River Thames, St Mary’s, Church Rd, Chelsea Harbour & A Bridge continues my stroll on Friday 4th August 1989 in Battersea from the earlier submit, Battersea Park, Flour Mill and Somerset Property. The stroll started with Council flats, Piles of Bricks, A Home Hospital and Brasserie.
The churchyard of St Mary’s Church is on the riverside and again in 1989 was the primary place I may entry the river in Battersea upstream of Battersea Bridge. The churchyard was closed for public burials in 1854.
The moorings right here look slightly crowded. At Spring Tides the river comes into the churchyard at excessive tide and I feel individuals residing on the houseboats right here would wish wellingtons, however the tide was low after I made this image. On the west facet of the churchyard is a slipway and previous that was Church Wharf, a part of Battersea Wharf. Instantly on the nook of the slipway till pretty lately was the Outdated Swan pub. As soon as a strong Victorian constructing it had been changed within the Nineteen Sixties by an odd constructing with a lot wood planking and enormous home windows which had change into a punk venue within the 70s earlier than closing, being squatted, and changing into derelict after which maybe conveniently burning down. The block of high-priced riverside flats which changed the pub is called Outdated Swan Wharf.
St Mary’s Church is an actual gem, Grade I listed, in-built 1775-77, architect Joseph Discon, although the painted glass in its East Window is claimed to this point from 1631, attributed to Bernard van Linge and transferred from the earlier church constructing on this web site. The stonework round this window is even older, courting from 1379 when the church was owned by Westminster Abbey and so they despatched certainly one of their masons over for the job.
Bomb injury within the Forties gave the then vicar the prospect to smash a number of the “very dangerous Victorian stained glass” which made the inside gloomy and there are actually 4 trendy stained glass home windows. One commemorates William Blake who was married right here in 1842 and one other J M W Turner who was rowed throughout from his Chelsea home every day and sat on the sacristy window to color his riverscapes. The well-known 18th century botanist William Curtis is commemorated within the third, whereas the fourth is for the US “archetypal traitor” Common Benedict Arnold, given by an American donor.
On the excessive proper of this image is an indication pointing to the riverside stroll which started subsequent to the slipway beside the church and within the centre is the slightly ugly riverside growth of Valiant Home, in 1971 one of many earlier blocks of luxurious riverside flats. The Survey of London quotes it being described as ‘luxurious and dismal, a excessive safety complicated which afforded views of the river in addition to the garbage recommendations on Chelsea
Attain’. It took its title from the previous concrete works on a part of the location at Valiant Wharf, and maybe the one mitigating grace of the event was that it supplied a slim riverside walkway, although a bit of slim.
The homes at left, most likely primarily Victorian with varied alterations now look slightly totally different however the facades alongside the road stay.
Just a few yards alongside the road with a pretty curve resulting in Battersea Sq. the view right here appears little modified now. You’ll be able to see the Grade II listed Raven (not a Pub) simply to the left of the visitors mild.
The view throughout the river to Chelsea Harbour. Planning permission was granted for this large riverside growth in 1986 and constructing proceeded quickly. By 1989 from throughout the river it appeared full and really totally different to what Sands Finish would have seemed like when Nell Gwyn lived right here or when it was a coal dock for the gasoline works and railways. The outdated coal dock, turned a considerably shorter marina. The 18 storey tower was erected at a speedy tempo, with at one level gaining a brand new ground each 4 days, and was topped out in six months.
The 310 luxurious flats within the new growth had been marketed with costs beginning at round £2 million per property and have 24 hour safety patrols and porterage.
Being towed by a tug upriver are empty containers which have carried London’s garbage away downstream and are actually returning upstream to the refuse depot at Wandsworth for refilling with the barge sitting significantly increased within the water. I feel this common waste now primarily goes for incineration at Crossness.
Battersea Railway Bridge was in-built 1863 and has been strengthened and refurbished in 1969 and in 1992 after I made this image.
It offers certainly one of comparatively few hyperlinks between railways south of the Thames and people to the north and is utilized by Overground and mainline trains operating between Kensington Olympia (and factors north) and Clapham Junction. It is usually utilized by items visitors which may use Battersea’s in depth rail community to run nearly anyplace within the South.
The stretch of walkway by the river main right here via the slim Vicarage Gardens subsequent to Vicarage Crescent had been opened up some years earlier. However there was nonetheless little entry to the river past the railway bridge. Since then the riverside path now continues via one of many railway arches.
There are plans for a foot and cycle bridge throughout the Thames subsequent to the railway bridge, however though a begin has been made on this mission and planning permission was given by each Wandsworth and Hammersmith & Fulham in 2013 I feel funding stays an issue; however Wikipedia states ‘The forecast opening date is 2025, taking 18 months to construct and audit.’
Extra on my stroll in August 1989 in a later submit.
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Tags: 1989, Albion Quay, August 1989, Battersea, Battersea Church Rd, Chelsea Harbour, Chelsea Wharf, Church Rd, Common Benedict Arnold, Home boats, J M W Turner, Kensington & Chelsea, Lombard Rd, London, London Pictures, Mooring, moorings, Outdated Swan, peter Marshall, railway bridge, River Thames, slipwy, St Mary’s, Survey of London, Wandsworth, William Blake, William Curtis
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