Lampton Parkside

River Lea pre-industrial history to be celebrated at Cody Dock

Vikings and monks are just two of the groups who have shaped the east London we know today

Dividing line: The River Lea was once the border between Wessex and the Danelaw – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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Stories are important.

They help us make sense of who we are and where we are.

Whether passed mouth-to-mouth or written down, they have been the main conduit for human communication down the centuries. 

Even in the age of social media, where video is the dominant force, we can’t do without explanation – an editorial take on what’s being presented.

Images alone are not enough, we have to tell each other what they mean through captions or voiceovers. 

The world over, the recording and telling of tales about the world defines our species – bees in the hive doing a complicated waggledance to tell others where the honey is and whether it’s any good.

The Greeks and Romans had their philosophical dialogues, their myths and their plays. The Vikings had their sagas and the people of Wessex and England had the Anglo Saxon Chronicle.

Cody Dock, an ecological regeneration project on the edge of Canning Town, is a keeper of many stories. 

Replica Viking longship the Saga Farmann sails up the Thames on its way to the Classic Boat Festival at St Katharine Docks on September 6 and 7, 2025 – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

first, a bit of context

As part of a £1.6million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, its Lighting Up The Lea initiative will see a home for history created on the banks of the river. 

The roof of its glass Heritage Pavilion will be the Frederick Kitchen – a Welsh lifeboat that was probably the last vessel built at the Thames Ironworks.

It is currently being restored on-site and has stories of its own to tell. 

When work is finished, its hull will shelter quarterly exhibitions about the history of the River Lea and the lands along its length – stories for the people who are here now, drawing them closer to the past.

As that project sails steadily onwards, Wharf Life will be working in partnership with Cody Dock to dip readers’ toes in some of the extraordinary tales that London’s second largest natural waterway has been a party to over the centuries.

In more recent times the area has been fertile ground for social change and industrial endeavour, but for this article we’re going back a bit further…

An artist’s impression of Cody Dock’s new Heritage Pavilion, which is set to be built on the banks of the River Lea – image by Cody Dock

Viking aggression on the River Lea

There are ships sailing up the Lea.

It’s 894 AD – 1,131 years ago –  and Danish Vikings from Mersea Island in Essex are progressing up the river.

Their aim is to build a fortress roughly 20 miles north of London.

It’s a febrile time, but for a while there has been peace.

After King Alfred of Wessex defeated Danish warlord Guthrum and the Great Heathen Army in 878, the Lea took on a new significance – it became a border, a line of division through a marshy landscape of wetlands.  

The Treaty Of Alfred And Guthrum – which survives to this day in the collection of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge – officially created that frontier. 

Different gods, different ways of life, but a pledge of loyalty by the Danes to Alfred in return for peace – an accord that included a schedule for “weregild” or man price.

This was a fine that would be paid by one side to the other should there be future killings, with the amounts subject to the status of the victims. 

Alfred also insisted Guthrum convert to Christianity and be baptised as his godson, taking the name Æthelstan. 

For a while the Danelaw, as it became known, worked.

The Vikings had their substantial chunk of England and the Anglo Saxons had theirs.

But change is a constant. It couldn’t last. Guthrum died in 890.

a test for Wessex

Now the Danes are restless and flexing.

Their voyage up the Lea is a test of Wessex and Alfred’s resolve, directly on the border.

Their arrival prompts swift action.

First a local force of Saxons rises up and routs the provocateurs as they are constructing their fortifications.

Then Alfred arrives and messes with the river itself.

Exactly where and how is unclear – he may have dammed it, obstructed it or fortified it – but both banks are likely involved.

This may have been in what we now know as east London or further upstream, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle isn’t completely clear.

Suddenly, though, the Danes find themselves unable to escape in their ships and they flee with the Saxon army in hot pursuit.

Eventually they wind up in Shropshire.

The tale, however. doesn’t end there. Londoners sail some of the abandoned Viking ships back down the Lea in triumph, breaking up any that are unserviceable.

While we can’t be certain, there’s every possibility that these captured vessels provided vital intelligence and inspiration, with King Alfred ordering a series of long ships built just one year later – vessels with 60 oars or more that would prove decisive in naval battles against the Danes on the south coast. 

So next time you take a walk along the River Lea, remember it was once a dividing line between two countries, that its waters are rich with history and that the aftermath of a battle fought somewhere along its length a little over a thousand years ago may have led to what many regard as the birth of the English Navy.  

from Vikings to monks

This story of Viking unrest, religious diplomacy and clever military tactics is far from the only tale of the Lea in pre-industrial times.

In a valley carved out by the meltwater of the ice age, the river has a long and complex narrative, much of which is sadly lost to the passage of time.

We know Old Ford is where the Romans crossed on their way to Colchester.

We know the river’s course has changed radically through human action – the felling of forests, the draining of marshes, the digging of culverts and the creation of fish traps and channels for water mills.

Today it’s part of the boundary between Tower Hamlets and Newham, but it’s also divided Essex and Middlesex and was once fortified as a potential line of defence during the Second World War.

But there’s much to be gained by looking further back.

Few, for example, may know that Abbey Road station on the DLR and the street it serves are echoes of Stratford Langthorne Abbey. 

Little is left, but this institution exerted a profound influence on the area for 400 years some 240 after the Vikings were sailing up and down.

 From its creation in 1135, the abbey acquired much land, farming the surrounding marshes and cutting channels to lessen the risk of flooding. 

It also owned and operated tidal mills on the River Lea that ground flour to make bread for the bakers of Stratford-Atte-Bow who supplied the City Of London.

There are even reports that a small river port was created to serve the needs of both the institution’s monks, lay brothers and other inhabitants.

It served as the court of King Henry III in 1267, where he met emissaries of the pope and made peace with the barons after the Battle Of Evesham.

It was also sacked during the peasants revolt – singled out as a Cistercian abbey for its “acquisitiveness in matters of land and tithes”.

An unpopular landlord, perhaps.

But by the time of the Dissolution Of The Monasteries under Henry VIII, the abbey was the fifth largest in England, easily on a level of importance with its sister institutions at Jervaulx, Rievaulx and Fountains in North Yorkshire. 

a home for the stories

It’s stories like these that will be celebrated and explored under the mahogany curve of the Frederick Kitchen when Cody Dock’s Heritage Pavilion comes to fruition.

Here will be a place where Vikings and monks can come alive, overlooking the curves of the river that shaped their times. 

One of the founding principles of the Gasworks Dock Partnership which is undertaking the ecological regeneration of Cody Dock is to provide engagement for local people. 

By continuing to research and showcase the remarkable history of the area, it adds a further dimension to that work – offering a vessel for the living history of local residents and a way to present meaningful tales from the far flung past.

