Wapping and Shadwell Wapping has a rich and intriguing history which has strongly influenced by its maritime uses. It was famously the site of "Execution Dock", where pirates were hung from a gibbet for their crimes. This was the fate of Captain Kidd, once a naval officer, after whom the Captain Kidd Pub is named. Other pubs in the area include the well known Prospect of Whitby, claiming to be the oldest Thames side pub in London, and the Town of Ramsgate, where Judge Jeffreys was captured in 1688. Further along is the Shadwell Basin, built to accommodate ships that were too big for the London Dock. At a number of points along this stretch of the Thames it is possible to get down onto the foreshore when the tide is low. Here, even a casual visitor may hope to find some relic of London's past. Links
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Watch the video to see Andy Hawkins of the Thames Explorer Trust with finds that turned up on the foreshore during a family archaeology day at Shadwell Basin. |