|
Rotherhithe
SE16
Nearest Station : Rotherhithe/Canada
Water
This district of south-east London,
situated on the banks of the River Thames
between Bermondsey
and Deptford,
was originally called Redriffe. The present name is derived from the Saxon
meaning "mariner's haven".
This is an appropriate name for the district as it has a long association
with the river that it is located on and with the sea. Throughout its history
the area has been home to mariners and has been associated with industries such
as shipbuilding.
In 1699 London's first enclosed wet dock was built here and Henry VIII
founded his navy in the neighbouring district of Bermondsey. Then in the
19th century Rotherhithe's watery connections were consolidated by the extension
of the Grand Surrey Canal through the district.
The docks of Rotherhithe suffered extensive bomb damage during the Second
World War and for many years the area went into serious decline. In recent
decades though, the district has undergone somewhat of a renaissance.
The area's maritime legacy can be seen to this day with lots of warehouses
and docks still surviving, some having been converted into executive residential
areas. And Rotherhithe is becoming increasingly popular as a trendy spot from
which to visit a riverside pub.
But the redeveloped areas are a stark contrast with the run-down districts
that haven't yet been developed, giving Rotherhithe a marked rich-poor divide.
|