Today we smile and take photos of a replica Viking long ship sailing up the Thames to take part in a boat festival at St Katharine Docks.

But just imagine the terror and uncertainty spotting a host of Danes from Essex slipping quietly up the Lea must have generated.

What did they want? Why were they here? Who could we turn to? What a sight it must have been.

Additional research by Cody Dock’s Julia Briscoe

key details: River Lea heritage at Cody Dock

Cody Dock is located on the edge of Canning Town right beside the River Lea. The closest public transport is Star Lane DLR station.

The regeneration project offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities and runs regular events and activities aimed at engaging the local community with its work to regenerate the area and protect and record the wildlife of the River Lea.

You can find out more at its Lighting Up The Lea event on Saturday, September 20, 2025, which is free to attend from 11am-6pm.

Find out more about Cody Dock here

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Cody Dock set to host Lighting Up The Lea event this September

Event on Saturday, September 20, 2025, will see visitors welcomed to the ecological regeneration project for art, workshops, exhibitions, performances and live music

Artist Zhiyan Cai will unveil her Cabinet Of Curiosity at Cody Dock's Lighting Up The Lea event - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Artist Zhiyan Cai will unveil her Cabinet Of Curiosity at Cody Dock’s Lighting Up The Lea event – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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Cody Dock is getting ready to host Lighting Up The Lea later this month.

The event, which will take place on Saturday, September 20, 2025, features workshops, exhibitions, performances, a plant sale, food stalls, live music and more as the ecological regeneration project throws wide its gates to the community.

The event is officially part of three festivals – Open House, Totally Thames and Newham Heritage Month – and will also see the unveiling of Cody Dock’s second Cabinet Of Curiosity.

Commissioned as part of the project’s National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, artist Zhiyan Cai has been asked to explore the pre-industrial history of the River Lea for the installation.

“I started off studying architecture and then worked in that industry for a year, but while it was an interesting thing to study, the work was boring,” she said. 

“However, I did learn about structures, rendering animations.

“I started off making digital art for myself, but people liked what I created and so I thought it could be a pathway for me.

“I’m from China originally and I first came to the UK to study in Glasgow. I decided to move to London because of the opportunities to practise art here.”

Zhiyan, who has just completed a four-month residency at Arebyte Gallery in London City Island, responded to Cody Dock’s open call to create the next in its series of cabinets and won the commission.

Zhiyan's prototype lightbox for her Cabinet Of Curiosity project - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Zhiyan’s prototype lightbox for her Cabinet Of Curiosity project – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

a portal to the past at Cody Dock

“I really wanted to make something 3D but, of course, everything we have from that time is either documents or 2D paintings,” she said.

“What I’m doing is using structures within the cabinet that will look three dimensional when viewed from the front. 

“It will be like a portal people can feel like they’d pass through – like a magical door from Dr Who. It’s a great idea to bring a history from the abstract into real life.

“I also work with projector mapping so there will be animation involved.

“The piece I’ve created will be in the middle of the cabinet and I’ve worked with children in workshops at Cody Dock to help them build lightboxes inspired by the area’s history.

“The idea is to combine all these different angles on the past – from me, from local kids – and, that way, to build connection.”

Angles is the right word. Zhiyan’s light boxes use optical illusion to create a sense of depth and movement as the viewer literally changes the perspective in her creations by moving their heads.

She hopes her work will encourage visitors to take a fresh look at their surroundings with the content she has created – all inspired by the research she has done alongside Cody Dock’s Julia Briscoe into the area’s past.

“We visited archives and found out about the design of Stratford Langthorne Abbey, which was located near here and founded in 1135,” said Zhiyan.

“I’ve used that information to create a kind of gallery as a framing device – it’s like a memory hall, so people can see this area at different periods in time.

“It’s about the wetlands with the plants waving in the wind, the Vikings and the abbey itself.  I live in Canning Town myself and it’s really interesting to find out about the history of the land along the river.

“I was surprised to learn about the life of the abbey and the farming that happened around it as well as the fact local people simply took the bricks after it was demolished after the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII.

“They used the stone to make new buildings.

“Things were always changing here – some of those materials may still exist in buildings in this areas and I hope my work helps to illustrate these things.”

A lightbox by one of Zhiyan's young workshop participants - image by Zhiyan Cai
A lightbox by one of Zhiyan’s young workshop participants – image by Zhiyan Cai

Lighting Up The Lea

In addition to seeing the new Cabinet Of Curiosity, visitors to Lighting Up The Lea will also be able to enjoy Dock Tours, try beeswax candle rolling, purchase Cody Dock honey, and see the site’s singular rolling bridge turn over.

Also on the agenda will be the chance to meet artist-in-residence Remiiya Badru who is working at Cody Dock over the course of a year to explore the area’s relationship with the textile calico and pigment Prussian Blue.

She will be inviting visitors to share their stories, inspired by items in the collection at V&A East Storehouse with the aim of producing an artwork related to her research.

Those interested in participating should sign up in advance for one of three Common Threads workshops to be held on the day.

The link can be found via linktr.ee/codydock.

The children's work will form part of the finished cabinet at Cody Dock - image by Zhiyan Cai
The children’s work will form part of the finished cabinet at Cody Dock – image by Zhiyan Cai

key details: Lighting Up The Lea

Lighting Up The Lea is set to take place at Cody Dock on Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 11am-6pm.

Entry is free and all are welcome. 

Find out more details here

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Heron Wharf unveils apartments for sale at The Millhouse

The last building in Berkeley Capital’s development on the west bank of the River Lea also includes residents facilities plus Canary Wharf views

An artist's impression of Heron Wharf - image by Berkeley Group
An artist’s impression of Heron Wharf – image by Berkeley Group

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“What will be here in the future is going to be fantastic,” said Luke Tredwell, sales and marketing director at Berkeley Capital.

“We are in an area where everything is coming together to create huge transformation, with thousands of homes and thousands of jobs.”

The part of east London he’s talking about is the corridor leading up the River Lea to Stratford where big plans are afoot.

While the city historically turned its back on the waterway as industrial transportation became the dominant activity along its length, developers are now seeing the capital’s second largest river as a prime asset. 

When completed, the various schemes will see many new residents living on its banks, joining up the likes of East India, Canning Town, Bromley-By-Bow and West Ham.

What’s coming is important. Canny buyers will know that considering the future of a place when deciding where to invest is vital.

Understanding a development’s wider context is just as important as assessing the amenities it provides and those in the immediate area.

This brings us to Heron Wharf by Berkeley.

Formerly known as Poplar Riverside, the scheme has been given a fresh identity to help bring clarity to what it offers, rather than simply naming where it is. 

The development is in a strong position – the first two buildings in its initial phase have been well received and it recently launched The Millhouse, offering 92 one and two-bedroom apartments for private sale. 

