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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
- 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
“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.
- 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
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.
- 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
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
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.
- 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
Hand stencils have been found in caves dating back around 64,000 years but the act of making marks on a surface has perhaps never been as widely celebrated as it is today thanks to innumerable social media time lapse videos.
Things were very different in 1994, however, when artist and academic Anita Taylor set about founding a drawing competition.
“I founded it when I was working in higher education at an art school in Gloucestershire because it was hard to teach drawing without showing students contemporary examples,” said Anita, who today is professor at and dean of Duncan Of Jordanstone College Of Art And Design at the University Of Dundee.
“What was then the Rexel Derwent Open Drawing Exhibition was one way of supporting artists who draw by giving them the opportunity to show their work.
“But it was also a great opportunity to give students the chance to see the work of artists who made drawings and were drawing now.
“Contemporary drawings were difficult to see other than in museums up to the 1990s, so the exhibition has grown from there.
“It has become very popular and there has been a very big submission.
“Through that we’ve built a lovely community of artists who want to test their work through the format of an exhibition.
Dean of Duncan Of Jordanstone College Of Art And Design at the University Of Dundee, Professor Anita Taylor
“It also works to further education in terms of being able to share drawings and discourse about them with schools, colleges, universities, researchers and the public, of course.”
The competition has been through several iterations since it was founded, including some 16 years as the Jerwood Drawing Prize with funding from the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.
Attracting more than 3,000 submissions, it culminates in an exhibition of some 65 works, which starts off in east London before touring the country.
A panel of selectors is responsible for choosing the shortlisted entries and awarding four prizes – first and second place for £8,000 and £5,000 respectively, a student award of £2,000 and the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award of £10,000, which is given every other year.
There is also a separate submission and selection process for working drawings with a prize of £2,000.
All submissions from the UK need to reach the selectors by June 30, 2023.
“Drawing is hugely important to everybody as a vital means of communication and expression,” said Anita.
“It’s something that we all do, but it has become a very sophisticated language and something that enables us to see where we are in the world – to understand what it is to be human and to communicate effectively.
“It covers the whole range of languages, medium, purposes. We’re looking for drawings that are different in their form, intent, content and execution.
Anita founded the prize to provide a place to see drawings other than in museums
“It might be a performance drawing, a diagram, an expressive drawing – we don’t define what a drawing is, but we do ask people to consider what a drawing is.
“Then, it’s for the panel to decide what a good drawing is and find a good drawing they can agree on.
“It’s a very broad field and this is part of our discussion about what a drawing is today. That’s why we have a series of experts reflecting on this.
“We’ve had works entirely found, works that have been performance drawings and works that are beautifully executed – more conventional drawings.
“We’ve had fantastic things and amazing artists in the show.
“We’ve had phenomenally well-established artists, either at the beginning of their career and also later in their career.
“It’s a great thing where people feel open to test their own drawings.
“We see works by students, by various published artists and people who draw but may not be artists – engineers, for example.
“It’s the panel’s decision whether to include digital work, but if it’s original work, then some argue it shouldn’t be reproducible – but it really depends what its purpose is.
“David Hockney’s digital drawings are really amazing, for example, so we think we will see drawings that reflect that interest, but it will be down to the selectors to see which ones they want to include in the exhibition.”
The exhibition will be in Trinity Buoy Wharf from September 27, 2023
The 2023 panel making those decisions for the main prizes will be Laura Hoptman, executive director of The Drawing Center in New York, Dennis Scholl, collector, arts patron and president and CEO of Oolite Arts and British artist Barbara Walker.
It will be their deliberations, which result in the content of the exhibition, which is set to launch on September 27, 2023, at Trinity Buoy Wharf.
“I hope people who come and see it will be excited by drawing – that most humble of activities,” said Anita.
“It’s something that appeals to everyone. I hope they will see that drawing is really inclusive.
“It’s an extraordinary space that explores and reflects all sorts of different approaches to drawing, to see marks on paper, on the ground, on film, on tracing paper – testaments about being alive in the world today.
“I should like visitors to take from it that everyone can draw, and we’ll include everybody.
“We’ll also have a fantastic education pack and we’ll be encouraging schools and colleges – everybody – to get involved.
A panel will draw up a shortlist of entries, which will be exhibited
“The exhibition is set to finish on October 15 at Trinity Buoy Wharf before it goes on tour everywhere.
“It’s something people all over the country can really enjoy because drawing can help them deal with complex issues in a way that can engage others.
“That’s one of the beautiful things about it – it can take people on a journey without them feeling that it’s complicated.
