pool remains, as it always has been, a busy centre of commerce. Geographically it stretches from London Bridge down river to the point where the magnificent tower of Hawks- moor's Church, St. Anne's, Limehouse, marks the beginning of Limehouse Reach. It is divided into the Upper Pool, lying between London Bridge and Wapping, and the Lower Pool farther to the east.
It is, therefore, only a part of the Upper Pool whose northern shore lies within the boundaries of the City, but this small section of the river is at the very heart of the Port.
A visitor standing on London Bridge, and look- ing east, will get a splendid view of the historic scene. On the immediate left his eye is attracted to the Monument recalling the Great Fire of London in 1666. Near by, the spire of St. Magnus the Martyr still rests on the archway through "Chairman, Port of London Authority. which Londoners approached a forerunner of the present London Bridge. Farther down, still on the north bank, stands Billingsgate Market, con- juring up a picture. of early days when London's fish supplies were brought up the great river by ship. Beyond that the Custom House, standing behind its tree-lined quay, evokes memories of Geoffrey Chaucer, although the building is, of course, of a much later date, the present structure having been erected early in the nineteenth century. Still farther eastward can be seen the ancient church of All Hallows Barking-by-the- Tower, and finally the Tower of London itself.
Looking down, the visitor will see, lying along- side wharves or moored in the river, ships of up to nearly 8,000 tons, of several nationalities, which are regular visitors to the Pool, and the Custom House Pier, known as the 'Harpy,' from which HM Customs launches sail to visit ships in port, a reminder of the vigilance still necessary to protect the revenue in these modern times. On the south bank, in Bermondsey, are other wharves, some with three centuries of history behind them, where ships today bring produce from Holland, Denmark and Poland, The eastward boundary of the City is marked by the famous Tower Bridge dating from 1894, constructed and maintained by the Corporation of the City of London. On a signal given by an ap- proaching ship the bascules are raised, thus allow- ing ocean-going vessels to continue to use the wharves tip to London Bridge.
Almost behind the graceful spire of All Hallows Church, destroyed by an accident in 1651 and recently restored through the generosity of friends of the church, can be seen the tower of the Port of London Authority building. It is fitting that the head office of the authority which controls the whole Port and the River Thames from Ted- dington to the sea should have been built so close to the place where it all started, even though the Pool is now but a small part of a vast and complex organisation upon the smooth working of which not only Londoners but the people of this country depend for their wellbeing.
There is also to be seen from London Bridge a vast traffic passing through the Pool. Small coasters and 'flat-iron' colliers, specially con- structed to navigate under London Bridge and the many fixed bridges above it, pass to and fro, serving up-river wharves, gas works and power stations. Here, too, pass a continuous stream of tugs and barges, part of the great fleet of 7,000 or more which make London one of the great lighterage ports of the world.
Sometimes a visitor may see, moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, the gleaming grey hull of a warship. Visiting warships, both British and foreign, are commonly moored in Battle Bridge Tier, named after the monks of Battle Abbey who once owned property in this area. Among recent visitors to this mooring have been Her Majesty's Royal Yacht Britannia.
The Pool is also familiar to many thousands of tourists and pleasure-seekers. During the sum- mer months vessels sail from Tower Pier to the coastal resorts of Essex and Thanet, and, in recent years, to the near Continent as well. In addition, smaller craft ply down-river to Greenwich and up-river to Westminster and beyond, while the Port Authority operates cruises from here to the Royal Docks which annually attract thousands of visitors including many parties of school- children, who thus learn at first hand something of the Port which has done so much to make London great. It is altogether fitting that they should start their journey from the Pool of Lon" don, the birthplace of London's trade.
Previous page