A show apartment at the development - image by Berkeley Group
A show apartment at the development – image by Berkeley Group

creating community at Heron Wharf

“This is the last opportunity to buy a home in the first phase of Heron Wharf,” said Luke. 

“The first two buildings are just completing and this is an exciting time as people start living here and forming a community. 

“The Millhouse will be a really great addition because it includes a 20m swimming pool, spa, gym and a special salt room on its lower levels that are due to open next year.”

The sales launch of this latest block coincides with the unveiling of some 1.5 acres of Heron Wharf’s park.

This first phase  includes expansive green space with views over the Lea and plans to retain part of an historic gasholder as a link to the site’s industrial past. 

When complete, the finished 2,900-home scheme will see the park extend to 2.5 acres.

With swathes of planting and landscaping, the scheme has already had a big impact on local wildlife with a plan to increase biodiversity by 545%.

“That’s reflected in the name of Heron Wharf,” said Luke.

“It’s aspirational and, because this scheme is of a substantial size, it’s easier to have a greater impact on the environment.”

An artist's impression of the residents' pool at the development, which is on the first floor of The Millhouse building - image by Berkeley Group
An artist’s impression of the residents’ pool at the development, which is on the first floor of The Millhouse building – image by Berkeley Group

services and amenities

The development will also provide a concierge service, a co-working space, a cinema room and a games room in addition to the exercise and wellbeing facilities at the Riverside Club.

In the 79,000sq ft of retail space on-site, residents can also look forward to using local shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, a supermarket and a crèche

But what can buyers at The Millhouse look forward to in the properties themselves? 

“They have fantastic layouts, often with amazing views over the park, the river and towards Canary Wharf,” said Luke. 

“Depending on what a buyer wants to get from the building, there will be a home in it for them.”

The apartments feature open-plan design and come with private balconies.

Buyers can expect integrated Bosch appliances in the kitchens, white sanitaryware and black fittings in the bathrooms and carpeted sleeping areas with built-in wardrobes for the main bedrooms. 


Luke Tredwell, sales and marketing director at Berkeley Capital - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Luke Tredwell, sales and marketing director at Berkeley Capital – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

Heron Wharf – well connected

Luke said: “The Millhouse marks the end of the beginning of a new way of living in east London. 

“With serene green views, premium wellness facilities and the River Lea on the doorstep, the neighbourhood offers residents a unique blend of tranquillity and city connectivity.

“Heron Wharf continues to evolve into one of London’s most exciting new addresses and The Millhouse is right at its heart.”

Heron Wharf is located within about 10 minutes’ walk of East India DLR station, with Canning Town station a little further away.

Both offer rapid access to Canary Wharf, the city and other destinations across east London.

Those who prefer to get about on their own could opt to walk to the Wharf in less than 30 minutes of go by bike in around a quarter of an hour.

A series of bridges planned to cross the River Lea should improve pedestrian and cycle links in the area still further, allowing access to local amenities such as ecological regeneration project Cody Dock, which is just over the water.

In the immediate area, Aberfeldy Village, London City Island, Goodluck Hope and Trinity Buoy Wharf all offer amenities and places to eat and drink.

Further afield, residents can also easily access the likes of Stratford, the Wharf, the Isle Of Dogs and Greenwich as well as plentiful open spaces such as Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and Royal Docks without having to travel very far.

It’s a place well worth checking out.

Apartments at The Millhouse come with private balconies - image by Berkeley Group
Apartments at The Millhouse come with private balconies – image by Berkeley Group

key details: The Millhouse at Heron Wharf

Homes at Heron Wharf are currently on sale with prices ranging from £455,000 to £930,000. Some are ready to move into now. 

One and two-bedroom apartments at The Millhouse are expected to complete in May 2026 with prices starting at £460,000.

All apartments come with a 999-year lease. 

Find out more about the development here

This is an opportunity to help shape the community at Heron Wharf as it forms - image by Berkeley Group
This is an opportunity to help shape the community at Heron Wharf as it forms – image by Berkeley Group

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Bromely-By-Bow Gasworks set for thousands of St William homes

Redevelopment of brownfield land is one of three sites in east London in Berkeley Group company’s pipeline of regeneration projects

An aerial view of the Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks site - image by Berkeley Group
An aerial view of the Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks site – image by Berkeley Group

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East London is set to see an explosion in the number of homes built on former gasworks as developer St William gets going with its plans.

Part of Berkeley Group, the company is set to build thousands of homes on the former industrial complexes in the coming years.

Most recently it received planning permission to construct more than 2,150 residential properties at Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks, a 23-acre site on the River Lea, just south of Three Mills Island.

The plans include a £72million investment in the restoration of the site’s seven Grade II listed gas holders and boast extensive open space including a 4.2-acre park on the river bank.

An artist's impression of the Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks development - image by Berkeley Group
An artist’s impression of the Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks development – image by Berkeley Group

prime brownfield: Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks

“This is one of the most challenging brownfield sites in the country and transforming it into thousands of sustainable, well-connected homes and a publicly accessible 4.2-acre river front park was always going to require a unique, collaborative solution,” said St William managing director Dean Summers.

“It is a testament to our brilliant partnerships with Historic England and the London Borough Of Newham and the invaluable input we have received from residents that we have reached this milestone and that we move one step closer to realising this site’s enormous potential. 

“Private-public sector collaborations like these have never been more important as we continue to navigate challenging market conditions and work together to boost housing delivery and growth.”

The east London scheme features buildings constructed within the gas holders - image by Berkeley Group
The east London scheme features buildings constructed within the gas holders – image by Berkeley Group

from historic into the future

Regional director for Historic England in London and the South East, Tom Foxall, added: “These regeneration plans form Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks are an exemplar of how historic brownfield sites can be transformed into new developments that both help address the housing shortage and boost local economic growth, while embracing an area’s cherished heritage.”

The plans include 13 residential buildings, some of which will sit within the existing gas holder frames as well as 30,000sq ft of commercial space.

This latest scheme sits adjacent to Berkeley’s 22-year TwelveTrees Park development, which will deliver more than 3,800 homes on a site next to West Ham station and includes a new entrance to the transport hub.

A series of open spaces and parks will be created as part of the project - image by Berkeley Group
A series of open spaces and parks will be created as part of the project – image by Berkeley Group

and beyond Bromley-By-Bow Gastworks, in Stratford and Beckton…

In addition to these schemes, St William was also granted planning permission in January for the long derelict Stratford Gasworks site.

Here the developer is set to build a 245-home development, designed in partnership with Cowen + Partners and LDA Design. 

Its scheme responds to the nearby Grade II* listed Abbey Mills Pumping Station and a group of listed mid-19th century houses designed by sewer network creator Joseph Bazalgette.