“It’s perhaps less frightening and more inviting than other kinds of art.
“The space at Trinity Buoy Wharf is so welcoming, so open and so reflective.
“Anyone is welcome to submit work, but we would recommend that people are over 18.
“There’s no age limit as such – we don’t want anything that would stop work being submitted.
“So if you think it’s a drawing – a good one – and it’s a drawing you want to test in this kind of way, then it’s a fabulous opportunity to get your work seen by a really distinguished panel.”
- 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
“I just think this plucky building really deserves to survive – it’s been through so much,” said Beverley Charters.
We’ve just ascended an ageing wooden staircase and squeezed through a small wooden portal to pop out onto the roof of the House Mill, a Grade I listed structure that straddles the River Lea in Bromley-By-Bow.
To stand on the duckboards in the v-shaped channel that runs between the roof of the building’s twin peaks is a rare privilege.
It’s not on the official tour for various health and safety reasons, but it does provide a place to locate this extraordinary hub of historic industry in east London.
Beverley points out all the areas and activities that the mill would once have supported, including a vast pig farm with the animals fed on waste products from the site.
Today it’s a sea of regeneration with Sugar House Island and many others, all set to bring new homes and businesses to the area as progress marches on.
Under our feet, however, some 247 years of history await.
Today two mills remain standing at Three Mills although the site has a history of tidal milling that dates back to the Domesday Book in 1086 – the earliest recorded examples of such activity.
Originally Three Mills produced flour, notably for the celebrated bakers of Stratford-Atte-Bowe, with the number of mills dropping to two in the 16th century.
The site later pivoted to grind grain that was used to distil alcohol and the area became a major player in the production of London gin.
Today the House Mill, built in 1776 on foundations dating to 1380, and the Clock Mill, rebuilt in the early 19th century, still stand.
While the latter currently houses the Harris Science Academy East London, the former continues on a journey of restoration and preservation that started in the 1970s when this glorious building nearly became a flat expanse of tarmac.
The House Mill’s Beverley Charters, a trustee, and Geoff Cosson, a volunteer
“It could have been destroyed by bombs during the Second World War like the neighbouring Miller’s House or flattened by developers who wanted to turn it into a car park – but it wasn’t,” said Beverley – a trustee of the House Mill Trust, which looks after the building and who – alongside volunteer Geoff Cosson – shows me round.
“What we ultimately want is a working building that offers all manner of opportunities to educate people so they can see the wheels turning again.
“This is the world’s largest tidal mill, it’s an extraordinary building and it’s our dream to make it fully functioning and sustainable – a place with real purpose.”
Even without the waters of the Lea turning the wheels, the building is remarkable.
Filtering down through its levels – following the route that would have been taken by the grains on their way to the grinding stones and the sacks waiting for the flour on the ground floor – Beverley and Geoff release a steady flow of anecdotes and facts about our surroundings.
Mostly constructed from wood, the place is a baffling maze of hoppers, stores and production floors where the grain would have been sorted, cleaned and fed into the whirling stones whenever the tide was providing the power, day or night.
That force was provided by four massive iron waterwheels, harnessing the green energy of the Lea and distributing it through the building via huge drive shafts.
The overall plan is to restore the House Mill to some degree of working order with the waterwheels spinning once more with the tide, although these will be used to generate electricity to power the building and give it an income, rather than to grind grain.
With much work done internally in the 1990s, including the rebuilding of the bombed out Miller’s House as a cafe, visitor and education centre, a substantial amount of work has already been achieved.
Wooden blanks in the mill for making metal machine parts
But the trust faces big bills to keep operating and fundraising for a challenging project to dam the river, so work can be done on the wheels to bring them back into use.
It’s also having to contend with increasingly frequent flooding of the mill’s ground floor, possibly as a consequence of measures upstream to control the level of the waterways in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which prevents the incoming tide flowing as far up the river.
Nevertheless, there’s a sense of fight and optimism, with the next project aimed at weatherproofing and protecting the rear of the building to match the recently renovated facade. We wanted to complete it pre-lockdown, but it’s finished now and we think it looks rather fabulous,” said Beverley.
“Now we’re somehow going to fundraise for the back and repair some storm damage we’ve had to the roof before returning to the main project of getting the building working again. We hope it will be possible and we think we can do it.”
But why bother expending all this effort to conserve and celebrate a historic building at all?
“I just think buildings like this are fantastic,” said Geoff, a former teacher who became involved with the project after moving back to the Isle Of Dogs from Cyprus and visiting the House Mill with his wife.
