History
Revival of a historic site
The growth of the Royal Arsenal Riverside is thanks in no small part to its proximity to the River Thames. One of the world's most famous rivers was a gateway to the world when the British Empire started to dominate the world landscape.
As the main manufacturer of ordnance for the expanding colonisation, the Royal Arsenal was reliant on river access for moving supplies swiftly and easily. The first major pier to be built on the site was in 1823 at Crossness, the eastern tip of the Arsenal shoreline, where a special pier that was 200ft long and 30ft wide was used for loading and unloading live ammunition.
After that, the Ordnance Pier was authorised in 1856 and then the "T" Pier designed by the Royal Engineers and built by convicts. The timber came from the old St Katherine's Dock with the structure standing 140m into the Thames with the "T" arms east and west. Queen Victoria opened it just after the Crimean War and welcomed returning troops. Cranes were later added to carry guns constructed at the Arsenal.
The Iron Pier, complete with 200 ton crane, was completed in 1915, at the height of WWI, with the heaviest guns lowered onto barges Gog and Magog for transport to Shoeburyness Gun Proving Establishment. The crane was later sold to Antwerp docks.
The Coaling Pier which, as its name suggests was used to carry coal to the Gas Factory, was used until 1949 when the SS Royal Star collided with the eastern end and it had to be demolished.
The continued success and growth of the Berkeley Homes (Urban Renaissance) Ltd development, has been instrumental in the extension of the Thames Clippers Fast Ferry Service that links Canary Wharf and the City to Woolwich. Since 27 June 2005, Thames Clippers have docked at the Royal Arsenal Pier daily during peak commuter hours.