St William has also submitted a planning application for Beckton Gasworks, a site close to the Thames, up the river from Royal Albert Dock.

Here the company plans to build around 2,900 new homes and more than 50,000 sq ft of commercial space on 12 hectares of land.

With permission granted for thousands of homes, buyers seeking properties on former industrial land won’t be short of choice in the coming years.

key details: Berkeley Group homes

While homes at Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks and the other industrial sites are not yet available to buy, those looking to secure a Berkeley-built property can find apartments for sale from £495,000 at TwelveTrees Park.

More information about the forthcoming schemes can be found online.

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Cody Dock gears up for Spring Forward event to launch The Barn

Visitors’ centre at ecological regeneration project beside the River Lea will be complete for April 12 event as the weather warms

Spring forward will see the official launch of The Barn  - image by Jon Massey
Spring forward will see the official launch of The Barn – image by Jon Massey

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April 12, 2025, is set to be a momentous day at Cody Dock.

From 1pm-7pm, the east London ecological regeneration project will host its Spring Forward event – but things are going to be a bit different this year.

While the rolling bridge will be ceremonially upended, plants will be sold, workshops hosted and performances staged, there’s a wider triumph to celebrate.

Specifically, the Cody Dock visitors’ centre will be unveiled in its finished form.

Now named The Barn, the team has been working hard to install windows, doors, walls and ceilings, as well as raising the land outside the structure, ready for the event.

For those attending, it will be the first opportunity to explore the finished space – an amenity which will serve as the focus for the site, a public lodestone for those passing through.


Cody Dock heritage programme manager Bella Quirin - image by Jon Massey
Cody Dock heritage programme manager Bella Quirin – image by Jon Massey

getting ready for the launch

“It’s a wonderful event, celebrating the arrival of spring and the world shaking itself back to life with a real focus on ecology,” said Bella Quirin, heritage programme manager at Cody Dock.

Spring Forward is all about helping people to reconnect with nature after the colder weather.

“Among the highlights will be Tails Of Migration, a really interesting workshop run by our education team.

“Lots of species return to the UK from warmer habitats at this time and it’s all about showcasing those journeys and getting people to interact with them.

“The idea is that participants will also think about their own journeys and the places they have lived before, whether those are across large distances or relatively small ones.

“From that, we’ll be able to capture people’s oral histories as part of our ongoing heritage work.”

The Cody Dock scheme is complex in its scope and events such as Spring Forward offer visitors an opportunity to get to grips with some of the many projects under its umbrella.

There’s its role as a place of work and study, with artists resident in its studios and collaborations with academics to study and respond to the local area a regular feature of its operations.

Then there’s its commitment to supporting and studying local wildlife as well as stewardship of the tidal Lea.

It’s a place for innovation and experimentation as much as conservation.

Local history is another major thread running through its fabric with Spring Forward visitors able to view progress on work to restore the Frederick Kitchen, probably the last boat to be built by the Thames Ironworks at the mouth of the Lea.

This craft will eventually be used as the roof of a heritage pavilion, which will host a succession of exhibitions about the history of the local area.

Flowers bloom at Cody Dock - image by Jon Massey
Flowers bloom at Cody Dock – image by Jon Massey

connecting to history at Cody Dock

“That’s set to open next spring and it will be a fantastic space,” said Bella.

“It will have glass walls, so visitors will be instantly connected to the water, even when they’re inside.”

The April event will also include a chance to view Cabinet Of Curiosity No. 1, the first of three artist commissions exploring local history. 

The work focuses on the Thames Ironworks and includes verse from William McGonagall recalling the calamitous launch of the battleship Albion that saw more than 30 people lose their lives when a stage collapsed into the water. 

It’s just one of the many ways that Cody Dock is seeking to nurture connections between past and present as its regeneration of the 2.5 acre site continues.

“One of the things about Cody Dock – especially The Barn – is that we really want people to feel there’s collective ownership of our spaces as well as them being an attraction,” said Bella.

“The visitors’ centre will be such a dynamic space.

“It will work for our school visits, our ecology team if they’re hosting workshops, but also as a place for performances.

“There will be a full lighting system and we feel that there’s already a really strong vision emerging for it. It will act as a beacon for the whole project – somewhere people can come together.”

While the building itself has been used at previous events, hosting musical performances, dances and a sonic excursion along the Lea with visitors’ feet immersed in sand, the addition of sealed windows and doors will allow for greater flexibility.

There are plans for regular film screenings, with directors invited to participate in Q&A sessions, although full details have yet to be revealed.

seeking a food and drink partner

Another major change will be the completion of The Barn’s kitchen, which will provide cafe and dining facilities for the site.

Cody Dock is currently inviting applications for a partner to run this part of its operation. 

The aim is to both generate income for the project and Gasworks Dock Partnership – the charity overseeing it – and to draw more visitors to the site.

GDP is hoping to attract a partner that aligns with its charitable aims, prioritising recruitment of local staff, paying the London Living Wage and using ethically sourced ingredients.

“The cafe will very much be central to our operation in many ways,” said Simon Myers, CEO of GDP.

“They will be most likely to come into contact with people passing through, so it’s really important that their aspirations and aims chime with our objectives.

“We’re about place-making and greater community cohesion so we need to be somewhere that’s really welcoming to everyone. 

“We’re also an environmental organisation, so produce that’s served here needs to be sustainably sourced and, hopefully, the food and drink on offer will also reflect the diversity found in the local population.” 

key details: Spring Forward at Cody Dock

Spring Forward is set to take place at Cody Dock on April 12, 2025, from 1pm-7pm. The event is free to attend, spots can be reserved digitally.

Cody Dock is easily reached on foot from Star Lane DLR station via Cody Road and South Crescent.

You can find out more about the many projects and initiatives based there online.

Find out more about Spring Forward here

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Poplar Riverside delivers shared ownership homes by the Lea

Housing association Poplar HARCA is marketing a collection of 96 affordable apartments at the east London development by Berkeley Homes

Poplar Riverside is located within walking distance of Canary Wharf – image by Simon Taylor / simontaylorphoto.com

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Housing association Poplar HARCA is currently marketing a selection of 96 shared ownership properties on the west bank of the River Lea in east London.

The apartments form part of the wider Poplar Riverside development, which is currently under construction by Berkeley Homes and will eventually see 2,800 residences built on the site of a former gasworks.

Plans for the 20-acre site include a new one-hectare park with green spaces, play areas and extensive landscaping, commercial space for businesses and amenities, a freshly cleared riverside walk and a secondary school.

Poplar HARCA’s collection of one and two-bedroom apartments are spread across three buildings at the development. 

Prospective buyers can expect open-plan living areas, fully fitted kitchens with Bosch appliances, rainfall showers in the bathrooms, underfloor heating, fitted window coverings and private outdoor spaces.

