THE DOCKLAND MEMORY IN ROTHERHITHE

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The dockland memory in Rotherhithe Shintaro Kurihara

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About this project This project aims to explore the dockland hidden history in Rotherhithe. Rotherhithe, the South East London, was the old commercial dock area

building café for me. The place, however, more attracted me when I saw one archive picture in the local library. The experience was the starting point.

from 17C. So, the representativeness of This book is the output of my research the economic activity and resident’s life and fieldwork from April to July in are focused in this photo project. 2013. One old picture of the cafe where I ofup the map, go out into the city, and walk the ten visit inspired me to explore Rother- “Pick circle, keeping as close as you can to the curve. Rehithe. The café was called Watch House cord the experience as you go, in whatever medium you favour: film, photograph, manuscript, tape”. cafe. It was used as the watch house to by Guy Debort, Psychogeographer observe for preventing body snatchers from digging a grave since 1821. Before knowing the fact, it was just a unique 2


INDEX Map 4-5 Rotherhithe Street 6-7 Hope Wharf 8-9 The Angle Pub 10-11 Grice’s Granary/Sands Film 12-15 Watch House 16-17 St. Marychurch 18-19 St. Mary Rotherhithe 20-21 Brunel Tunnel Pump House 22-23 Thames Tunnel Mills 24-27 The Mayflower Pub 28-29 Elephant Lane 30-31 The Rolling Lift Bridge 32-33 River Thames riverscape 34-35

East India Wharf 36-37 Rotherhithe riverscape 38-39 Church Stairs 40-41 The Crane in Finland Berth 42-43 Entrance of Surrey Dock 44-45 The visible dockland memories 46-47 Surrey Commercial Dock 48-51 Filled Surrey Commercial Dock 52-55 Dock Office 56-57 Reference 58

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Rotherhithe It was derived from the Anglo-Saxon “Sailors’ Haven”. Rotherhithe was renowned the shipbuilding and dockland since 17C.

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1894

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Rotherhithe Street 1981 The entrance of Rotherhithe Village 6


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Hope Wharf 1979 “The site of this late nineteenth-century warehouse was occupied by J Goddard’s open coal wharf and depot in the 1850s.”


Hope Wharf was converted into a flat after the dockland closure in 1980s.

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The Angle Pub 1980s


In 1620 “ Christopher Jones, captain of the Mayflower, have hired crew here�. The sailors used to access this pub from their ship directly.

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Grice’s Granary 12


Sands Film Studio This old warehouse has been in use since 1780. A film adaptation of “Little Dorrit�, a story based on the book by the famous Charles Dickens, was produced here.

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Grice’s Granary

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Sands Film Studio

Rotherhithe Picture Research Library in Sands Film Studio

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Watch House 1976 This small building called ‘Watch House’ in front of St. Marychurch. It was used for observing to prevent grave robbers from digging up bodies since 1821. 16


Watch House Cafe It reopened as a cafe in 2012.

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St. Marychurch 1901

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Christopher Jones, captain of the Mayflower, was buried in this cemetery.

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1925

St. Mary Rotherhithe (Charity school) 1981 20


“Free school founded by Peter Hill and Robert Bell in1613. Charity school instituted removed here supported by voluntary contributions.�

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Brunel Tunnel Pump House 1981 22


The oldest tunnel under the river was completed in 1843 for connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping.

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Thames Tunnel Mills on Rotherhithe Street

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Thames Tunnel Mills 1981 26


“This is a listed mid 19th century former mill building and warehouse. It is one of the earliest warehouse residential conversions in Docklands.�

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The Mayflower Pub 1972

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The Myflower set sail to America from here in 1620. 29


Elephant Lane 1937

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Elephant Lane 1981


After WW2, the landscape of Elephant Lane was changed dynamically.

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The Rolling Lift Bridge over the entrance of the old Surrey Docks 1977 32


Many ships passed under the bridge until 1980s. It seems to work, but it’s already no function.

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River Thames riverscape

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East India Wharf 1963

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There is no ship any more without leisure boats. The atmosphere of the dockland, however, is still existing. 37


Rotherhithe riverscape 1937 38


There are many historical buildings that were used as the warehouse. After the renovation, these are used as luxury flats now. 39


Church Stairs 40


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The Crane in Finland Berth 1957

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The monument without the function.

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Entrance of Surrey Commercial Dock 1976 44


No ship is waiting to enter the dock any more.

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The visible dockland memories


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Surrey Commercial Dock 1919 48


The half of Canada dock was filled and redeveloped as the shopping centre. 49


Surrey Commercial Dock 1976 50


The dockland is used as a marina. 51


Filled Surrey Commercial Dock 1978

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According to the old map, above 50% dock pools and canals were filled.

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Surrey Commercial Dock 1976 54


A lot of houses were built in the filled-up land. 55


Dock Office Former dock managers office 56


It is used for a college of further education. 57


Reference •Archive picture Ellmers, C., Werner, A. (1988) London’s Lost Riverscape. London: Viking. (p.38 of this book) John Harvard Library (p8, p38 of this book) Rotherhithe Picture Research Library (Every B/W pictures except p8, p38 of this book) •Reference Coverley, M. (2008) Psychogeography. Harpenden: POCKET ESSENTIALS. Roberts, M., Farley P. (2011) Edgelands. London: Randam House. Rankin Stuart. (2005) Maritime Rotherhithe. London: Southwark Council. [Map.5] •Movie version DOCKLAND MEMORY IN ROTHERHITHE (http://youtu.be/mZ65wAhUt4A) 58


Last updated. 1 August 2013

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