“There’s also a degree of connection because both my grandparents were from this area – my grandmother lived in Nairn Street just down the river and got married on Christmas Day at the registrar’s office in Bromley-By-Bow, which is still there.
“I wanted to be involved with something that wasn’t just about ogling things, where there was a bit of history.”
The mill contains examples of machinery used in its operation
Alongside that link to the history of the area, there’s also a major part that the mill can play in east London’s ongoing story.
“We have been in a period of recovery following the pandemic, but we were busy pre-lockdown with weddings, quiz nights, gin tastings and other events,” said Beverley.
“They might not relate to the history of the mill directly but once people are here we smuggle the heritage in.
“What we’ve found is that once people come through the door and see the size of the machinery they just love it and we have lots of stories we can tell them.”
The House Mill Trust is currently seeking funding and volunteers to continue its work.
The building will be open on Sundays in summer for guided tours costing £10 (including a guide book and a hot drink).
The House Mill’s next project is to refurbish its rear wooden facade
- 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
In September last year, the East London Science School joined the Harris Federation – a trust comprising more than 50 primary and secondary schools in and around London.
Originally founded as a standalone free school in 2013, the newly named Harris Science Academy East London has become part of a much wider family of institutions and has its eyes firmly on the future.
The ultimate plan for the academy is a move just across the Channelsea River into purpose-built premises as part of Berkeley Homes’ vast TwelveTrees Park.
This development will see some 3,800 homes and other amenities constructed on land between the River Lea and West Ham station.
In the meantime, however, the academy remains based across two sites – The Clock Mill and Lock-Keepers – for Years 7-9 and 10-11 respectively, having last month opened a new sixth form facility at Three Mills.
Principal Mark Taylor said: “The new building is called Custom House and was historically used for checking goods coming in and out of the area.
“The academy was previously on three sites with the sixth form based in facilities at Eastlea Community School.
“The opening of Custom House means we can bring those students back to the Three Mills site, which is very important.
“Sixth formers should be the leading students in any school.
“From the point of view of unity and the vision of the school it’s perfect. It brings us together and helps to create a common purpose in terms of what we’re trying to do here.
“Having those sixth formers on this site shows our younger students where they can get to – it really makes a difference if they are visible.
“The building itself has been renovated to a high standard by the film studio that’s based next door to us and, as it became clearer that relocating the sixth form would be beneficial, the Harris Federation team secured it for us and set it up properly for our staff and students.
Harris Science Academy East London principal Mark Taylor
“It has some beautiful, traditional features and a lovely layout but with modern facilities.
“We are expecting Lord Harris to open it on March 9, which will also mark the official launch of the Harris Science Academy East London.”
Joining the Harris Federation is a big change in itself for the institution. The organisation educates tens of thousands of pupils in the capital and employs thousands of teachers.
“Primarily what the federation brings to us is the organisational infrastructure to support what we are doing – something that can be challenging for an academy on a temporary site like we are,” said Mark.
“It has the resources to ensure that we have everything that’s appropriate to a modern school setting in terms of safeguarding and in areas of compliance.
“The federation also offers an enormous amount of teaching support. It has subject consultants to help our staff deliver the best education to our students that they can and to help teachers as we continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
“The federation has a wealth of experience that we can draw on to ensure our students get the best outcomes possible and has a strong track record in doing that.
“This includes a focus on the progress of every child to make sure they are doing the best that they can.
“We are distinctive in offering three science subjects all the way through the school for as many children as possible and we hope to maintain that approach.
“But we also have a really strong humanities offer including Latin, Mandarin and modern languages.
“Right now, our focus is on exam performance and ensuring students are getting the right results.
“We know what assessment data our students come to us from primary schools with and what that means they are capable of and it’s our job, through good teaching, support and experience, to help them achieve that.
The academy is currently based at Three Mills Island
“What the Harris Federation gives us is a really solid foundation for the academy so that we can make that happen.
“We look different to other schools in the area – we aren’t surrounded by fences and we’re currently based in historic buildings – and we want to stand out.
“We offer a great range of subjects and last year we held our first week of enrichment activities since the pandemic.
“This is time for all students off timetable to go on trips and visits and pursue activities over and above their normal school work.
“We are hoping to run that again this year, this time for a fortnight.”
Looking further into the future, the vision for a 1,000-student capacity building to house the academy at TwelveTrees remains a tantalising prospect.
“The plan is for a modern school with a really strong identity,” said Mark.
“The plans look amazing and for parents and students coming into the school it’s something that is going to be great.”
For now though, there’s a sense of shared purpose and the buzz of change in the air at Three Mills as a new chapter opens.
- 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
