Description
Either side of the original lock entrance at the Pier Head at Wapping are fine Georgian houses that were built for officials of the London Docks Company in 1811-13, designed by Daniel Asher Alexander. The locks were too small for ships then in use by the 1930s and in 1963 the London Docks closed. Today the houses are fronted by pleasant riverside gardens, railed with grass and mature trees, which were created after the Pierhead was infilled.
Practical Information
| Site location | Wapping Pierhead, Wapping High Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E1 |
| What3Words | ///scrap.rugs.locked |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private, but visible from street |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Wapping. Bus: D3 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2003 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The entrance to the lock here was designed by John Rennie, engineer, and opened in 1805. The London Docks Company specialised in handling goods in the wine and spirit trade and by 1925 the Port of London Authority that owned the London Docks handled over 9m gallons of imported wine. It was reputedly at Wapping Old Steps that Judge Jeffries was caught trying to escape to France after James II abdicated. By the 1930s the locks were too small for the ships then in use and the Wapping entrance lock was filled in during the 1960s, the London Docks closing in 1963. By 1969 the London Docks had been built over and properties such as these had become highly desirable residences. Today the houses are fronted by pleasant private gardens, railed and with grass and mature trees.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ345800 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1811-13; 1960s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 1-4 Pierhead, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 45 Pierhead |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Tower Hamlets |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Wapping Pierhead |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
St John the Evangelist was built as a chapel of ease to St Dunstan's parish church of Stepney in 1617, and became the parish church of Wapping in 1694. The church was destroyed apart from its tower in WWII and the the former churchyard is now a small public garden. Two chest tombs remain in the garden, with headstones set against the west wall.
Formerly known as Wapping Recreation Ground, this was one of the earliest applications under the provisions of the 'Artizans, and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Act' of 1875. The gardens were formed on the site of slum clearance in 1886 and were laid by the Metropolitan Board of Works. They were opened to the public on 8th June 1891. Wapping Gardens today have a fountain and playground, with perimeter planting of shrubs and a number of fine plane trees.
King's Stairs Gardens were added to LB Southwark's public open space in the 1980s to the north of Southwark Park on reclaimed building land. The riverside park gets its name from King Edward III who used the stairs to access his manor house on Bermondsey Wall East. The park has lawns and steeply undulating hillocks with fine views over the river, and scattered trees include London plane. On the riverside promenade an obelisk was unveiled on 5 July 2002 by the Duke and Countess of Wessex in commemoration of the Queen's Jubilee.