The apartments feature open-plan design - image by Simon Taylor / simontaylorphoto.com
The apartments feature open-plan design – image by Simon Taylor / simontaylorphoto.com

facilities at Poplar Riverside

But Poplar Riverside offers buyers more besides what’s in their own property.

Residents will enjoy access to The Riverside Club, with planned facilities including a 20m swimming pool, jacuzzi and spa, a lounge area, co-working spaces, a games room and a private cinema. 

“There are many reasons why buyers should consider looking to secure an apartment at east London’s Poplar Riverside,” said Helen Mason, head of sales and marketing at Poplar HARCA.

“The developer, Berkeley Homes Group, is an award-winning company with 40 years of experience and a proven history of delivering exceptional places for people to live, work and enjoy, with sustainability in mind.   

“Poplar HARCA is an award-winning Housing Association in east London, helping to create a place where people, communities and business grow and thrive. 

“Our sales team takes pride in making shared ownership simple and straight forward with our staff on hand throughout your journey to make it stress-free. 

“Being a shared owner is one of the most flexible ways on the market to make your home your own.”

Location is of key importance to buyers and Poplar Riverside’s situation places it at the heart of widespread local regeneration. 

It’s well located for East India DLR station as well as the Jubilee Line, DLR and bus services at Canning Town. 

Canary Wharf is less than 30 minutes’ walk or a 10-minute bike ride.

Just across the Lea, ecological regeneration project Cody Dock is working to understand and boost local wildlife. 

There are plans for three bridges in the area to increase connection across the water and shorten travel times to public transport stops.

Prices for shared ownership properties start at £105,000 for a 25% share of a one-bed based on a full market value of £420,000.

Two-beds start at £117,500 based on a full value of £470,000. 

Assuming buyers purchase with a 95% mortgage that could mean 5% deposits on those properties of £5,250 and £5,875 respectively. 

Poplar HARCA is offering one and two-bedroom properties at Poplar Riverside - image by Simon Taylor / simontaylorphoto.com
Poplar HARCA is offering one and two-bedroom properties at Poplar Riverside – image by Simon Taylor / simontaylorphoto.com

key details: Poplar Riverside

Poplar HARCA has two show flats for prospective buyers to view in two blocks at Poplar Riverside. For more information or to register your interest, email

sales.enquiries@poplarharca.co.uk or call 020 7538 6460.

Find out more about the homes here

Read more: SO Resi’s Kevin Sims on the advantages of shared ownership

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Cody Dock set to create heritage centre for Newham on the Lea

Grant of £1.6million will see historic boat refurbished and used as the roof of a glass-walled structure

Computer generated image shows a glass walled structure with a blue and red boat as its roof - Cody Dock's planned heritage centre
An artist’s impression of the new heritage centre at Cody Dock

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The Cody Dock project has many facets to it.

Central to its plans are the twin aims of returning what was an abandoned industrial wasteland to community use alongside efforts to boost and study the local ecology.

But there’s also Gasworks Dock Partnership’s mission to preserve and celebrate Newham’s rich heritage – a project that recently received a massive shot in the arm.

In 18 months’ time, walkers along the River Lea cutting through Cody Dock will find a singular structure in front of them. 

Beside the rolling bridge and The Growing Space – now used to rear much of the project’s plant life – a new heritage centre will be created.

Lighting Up The Lea has won a £1.6million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will see a glass walled pavilion built on the site covered by a rather unusual roof – a former Welsh lifeboat.

The vessel is not, however, just a convenient lozenge of timbers and iron to protect visitors from the elements.

It boasts a remarkable, historic link to Newham, making it perhaps the most appropriate of structures to help protect the history of the area.

Image shows two men with red hair in front of the mahogany panels of the Frederick Kitchen at Cody Dock
Simon Myers, left, with son Tom who is leading the restoration of the boat at Cody Dock

arrival at Cody Dock

“Just before the Olympics in 2012, we were approached by a bunch of West Ham football fans who knew that the club was going to move to the London Stadium in Stratford,” said Simon Myers, Gasworks Dock Partnership and mastermind of the Cody Dock project. 

“They knew the club originated at the Thames Ironworks, which once owned land at the mouth of the River Lea when its managing director, Arnold Hills, helped found a football club to help improve the health of its workers.

“The fans had bought a boat that had been built by the company, thinking that the London Legacy Development Corporation would agree to use it as part of a museum next to the new stadium dedicated to the history of West Ham and the Ironworks.

“However, they weren’t successful in securing funding or a site – even though it was a good idea – and they approached us initially just to store the boat.

“Years passed and nothing really happened except a second boat turned up that in an even worse state than the first.

“Eventually they offered them to us for scrap.”

Image shows the Frederick Kitchen, a stripped down wooden boat sat on supports, as work continues
The Frederick Kitchen, part of the way through her restoration

scrap, or something else?

However, Simon and the team were not about to simply discard the craft. Instead, a plan was slowly hatched to show off at least one of the craft in all its glory and preserve it for future generations.

“My thought was that, if we’re going to do something with these boats, it’s because we want to tell their story,” said Simon. 

“It’s not about getting them in the water – we’ve got plenty of boats here for that. So why not restore one, turn it upside down and use it as a roof of a structure with glass walls?

“That way people will get to see the exterior of the boat from outside and the interior when inside.

“You’ll have this beautiful cathedral ceiling and see all of the internal structure.”

The Frederick Kitchen, named in honour of a former lifeboat master, is not just an elegant architectural solution.

Having won funding to carry out a feasibility study – a precursor to the £1.6million award – the Gasworks Dock Partnership engaged in an extensive programme of research into her history.

It turns out, she may have been the very last vessel to leave the Ironworks, which closed in 1912.

A computer generated image of people in a glass-walled building with the boat as its roof
An artist’s impression of the interior of the heritage centre

an important history

“There’s a glass plate image owned by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich that shows her sitting in a dry dock all by herself in 1913,” said Simon. 

“We think she may have been the last to leave – we do know she was one of a string of five boats that weren’t finished when the works closed, although she was completed and became a Watson class lifeboat stationed at Beaumaris from 1914 to 1945.

“The closure marked the end of major shipbuilding on the Thames.

“Her hull is made from Honduran mahogany with a steam-bent interior frame of oak with a keel of solid iron that runs along her entire length and weighs as much as the rest of her put together.

“She’s really the pinnacle of timber shipbuilding – designed at the crossover between pulling and sailing vessels and motorised craft, so she has some adaptations including an encased propeller to avoid it being fouled by nets and rigging, which wouldn’t want if you were engaged in a rescue.

“A few years after she was launched, new technologies came in with the use of plywood and then fibreglass and plastic.

“She was the last of her kind.”

