50-719: The Brunel Museum is a small museum situated at the Brunel Engine House , Rotherhithe , London Borough of Southwark . The Engine House was designed by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel as part of the infrastructure of the Thames Tunnel which opened in 1843 and was the first tunnel to be built under a navigable river anywhere in the world. It comprises the Engine House and the Tunnel Shaft, with rooftop garden. Isambard Kingdom Brunel worked with his father on
100-522: A sauna , mostly linked closely to the churches. Some of the redeveloped areas were built by Nordic architects, such as the Greenland Passage development by Danish Company Kjær & Richter . This gives some areas a distinctly "Nordic" feel in terms of house and street design. The relationship with Scandinavia and the Baltic is also reflected in the names of some of the buildings (such as
150-542: A cafe and improved toilet facilities. With the closure of the East London Line in December 2007 for extensive upgrading, the museum hoped that the access shaft into the tunnel (originally built to be the grand entrance hall to the tunnel) could be capped with a concrete shelf at the bottom, above the level of the trains. In 2011, the construction of concrete floor at the bottom of the shaft was completed, sealing
200-806: A million tonnes of timber in Quebec Yard, causing the most intense single fire ever seen in Britain. The bombing of the old Rotherhithe Town Hall during the Second World War gives an indication of how heavy the bombing in Rotherhithe was. The first damage to the building occurred when Luftwaffe bombs landed nearby in April 1941, and there was more bomb damage in February and June 1944. Later
250-636: A port, with Elizabethan shipyards and working docks until the 1970s. In the 1980s, the area along the river was redeveloped as housing through a mix of warehouse conversions and new-build developments. The Jubilee line was extended to the area in 1999, giving fast connections to the West End and to Canary Wharf ; the East London underground line was converted to part of the London Overground network in 2010, which provides easy access to
300-410: A shipyard near what is now Lavender Street. John Whetstone took over in 1709, Robert Inwood in 1756 and Job Cockshott in the early 1800s, when it was divided into Lavender Dock and Lavender Wharf. In 1862 William Walker re-amalgamated the dock and wharf, but in 1870 they were separated. From 1865 John and William Walker built clippers and W. Walker & Co, who had a 256 ft (78 m) dry dock on
350-440: A significant regeneration project focused on Canada Water and Rotherhithe. Known as the 'Canada Water Masterplan', the project has proposed the development of an additional 3,500 homes, as well as a new high street, town square, parks, leisure centre and footpath links. The landmark Tesco store will also be relocated. The project would be developed in multiple phases over the coming 15 to 20 years. Some local community groups oppose
400-624: Is a district of South London , England , and part of the London Borough of Southwark . It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames , facing Wapping , Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, with the Isle of Dogs to the east. It borders Bermondsey to the west and Deptford to the south-east. The district is a part of the Docklands area. Rotherhithe has a long history as
450-716: Is an important stop and interchange, given its proximity to the tube station. The riverbank carries part of the Richmond – Thames Barrier (28 miles – 45 km) section of the Thames Path through London. Most of the riverbank is accessible, apart from sections where warehouses and estates have established rights to the riverside. A new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists has been proposed between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf. London taxis (black cabs) can often be found on Salter Road. National Lottery Heritage Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund , formerly
500-643: Is joined to the north bank of the Thames by three tunnels. The Thames tunnel to Wapping was the first underwater tunnel in the world. Built by the Brunels , and originally intended to carry cross-river freight, it became a pedestrian tunnel due to the money running out to build the necessary ramps for vehicle traffic. It was used as a railway tunnel from 1869, and is now part of the London Overground network, which on 27 April 2010 started running trains on
550-616: Is successful, this project will conserve the historic building, improve visitor facilities and provide a home for the recently acquired collection of Marc Brunel's Thames Tunnel watercolour designs. They will also be able to offer a wider range of events and activities for people. As of September 2020 this project is at the community consultation stage. 51°30′06″N 0°03′11″W / 51.5016°N 0.0530°W / 51.5016; -0.0530 Rotherhithe Rotherhithe ( / ˈ r ɒ ð ər h aɪ ð / RODH -ər-hydhe )
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#1732780410133600-465: Is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon Hrȳðer-hȳð and it is suggested it means "landing-place for cattle". The first recorded use of this name was in about 1105, as Rederheia . Other explanations of the name have been 'Red Rose Haven' and 'rehra' (mariner's) hythe (haven or landing place). In the past Rotherhithe was also pronounced and written as Redriff or Redriffe , however until
