Trinity Buoy Wharf is the site of a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

, by the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

and Bow Creek on the

Leamouth Leamouth is a locality in the Blackwall area of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area takes its name from the former ''Leamouth Wharf'' and lies on the west side of the confluence of the Bow Creek stretch of the Lea, at its confluence ...

Peninsula, Poplar. It lies within the

London Borough of Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London boroughs, London borough covering much of the traditional East End of London, East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London, metropol ...

. The lighthouse no longer functions, but is the home of various art projects such as ''

Longplayer ''Longplayer'' is a self-extending composition by British composer and musician Jem Finer which is designed to continue for one thousand years. It started to play at midnight on 1 January 2000, and if all goes as planned, it will continue w ...

''. It is sometimes known as Bow Creek Lighthouse.

History

In 1803, the site began to be used by the Elder Brethren of Trinity House, now known as Corporation of Trinity House. The

seawall A seawall (or sea wall) is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation ...

was reconstructed in 1822 by George Mundy of

Old Ford Old Ford is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets that is named after the natural ford which provided a crossing of the River Lea. History Administration and boundaries Historically, Old Ford was a cluster of houses and a mill, aroun ...

. The site was used as a maintenance depot, and storage facility for the many

buoy A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. Types Navigational buoys * Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...

s that aided navigation on the Thames; and the wharf for docking and repair of lightships. The original lighthouse was built by the engineer of

Trinity House "Three In One" , formation = , founding_location = Deptford, London, England , status = Royal Charter corporation and registered charity , purpose = Maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and beacons , he ...

, James Walker, in 1852, and was demolished in the late 1920s. A second lighthouse, which survives, was built in 1864–66 by James Douglass for Trinity House. The lantern at the top of the tower came from the

Paris Exposition of 1867 The International Exposition of 1867 (french: Exposition universelle 'art et d'industriede 1867), was the List of world expositions, second world's fair to be held in Paris, from 1 April to 3 November 1867. A number of nations were represente ...

, where Trinity House had used it to demonstrate Professor Holmes's improved system of electric lighting for lighthouses. Initially it housed ('for experimental purposes') the optical equipment which had been shown at the Exposition.

Michael Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic inducti ...

carried out experiments there. It was later used to test lighting systems for Trinity House's lights around England and Wales. Both lighthouses were also used for training prospective lighthouse keepers.

Late 20th century and on

In December 1988,

closed the wharf, and the area was acquired by the

London Docklands Development Corporation The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was a quango agency set up by the UK Government in 1981 to regenerate the depressed Docklands area of east London. During its seventeen-year existence it was responsible for regenerating an a ...

. In 1998, the LDDC set up the Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust with a 125-year lease to hold the land for the people of London. Urban Space Holdings Ltd took control of the site on a long lease. The site has been, and continues to be, developed as "a centre for the arts and cultural activities". Enhancements include studio space (including unusual architecture based on used shipping containers) and exhibition space. Urban Space Holdings used the area to develop " Container City" in 2001, a studio and office complex made from recycled sea

shipping container A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of ...

s. The original project was made from 80% recycled material.Container City website
accessed 27 June 2007 "Container City 1" took 5 months to complete, taking 4 days to install. The Container City project proved very popular and in 2002 "Container City 2" was completed delivering a further 22 studios across 5 floors in with a brightly coloured

ziggurat A ziggurat (; Cuneiform: 𒅆𒂍𒉪, Akkadian: ', D-stem of ' 'to protrude, to build high', cognate with other Semitic languages like Hebrew ''zaqar'' (זָקַר) 'protrude') is a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia. It has ...

design. A further extension to the Container City Complex was the "Riverside Building" located next to the Thames facing The O₂ dome. This was yet another architectural design providing an additional 22 studio spaces. In November 2005, the

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

opened Fine Art studios at the wharf; and in September 2009 the university opened two dance studios at the Institute of Performing Arts Development in The Chainstore at the wharf.

Faraday School Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, ...

, a not-for-profit primary school run by the

New Model School Company Limited New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, opened in September 2009. The wharf is also the home of Thames Clippers who have offices and base all their boats on the pier there. In April 2013 the former Cory Environmental Thames Lighterage tug ''Swiftstone'' moved to Trinity Buoy Wharf from Greenwich, and Swiftstone Trust's volunteers began a full restoration of the vessel which can be seen underway at the year Thames Barge Driving event. In 2016 Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust acquired two historic tugboats, the ''

Knocker White ''Knocker White'' is a Dutch-built tugboat, currently preserved as a museum ship at Trinity Buoy Wharf. She was built in 1924 by T. van Duivendijk, Lekkerkerk, Netherlands for Harrisons Lighterage Company, under the name ''Cairnrock''. She was ...

'' and the '' Varlet'' from the

Museum of London Docklands The Museum of London Docklands (formerly known as Museum in Docklands), based in West India Quay, explains the history of the River Thames, the growth of Port of London and the docks historical link to the Atlantic slave trade. The museum is pa ...

. Both vessels are listed by

National Historic Ships National Historic Ships UK is a government-funded independent organisation that advises UK governments and others on matters relating to historic ships.

on the National Register of Historic Vessels. File:Cmglee Trinity Buoy Wharf entrance.jpg, Trinity Buoy Wharf in September 2012. File:Cmglee Container City 2.jpg, Container City 2 at Trinity Buoy Wharf. File:Cmglee Trinity Buoy Wharf lighthouse.jpg, Bow Creek Lighthouse, a warehouse and a shed exhibiting Michael Faraday's work. File:Cmglee Trinity Buoy Wharf lunar clock.jpg, Tidal-powered lunar clock Alunatime and lightship LV93.

References

External links

Trinity Buoy Wharf page

Engineering Timelines - Trinity Buoy Wharf (1822 and 1851–1852)

The ''Long Player'' project

Institute for Performing Arts Development

Faraday School
at the New Model School Company Limited's website {{Authority control Infrastructure in London Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets History of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Port of London Wharves in the United Kingdom Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in London Arts districts Grade II listed lighthouses Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Poplar, London

History

Late 20th century and on

See also

References

External links