A crane holds the former lifeboat as she is moved to a special shed for refurbishment works
The boat is brought into a special shed, ready for refurbishment

a grant for Cody Dock

The full grant will be used over three years, with 18 months to prepare the ground for the new structure and restore Frederick Kitchen to her former glory – the latter project being headed up by Simon’s son, Tom.

The money will also cover a rolling programme of events centred around Newham heritage  with the space eventually used to host quarterly exhibitions.

“For a long time now, in addition to the ecology, which is really special, we’ve felt that one of the selling points of this area is the heritage of the Lea,” said Simon.

“One of the things that’s always struck us is that, apart from the House Mill, Newham doesn’t have any museums – certainly not ones that reflect the wider heritage of the area.

“There’s such a rich seam of history here, whether it’s the Lea as a boundary between the Danes and the Saxons or how the land on the east bank was part of Essex rather than London and all the implications of that.

“Then there’s the arrival of industry, which saw the local population increase from 4,000 to around 250,000 in about 50 years.”

Two people work on the woodwork of the Frederick Kitchen
Tom supervises as renovation work continues

a rich seam of exhibitions

“Frankly we would need an Amazon-size warehouse to cover all the heritage we have and we reckon we could go for 30 years without repeating a topic with quarterly exhibitions in our multi-functional, multi-purpose structure,” added Simon.

“The likes of West Ham and Tate & Lyle have fantastic archives that are not on show to the public so it would be amazing to feature pieces from those collections.

“We have so many plans. It will take 18 months to restore the boat and we’ll be re-landscaping the site of the building at the same time.

“We’ll be doing outdoor exhibitions for Lighting Up The Lea during that period as well as working with the community and participants on our education programmes to gather more stories and local history.

“When our heritage programme launches, our plan is that one quarter will be dedicated to ecology, one to social heritage, one to industrial heritage and the last to miscellaneous aspects of history.”

Image shows a general view of Cody Dock on the River Lea under a rainbow with a toothed rolling bridge made of iron and a large wooden sculpture of a figure
Cody Dock boasts myriad facilities including a rolling bridge

key details – Cody Dock

The Cody Dock project has a wealth of opportunities for volunteers to get involved, with activities including the restoration of the Frederick Kitchen, cleaning up the River Lea and studying the area’s ecology. 

Find out more about the project here

Read more: How Third Space has expanded its offering at Canary Wharf

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Canning Town: How Confluence at Cody Dock is literally immersive as an artwork

Lighting Up The Lea commission plunges visitors into the sounds of the river and the surrounding area

Gino Brignoli, biodiversity officer at Cody Dock

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“Immersive” is one of the most over-used words when it comes to the arts.

But Confluence at Cody Dock has a singular and legitimate claim to it, if desired.

Artist Tom Fisher has created a body of work based on a five-month residency at the community-led regeneration that literally plunges the ears of listeners into the River Lea and its environment.

Working under the name Action Pyramid, the sonic artist and musician was awarded Cody Dock’s Lighting Up The Lea commission – a challenge to respond creatively to its Tidal Lea River Ecology Report.

While some might have expected lights and bulbs to play a part in that response – given the title – with typical freedom of thought, the decision was made to fund a project that would illuminate the river for visitors in a different sense.

Supported by Cockayne Grants For The Arts, The London Community Foundation and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Confluence itself comes in multiple parts.

Artist Tom Fisher, aka Action Pyramid, records sound under water

The first is already in place and free for visitors to Cody Dock to experience. 

Listen To The Lea allows up to two people to put on headphones at a dedicated spot and listen live to the sounds of the river below via two hydrophones that are permanently submerged in its waters.

The free listening post will be in place until June 12, 2024, with visitors able to listen in person or to tune in online.

“I find it very relaxing,” said Gino Brignoli, biodiversity officer at Cody Dock.

“I can’t stop myself from trying to figure out what it is I’m hearing – perhaps I’m not zen enough – but I really enjoy sitting there and listening.

“I love being next to the water – having the opportunity to see the river, especially at slack tide when the Lea is relatively still.

“I find it fascinating that so much sound is contained within its waters.

“While we don’t necessarily know what we’re listening to through the hydrophones, water is an amazing conductor of sound and there are so many things to hear.

Tom with his Listen To The Lea installation

“Everything that lives beneath the surface tends to communicate that way because it’s a murky world and vision is unreliable. 

“We can’t be certain, but we think we may have heard fish moving pebbles around and clams letting out air on the bottom.

“Personally, I like that the sounds give you an imaginary world to enter.”

While the Lea is considered to be “bad” environmentally speaking – with Gino and other groups targeting improvements that will at least see it receive a rating of “poor” – the river nevertheless teems with life. 

Lighting Up The Lea’s focus is on turning the spotlight on an ecosystem that supports bats, eels, kingfishers and grey seals as well as invaders such as crayfish and mitten crabs. 

“It’s about saying: ‘Hey, this is London’s second largest river and very few people know about it – either that it exists at all or that it’s significant’,” said Gino.

“There’s a lot of work to be done to make sure people know about it, so they can visit.

“We’ve had visitors from Eastlea School in West Ham, for example – which is named after the river – and found that even the teachers hadn’t necessarily made that connection, or been aware that the Lea is here in east London.

Gino enjoys the sounds of the Lea looking towards Tower Hamlets

“The exciting thing about working in ecology is that as long as there’s a will, we can actually achieve quite a lot. The younger generation seem to be more engaged – it’s exciting because this is where the change will come from.”

Awareness is ultimately the point of Confluence  – an appropriate name for a work created on the tidal Lea where fresh water meets brackish, changing direction twice a day as it rises and falls by four or five metres.

The second part of the work will come in the form of an installation that is set to launch with a live event on April 12, 2024.

Tom’s sonic work – wrought from recordings of the subaquatic world, the movement of the Lea estuary’s mud, passing bats and seasonal birdsong – will then be available to hear daily in a dedicated listening space at The Barn, Cody Dock’s new venue and arts space.

“It has been a real pleasure to begin working on this commission, with the Lea often being a source of inspiration for my work,” said Tom. 

“The chance to spend extended time exploring, listening to, and learning about the local tidal ecosystem and surrounding habitat has been really wonderful.

“Something which is often a feature of my practice is using sound as a means to help us reconsider a place.

“The site’s ecology report has been a fascinating starting point.”

Cody Dock CEO, Simon Myers, added: “The lower Lea is rapidly changing and without wider appreciation and awareness of its incredible urban biodiversity we are on track to lose this rich diversity, just as people are rediscovering this under-appreciated corner of London. 

“My hope is that this commission will quite literally help shine a light on the Lea while also producing a new piece of immersive art that inspires people’s imagination.”

Tom’s installation will be available to listen to at Cody Dock’s art space The Barn
  • dive in

The Listen To The Lea part of Confluence is available to experience daily for free on the east bank of the river. It will be in place until June 12, 2024.