650-519: The City of London . As a result, Rotherhithe is now a gentrifying residential and commuter area, with urban regeneration progressing around Deal Porter Square at Canada Water ; a new town centre with restaurant and retail units, as well as new residential developments, is emerging here around the existing freshwater dock and transport hub. Rotherhithe is 4.5 km (2.8 mi) east of London's centre point at Charing Cross . The name "Rotherhithe"
700-571: The Diocese of Southwark . From 1840, as the population of Rotherhithe increased, a number of new parishes were formed: In addition, as the population of neighbouring Deptford increased, parts of Rotherhithe parish were included in the new parish of: Because much of the former Surrey Docks had strong trade links to Scandinavia and the Baltic region, the area is still home to a thriving Scandinavian community. During World War II, in fact, it housed
750-693: The Heritage Lottery Fund ( HLF ), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. The fund's predecessor bodies were the National Land Fund , established in 1946, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund , established in 1980. The current body was established as the "Heritage Lottery Fund" in 1994. It was re-branded as
800-555: The King Frederik IX Tower), the street names (e.g. Finland Street, Sweden Gate, Baltic Quay , Norway Gate, Helsinki Square) or other place names (e.g. Greenland Dock). Another major influence factor was trade with Russia and Canada (mainly timber), reflected in names such as Canada Water and the Russia Dock Woodland. Rotherhithe is also a popular place to live with South Africans, according to
850-630: The " Pilgrim Fathers ", were mostly still living in the city of Leiden , in the Netherlands . There they hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfshaven in the Netherlands to Southampton to join the Mayflower . The ship's master, Christopher Jones , died shortly after his return in 1621 and is buried in an unmarked grave at St Mary's Church. No one can be sure where on
900-719: The "usual arbours and 'boxes'" during the Victorian period, but by the 1920s, most of the gardens had been absorbed into the Surrey Commercial Docks as part of a timber yard. Like the rest of the London Docks, the Surrey Commercial Docks were targeted by the Luftwaffe . On 7 September 1940, on the first day of the London Blitz , the deal yards of Surrey Docks were set ablaze. The raid ignited over
950-644: The 1980s been quiet and suburban in nature. Durand's Wharf is a park in Rotherhithe Street and holds an Outdoor Gym. Rotherhithe is served by three stations: Other nearby stations are Bermondsey tube station (also on the Jubilee line), South Bermondsey railway station to the south-west and London Bridge railway station to the west. The area is served by Transport for London bus services 1, 47, 188, 199, 225, 381, C10 and P12; night buses N1, N199 and N381 also stop here. Canada Water bus station
1000-591: The Digital Skills for Heritage Fund, a £3.5m fund for grants to support digital volunteering in the heritage sector, launched in November 2021. The chair of the trustees is appointed by the Prime Minister ; René Olivieri served as interim chair from January 2020 following Sir Peter Luff 's retirement at the end of 2019. Dr Simon Thurley CBE , former Chief Executive of English Heritage , became
1050-661: The Immaculate Conception. King's Stairs Gardens is a small park on the river towards the Bermondsey boundary. In September 2011 Thames Water announced that they wanted to build an access shaft for the "super-sewer" Thames Tideway Tunnel . Due to local action by The Save King's Stairs Gardens Campaign, which collected over 5000 signatures, Thames Water decided to build the access shaft in Chambers Wharf instead. The Mayflower TRA Hall now occupies
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#17327804101331100-624: The London Mayor Boris Johnson said he would not fund the bridge, citing budget cuts due to the credit crunch, with the result that the project was effectively put on ice. However the idea is still being supported by Sustrans. There are two Anglican churches in Rotherhithe: St. Mary's Church , and Trinity Church. There are two Roman Catholic churches: St Peter and the Guardian Angels, and Our Lady of
1150-669: The National Lottery Heritage Fund in January 2019. The fund's income comes from the National Lottery , which was managed until 2024 by Camelot Group . Its objectives are "to conserve the UK's diverse heritage, to encourage people to be involved in heritage and to widen access and learning". As of 2019, it had awarded £7.9 billion to 43,000 projects. In 2006, the National Lottery Heritage Fund launched
1200-819: The Norwegian Government-in-Exile. Originally established as seafarers' missions, Rotherhithe is home to a Norwegian , a Finnish and a Swedish church. The Finnish Church and the Norwegian Church are both in Albion Street; they were built in 1958 and 1927 respectively (Rotherhithe Library is between them). There are also a number of "community centres" for the Nordic community in London, including hostels, shops and cafés and even
1250-590: The Parks for People program with the aim to revitalize historic parks and cemeteries. From 2006 to 2021, the Fund had granted £254 million to 135 projects. In January 2019 it simplified its funding schemes under one banner – National Lottery Grants for Heritage – with awards from £3,000 to £5 million. Funding requests for projects over £5 million will be considered as part of two time-limited national competitions to be held in 2020–21 and 2022–23. Its funding routes include
