Subtitles available under video via CC button. Series Soundtrack available at yeththar.bandcamp.com/follow_me. Watch #LondonDistricts on TV @ Sky 117, Freeview 8, Virgin Media 159 and YouView 8 via London Live.
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Wapping is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets within what is known as the Docklands. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames sandwiched between the City and Shadwell and opposes Rotherhithe and Bermondsey over the river to the south.
The presence of the Thames has defined this area’s strong correlation with all things Maritime; it has long been occupied by boat builders, mast makers, sailors, instrument manufacturers and purveyors of alcohol; all trades associated with seafarers.
Wapping’s association with seafarers is preserved through its riverside public houses and steps. These stairs each have names such as the Wapping Stairs, and the Pelican Stairs found at the ends of narrow alleyways in between buildings. They lead directly down to the riverbed and also unveil the most famous part of Wapping, Execution Dock.
The Admiralty had jurisdiction over crimes exclusively at sea for 400 years. Prisoners would often be executed in groups after being paraded over London Bridge, pass the Tower of London, towards Execution Dock. It's where the infamous pirate Captain Kidd clumsily lost his life in 1701 over his antics.
They marched him in front of crowds of people through the city to hang him gruesomely on the gibbet. After they let him swing from the noose, it snapped and he fell into the muddy bank alive so they roped him back up and hung him again. When he finally stopped breathing, they simply left him swinging. After being submerged by three tides, his dead body was completely black and bloated. This then became tradition.
It is because of the area’s tidal or littoral zone that there is public access to flotsam and jetsam where amateur and professional archaeologists come and unearth relics of the past hitherto hidden for centuries by the murkiness of the Thames and it’s muddy banks.
The Prospect of Whitby is well-documented as London’s oldest riverside pub since Henry the eighth‘s reign during the mid-16th century. As you can see, it still has a flagstone floor, pewter-topped bar and beams line every ceiling. The history often overshadows the food here, which has seen plenty of legendary patrons since 1520. All the usuals are on offer; fish and chips, steak and ale pie... but the quality is just better than your average.
It was also the new site of Rupert Murdoch’s £80 million 'News International' printing and publishing works of 1986. There were violent protests and clashes with the police here after over 5000 print workers were sacked due to the introduction of computers which made their roles obsolete.
Originally built in the 19th century to store tobacco from the New World, this multi-storey warehouse, Tobacco Dock, is now an events venue, complete with an outdoor space and its own pirate ships. It's leading the way for the new, vibrant Wapping bringing wine & gin fairs, tattoo conventions, meat weekends, all-night raves and cultural festivals.
St Katharine Dock was primarily a marina from 1828 handling luxury goods like rum, tea, spices and wine. It's the only central London marina. Nowadays, it is better served by yachts and old barges and its waterside walkways link offices, luxury homes, bars, eateries and shops. One of it's main being the well-known Dickens Inn. Head here on a Friday for a food market covering almost every desired cuisine between £5 and £8 with generous portion sizes.
3 авг 2019