Action Pyramid’s installation will be available to listen to for free after April 12.

While Cody Dock is continually open for walkers, its official hours of operation are 9am-5.30pm daily. 

The regeneration effort offers people a wealth of opportunities to volunteer, including on projects to restore and re-flood the dock itself, to clean up the Lea and to observe and record the wildlife that can be found locally.

The scheme is home to a wide variety of initiatives aimed at transforming a formerly derelict toxic waste dump on an industrial estate into an area and facility, which can be enjoyed and visited by local residents and those further afield.

In 2022 it featured in Sir David Attenborough’s Saving Our Wild Isles.  

Find out more about Cody Dock here

Read more: New events space Broadwick Studio launches on Wood Wharf’s Water Street

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Leamouth: How the SS Robin has returned to within 150m of her London birthplace

Historic ship’s move is the start of the latest chapter as Trinity Buoy Wharf prepares her for opening

The SS Robin, moored at her new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf – image Harry Dwyer

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So there she sits, resplendent in her red and black livery, atop a specially constructed pontoon and ready for the next chapter of her life.

The SS Robin has, after some 133 years, returned to within 150m of the shipyard where the iron plates of her hull were first riveted together. 

She might be smaller in size than the Cutty Sark and HMS Belfast – but make no mistake – as historic ships in London go, she’s deserving of attention.

And following her most recent relocation from Royal Victoria Dock to Trinity Buoy Wharf, the story of the only surviving Victorian steam ship in existence is a big step closer to getting appropriate prominence.

It’s a move that’s been a long time coming.

Having spent a chunk of her retirement (1991-2008) at West India Quay opposite Canary Wharf, the Crossrail project saw her moved to Suffolk, with funding secured for restoration.

That saw her lifted from the water and mounted on a pontoon in 2010, with the intention of returning her to Docklands for public exhibition. 

But plans to open her as a museum ship in Royal Victoria Dock faltered so, while she has been moored near Millennium Mills since 2011, she’s remained mostly closed to the public and inaccessible. 

Nearly there – passing the cable car over the Thames – image Simon Richards

Schemes were mooted, plans made and locations suggested, but in more than a decade, Robin failed to find a permanent home.

A site was not forthcoming in either the Royals or West India Docks, amid the ironically choppy administrative waters of the bodies managing these vast human-made lakes. 

Eric Reynolds is founding director of Urban Space Management, which runs Trinity Buoy Wharf.

He is a man who makes things happen. London is strewn with projects he’s had a hand in – Camden Lock Market, Gabriel’s Wharf on the South Bank, Greenwich Market and Merton Abbey Mills, to name a few.

After becoming involved with the SS Robin and growing frustration at the failure to open her to the public as promised, he’s now overseen the relocation of the vessel to the mouth of the River Lea, where she will have a permanent home among the growing historic fleet at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

“The original intention was to keep going with the project and leave Robin where she was in Royal Docks,” said Eric.

“But eventually I gave up – I just couldn’t get any of the organisations to get off the fence.

“So instead we turned to the Port Of London Authority to get a licence to drive two piles into the riverbed at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Heading through the Thames Barrier on her way to Trinity Buoy Wharf – image Simon Richards

“The ship and her pontoon probably have a combined weight of about 600tonnes, which is not something I’d want to moor directly against the listed river wall as it would pose some risk.

“So, instead, it’s held between two giant ‘knitting needles’, which weigh 17 tonnes each. There’s a seven-metre rise and fall of the tide, so Robin will demonstrate that every day.”

That change in level also presents the last significant stumbling block to opening the vessel to the public.

A 40m gangway is set to be installed over the next couple of months that will go up and down with the level of the water, providing access at a suitable gradient.

Then, members of the public will be able to tour the vessel and view a wealth of information about her past and why she’s been preserved in this way.

“The driving idea is to make that information and Robin herself available to people who live here and know the area, as well as newcomers to it,” said Eric.

“There’s a population the size of Swindon scheduled to move in – a whole new town is being created.

“Shipping is still the major way by which the world trades with itself and London is here because it was driven by this tidal river and the trade that took place on it.

“Robin is the very last complete trading vessel of the period in the world with its original method of propulsion still in place.

“She was sold reasonably early in her life to the Spanish who operated her on a bit of a shoestring, so they didn’t do what nearly everyone else did, which was to take out the steam engine and put in an easily operated diesel.

“When you look at the ship and see the small size of the rudder and the huge propeller, you realise she’s relying on torque rather than revs.

Urban Space Management’s Eric Reynolds – image Jon Massey

“I really take my hat off to her crew – operating her in a crowded dock. With modern vessels you have bow thrusters and they can turn on a sixpence whatever the weather.

“With Robin you’d have had to spend 12 hours just getting steam up – their lives were so hard. We have a lot of material about her working life so we’ll be able to tell people all about it – the crew on her maiden voyage, for example. 

“What we won’t do is commercialise her in any way – the whole point about this ship is she looks and feels like one that would carry coals from Newcastle and salted herring from Aberdeen.

“That should be respected and the entire idea is to create a free access open museum, along the lines of Blists Hill in Shropshire, where people can come to learn.”

Trinity Buoy Wharf plans to work with a cross section of organisations including schools, artists and musicians to explore and illuminate the vessel’s heritage as a jumping off point for study, not least in the fields of science and technology.

It also intends to tell the story of the ship’s construction at the yard of Mackenzie, MacAlpine And Company in Blackwall.

“That’s really quite amazing,” said Eric.

“With health and safety now, we could never imagine a 14-year-old boy throwing lumps of red hot metal up for someone else to catch in a shovel.

“The majority of the ship is original, and when we cut some of the metal and sent it away, the people said that you couldn’t get iron like this any more.

“It was probably made by some process that you wouldn’t be allowed to do now.

“For young people it’s a window into a lost world – an educational asset rather than a tourist attraction.”

In time, Trinity Buoy Wharf plans to bring all the historic vessels in its collection together with row barge Diana and the tugs Knocker White and Suncrest connected to the SS Robin, so visitors can tour all of them.

Watch this space for an opening date for the historic vessel.

Find out more about the SS Robin at Trinity Buoy Wharf here

Read more: How Canary Wharf’s Creative Virtual is taming the voice of AI

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Stratford: How London College Of Fashion is opening itself up to the community

UAL’s East Bank campus hosts Designed For Life exhibition showcasing fashion as a force for positive change

The Decolonising Fashion And Textiles Project, part of the Designed For Life exhibition at the London College Of Fashion

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Even partially open, the enormity of East Bank cannot be overstated.

Its buildings on the edge of the River Lea may appear compact when viewed crossing the water from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

But this is largely an optical illusion due to the sheer scale of Stratford – the towering structures of International Quarter London and similar behind. 