1300-689: The River Thames in the Surrey Docks complex, and it was linked to Albion Dock and Greenland Dock at its northern and south-eastern extremities via the Albion Canal. The dock has been remodelled, and its northwest half retained as an ornamental lake, renamed Canada Water . The canal has remained as a walkway and water feature within the redeveloped area. Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority have announced
1350-549: The Rotherhithe peninsula the Mayflower was berthed, but the Mayflower pub near St Mary's Church claims the honour, and lists the names of the Mayflower passengers on their wall. The building itself, despite external and interior appearances, dates only from the 1950s. The extent to which the pub was damaged during the Second World War , and was rebuilt or simply restored, is uncertain. On Lower Road, about halfway between Surrey Quays and Canada Water stations, there
1400-489: The Thames bank from 1869, built 17 ships there between 1866 and 1882. James Turner built ships there from 1873 to 1886, followed by John Medhurst until at least 1890. Rotherhithe is part of the SE16 postcode district. Electorally, the western half is Rotherhithe ward of Southwark London Borough Council and the eastern half in Surrey Docks ward. As much of Rotherhithe was occupied by the now-defunct Surrey Commercial Docks ,
1450-577: The UK census of 2011, and there was a South African themed pub at 351 Rotherhithe Street. In July 1620, the Mayflower sailed from Rotherhithe and picked up 65 passengers, probably from Blackwall , then proceeded to Southampton on the south coast of England to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage to America . At that time, the English Separatists , who later became known as
1500-469: The area as one its oldest, was also demolished. The Daily Mail and Evening Standard newspapers were printed at Harmsworth Quays in Rotherhithe from 1989 to 2012. The building became the Printworks events venue until its demolition in 2024. The ancient parish , dedicated to St Mary , was in the Diocese of Winchester until 1877, then the Diocese of Rochester until 1905, and then finally in
1550-405: The correct level for digging the tunnel was constructed by under-pinning. The tunnelling was done by miners standing within an iron shield (or ambulating cofferdam) designed and patented by Marc Isambard Brunel . The Engine House was designed by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel to be part of the infrastructure of the Thames Tunnel . It held steam-powered pumps used to extract water from the tunnel . It
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1600-549: The district is sometimes referred to as "Surrey Docks" or (since the late 1980s) " Surrey Quays ", though the latter name tends to be used more for the southern half of the peninsula. An eastern part, which became an island when the docks were in use and the locks open, is called "Downtown". This name was never related to the idea of a " downtown " in the American sense, although there was a club of that name there for many years which has now closed. This part of Rotherhithe has since
1650-620: The early 19th century, this name was applied to the whole river front from St Saviour's Dock to Bull Head Dock, this near the entrance to Surrey Water. On the Ordnance Survey five feet to the mile, London 1893–1896 maps, Redriff appears in two places, by Beatson Street and by Nelson Dockyard to Durand's Wharf. The docks were closed and largely filled in during the 1980s, and have now been replaced by modern housing and commercial facilities, but Rotherhithe retains much of its character and its maritime heritage. The largest surviving dock on
1700-604: The museum raised more than £200,000, including a major grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund , to buy an album including a collection of drawings of the Thames Tunnel, prepared or overseen by Marc Isambard Brunel (1769 –1849). The Brunel Museum takes part in the Open House Weekend event every year and, until the East London Line 's temporary closure in 2007, took parties of people through
1750-544: The old town hall. Built originally in the early 1870s on land adjoining Rotherhithe Workhouse, it became the infirmary of St Olave's Union in 1875, and was renamed St Olave's Hospital in 1930. Subsequently, becoming part of the Guy's Hospital Teaching Group in 1966, it closed in 1985 and the site has been redeveloped into the residential Ann Moss Way. The Terriss Theatre (named after the actor, William Terriss ) opened in 1899 and
1800-521: The plan based on environmental and cost considerations. Rotherhithe is the home of the football team Fisher F.C. and Ballers Football Academy, who train & play fixtures at St Pauls Stadium. The Championship team Millwall Football Club is nearby in the London Borough of Lewisham . The sustainable transport charity Sustrans has proposed the construction of a bicycle and pedestrian swing bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf, and cost-benefit and feasibility studies were undertaken. In January 2009
1850-400: The project from 1823 and was appointed Resident Engineer in January 1827 at the age of 20. The museum site includes the Tunnel Shaft which was the world's first caisson . A tower of brick 3 ft thick and 50 ft in diameter was built above ground to a height of 42 ft. It was then sunk under its own weight to a depth of 40 feet. The remaining 20 ft of shaft necessary to achieve
