RotherhitheRotherhithe is very nearly a peninsula, so not surprisingly it has always been closely linked to the sea. Seafaring, ship building, and ship breaking were major industries in the area for centuries. Many great voyages started or finished here, including that of Drakes’ Golden Hinde. Today the renovated docks and river stairs are a testament to this maritime past.
ST MARY CHURCH St Marychurch Street SE16 Tel: 020 7231 2465
 Rotherhithe, Bermondsey  47 188 225 P11
St Mary’s was a seafarer’s church. The timbers of the warship Temeraire were used as furnishings after she was broken up. Among the people buried here is the captain of the Mayflower. So is the son of the King of the Belau Islands, Lee Boo. The King rescued the crew of the Antelope when it was shipwrecked in 1784. Lee Boo came to England at the request of his father but died of smallpox after 6 months.
THE MAYFLOWER PUBLIC HOUSE 117 Rotherhithe Street SE16 Tel: 0207 237 4088
Rotherhithe, Bermondsey 47 188 225 P11
The Mayflower is near to where Captain Christopher Jones moored his ship Mayflower before sailing to America with the Pilgrim fathers. The ship returned in 1621, and Captain Jones is buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s. The Mayflower is one of the few pubs licensed to sell stamps and also has permission to sell American ones. It was rebuilt in the 18th century as the Spread Eagle and Crown. It was re-named Mayflower in the 1960s.
LAVENDER POND NATURE PARK AND PUMPHOUSE MUSEUM SE16 Tel: 020 7231 2976
Rotherhithe, Bermondsey 47 188 225 P11
The Pumphouse Museum collection reflects the work of the dockyards and wharfs. The wharfs and associated industries were an important part of Rotherhithe’s economy. The grain trade was prominent in the wharf near Church Stairs along with mills and biscuit makers. The wharfs near the Museum were used by the timber trade. The Pumphouse was used to regulate the water in Lavender Pond, keeping the timber damp to prevent cracking.
GREENLAND DOCK South Sea Street SE16
Rotherhithe Bermondsey 47 188 225 P11
Greenland Dock is now used for watersports, but it was the largest commercial dock in the world with room for up to 120 ships. Rotherhithe was also a centre for shipbuilding and shipbreaking. There were 12 major ship yards. The most famous was John Beaston’s where the Temeraire was broken up in 1838. The ship was immortalised in Turner’s painting The Fighting Temeraire showing it being towed to the yard.
BRUNEL ENGINE HOUSE Tunnel Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF Tel:020 7231 3840
Rotherhithe Bermondsey Tel: 020 7231 3840
In building the Thames tunnel (the world’s first tunnel under a stretch of water), Sir Marc Brunel had to overcome considerable geological, engineering and financial difficulties. Brunel Engine House is the restored pumping house that Sir Marc built for the steam engines, which drained the tunnel. Packed with information about this amazing engineering feat, it is also one of the most important industrial archaeology sites in London..
Click here for a brief history of Rotherhithe
Please check opening times and prices before you visit
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