But, if the physical space afforded to the likes of the BBC Music Studios, V&A East and Sadler’s Wells East is considerable, then the cultural, economic and psychological impact on Newham and the surrounding area is greater still.

Tom Daley splashing into the pool at the London Aquatics Centre and West Ham kicking a small round inflatable about may be sporting legacies of the 2012 Olympic Games.

But their true legacy – more than a decade later – is in the regeneration of the area and the prosperity this will bring in the long term.

How many students will walk through the doors of UCL East (part of East Bank, albeit located on the other side of the river)?

How many dancers will tread the boards at Sadler’s Wells’ new venue?

What music will be played for the BBC?

What sights will be seen at the V&A?

How many lives will now be enriched and shaped by what goes on in these buildings in a part of London that 15 years ago looked very different? 

These are tantalising questions with thrilling answers that will undoubtedly shape Stratford in the years and decades to come. 

Heartening then, that the first of the gang to open at the main cluster is already making significant early efforts to use its space for good.

Designed For Life is displayed over five publicly accessible parts of LCF

University Of The Arts London has consolidated the London College Of Fashion (LCF) at East Bank in a purpose-built tower, which opened earlier this year.

One of its first acts has been to fill five of the publicly accessible areas of the building with Designed For Life, an exhibition featuring textiles, design, film, photography, artefacts, personal testimonies and community building intended to showcase “the transformative power of creative action in shaping our world”.

Suffice to say, there’s a lot going on.

There’s a dress made from a decommissioned refugee tent, an interactive living room reflecting the lives of people in east London, a cloth dragon in a trenchcoat, textile artworks created by migrants together with fabric portraits of them and much more. 

Far too much, in fact, for this article to do the whole thing justice. However, the feel of Designed For Life is very much of using LCF as a platform to tell stories from the area – bringing people who might not usually be represented in such a building inside and putting them centre stage. 

It makes sense, then, to focus on just one part of the exhibition and dig a little deeper into what visitors can expect to find among the swirling cast concrete staircases of the latest addition to Stratford’s educational scene.

Head down a level from the entrance and you’ll find items and a short film showcasing UAL’s Decolonising Fashion And Textiles Project.

Dr Francesco Mazzarella, senior lecturer at LCF’s Centre For Sustainable Fashion

Dr Francesco Mazzarella, senior lecturer at LCF’s Centre For Sustainable Fashion, who is leading the initiative said: “The project runs for two years and has received funding from the Arts And Humanities Research Council.

“First I did some ethnography to immerse myself in the context – the three boroughs we are concentrating on – which are Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

“I wanted to understand the needs and aspirations of the local communities there.

“Then we did storytelling sessions with participants who are refugees or asylum seekers based in London.

“The stories were of identity, cultural heritage and migration – but also the participants’ skills, needs and aspirations.

“In the sessions we were asking them to bring clothes, textiles and objects that meant something to them.

“We are very mindful that refugees are often interviewed, investigated or monitored, so we didn’t want to do a study of them.

“Instead, as a team we all took part by bringing our own objects as a way to share each other’s lives and also build empathy.

“People coming to view Designed For Life will see more than 40 artworks created by participants and ourselves with statements written to express our feelings.


A migrant himself, Francesco created his own artwork alongside workshop participants, including fabrics to remind him of Brazil, Holland, South Africa and Italy

“It’s really a celebration of the untold stories of refugees – which are often overlooked – with the exhibition aiming to shift negative or dominant narratives to show how people can bring their skills and talents to a local community and economy.”

Francesco worked with local photographer JC Candanedo – a Catalan-Panamanian migrant who has a studio in London – to capture images of people taking part in the sessions. 

The headshots were then transferred to fabric, with participants using multiple techniques to decorate, embroider and alter them.

Each work has its creator’s statement printed on the reverse so visitors can discover more about the people they are seeing.

“What’s beautiful is that every story is unique and challenges what it means to be a refugee or asylum seeker in London,” said Francesco.

“People come here to escape from war, violence due to religion, gender discrimination or politics.

“What I like is the collective sense of all these stories – it’s bigger than the individual parts.

“The coming together of all of this gives a sense of community and the mutual support which builds for refugees.

“People participated for different reasons.

“Some were interested in fashion and textiles, wanted to learn some skills, or perhaps worked in the industry and are aiming to rebuild their careers here.

“Others just wanted to meet new people and use crafts to enhance their wellbeing – especially those living isolated in hotels in very poor conditions.

“Meeting other people has helped them to rebuild their confidence, and making new connections has helped them to rebuild their lives.

One participant created two artworks during the project, this one during a pilot session

“One participant has two artworks in the exhibition.

“The first was created for a pilot we did last summer. 

“It is very dark, with blood coming from the eyes.

“As a researcher I have tools to help people unpack their stories.

“At first she had an identity crisis about her heritage.

“She’s from Singapore and, as a trans woman, she was the victim of rape, and when she reported this to the police, she was blamed for being trans.

“She came here and joined our project.

“At first she didn’t care about fashion or want to pursue a career in fashion.

“She thought it was unreachable and not very inclusive.

“She wanted to wear more western clothes to feel more integrated into society here.

“She has very traumatic memories of her own country and wants deliberately to erase her own past. 

“All through this project we tried to highlight something small that she had which could keep her grounded, and she realised that she always wore a necklace given to her by her mum before she left.

“You can see that in her second work.

“She wanted to add some glitter to this artwork as a sense of hope for a brighter future.

The second piece she created

“Through this process she met many other people, and now she’s volunteering for several charities and is feeling much more confident.

“You can see here that she has really embraced her gender and identity and is also tapping into different aspects of her culture and heritage by including batik from Indonesia, where her auntie is from, for example. 

“In the second piece – called Smiles And Pain – she wants to unpack what it means to be an asylum seeker, where she says that, even if we wear a smile and are resilient, behind that there is a mountain of trauma and pain.

“She also wants to say that everybody wants to be treated with tenderness and deserves love and safety.

“Refugees may not have many material possessions, but they really hold onto their material culture and their heritage. 

“Working with vulnerable people, we can’t ask them to tackle the climate emergency from a sustainability point of view– they have more pressing issues socially.

“By plugging into their heritage, however, they can start gaining agency – a voice – and make connections locally that may point to education, employment and entrepreneurship.

“That’s using fashion to drive positive change.”

Remember, this is just one of five displays covering multiple projects at Designed For Life. Set aside an afternoon to explore the exhibition fully.

  • Designed For Life is free to visit with no booking required.
  • The exhibits are available to view at LCF at Stratford’s East Bank, 10am-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday and will be in place until January 19, 2024.

Find out more about the exhibition here

Designed For Life features a series of installations including a recreation of a textile worker’s front room

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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