1900-576: The route of the former East London Line . The later Rotherhithe Tunnel (opened 1908) carries a two-lane road to Limehouse . The Jubilee line extension (opened 1999) has a railway tunnel to Canary Wharf in the Isle of Dogs . Parts of Rotherhithe Street were at one time or another called Jamaica Street, Lavender Street, Low Queen Street, Queen Street, Redriff Wall, Redriff, Rotherhithe Wall, Shipwright Street and Trinity Street. In 1702 Edward Swallow built
1950-510: The same month (June 1944) the Town Hall was severely damaged by a direct hit from a V1 doodlebug . In November 1944 it was further damaged by near misses, and was finally destroyed by one of the last V1s to land on London. King Haakon VII made many of his famous radio broadcasts to occupied Norway from Saint Olav's Norwegian Church in Rotherhithe, where the Norwegian royal family were regular worshippers during their exile. Rotherhithe
2000-437: The shaft space off the train tunnels below it. After the completion, occasional tours were given access to the space. One such tours was on 14 February 2011 (a Valentine's tour ) with ad-hoc stairwell to access the shaft. The roof of the shaft was refurbished in 2012 to create Roof Garden on top of it. Since 2012, The Midnight Apothecary has run a cocktail bar within the roof garden, serving seasonal botanical drinks. The shaft
2050-591: The site of the old Rotherhithe Town Hall. The building ceased to be a town hall in 1905 when the former Rotherhithe Council merged with the old Bermondsey Borough Council and the new council used premises in Spa Road . The old Rotherhithe Town Hall became a library and a museum. It was razed to the ground by repeated bomb hits and near misses during the Second World War (see below ). Rotherhithe had its own general hospital, St Olave's Hospital , on Lower Road close to
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2100-423: The south bank, Greenland Dock , is the focal point for the southern part of the district, while there are many preserved wharves along the riverside at the north end of Rotherhithe. St. Mary's Church is at the centre of the old Rotherhithe village, which contains various historic buildings including the Brunel Engine House at the south end of the Thames Tunnel . Canada Dock was the dock basin furthest away from
2150-594: The tunnel on the Underground trains as part of a guided tour of the tunnel. They also host a variety of other events through the year, especially during school holidays. There are also walks/tours in person and online. The museum underwent major building works in 2007. This entailed relocating the Rennie flat V steam engine to the Chatham Historic Dockyard to create a larger exhibition space,
2200-476: Was a public house called the China Hall; at one time it was the entrance to a riparian playhouse visited by Samuel Pepys and mentioned in his diary. It is not known how long the theatre remained on the site, but it was reinvigorated in 1777 and George Frederick Cooke acted there the following year. In the winter of 1779, it was destroyed in fire. The site of the theatre became a well-known tea-gardens, with
2250-416: Was extensively refurbished in 2016, with a staircase added to improve access. The refurbishment was done to minimize the impacts to the shaft structure including its walls. Although two test bors confirmed that the walls were made with 1.4-metre (4.6 ft) thick solid brick without any cavities, a specially designed freestanding staircase would not be attached to the shaft walls. The only allowed modification
2300-558: Was later renamed the Rotherhithe Hippodrome of Varieties. It stood on Lower Road by Culling Road. It was bombed in the 1940s and stood empty until demolition in 1955. When the roundabout facing the Rotherhithe Tunnel was redeveloped in the early 1980s, several 19th century buildings were demolished including a school and a nunnery. A public house, the "Europa" , described in an early 20th-century history of
2350-540: Was originally used as a boiler house during the construction of the Thames Tunnel between 1825 and 1843. Since 1961 the building has been used as a museum, displaying information on the construction of the tunnel and the other projects by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel . The museum houses a model of the tunnelling shield as well as images and artefacts from when the tunnel was in use as a pedestrian thoroughfare between Rotherhithe and Wapping . The chimney and engine house are Grade II Listed since 1974. Structural decay
2400-461: Was prevented in 1975 by a charitable trust named "Brunel Exhibition Rotherhithe". The building was restored in 1979. In 2006 the museum changed its name from Brunel Engine House to Brunel Museum and expanded its exhibition to include a new mural on the shaft showing the tunnel shield, and other works by the Brunels, such as models of famous Brunel bridges incorporated into bench seating. In 2018,
2450-401: Was to cut a new access door at the top of a wall. This careful construction preserved many of the remnants to show the shaft's history. A barred entrance passage at the top of the shaft once was used by a foreman to drag Isambard Kingdom Brunel out to save his life after a tunnel construction collapse that flooded the shaft. The scarred walls showed the locations of the original staircases when it
2500-595: Was used as the Grand Entrance Hall. The soot from smoke coming off steam engine locomotives showed years of its use as a ventilation shaft. The shaft is now used for events as a performance space and it is part of the Brunel Museum exhibits. In 2019, the museum received development funding from the Heritage Fund and other funders to transform their offer. If the next stage of the application
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