Rotherhithe in History “When one goes to Redriffe* (former name for Rotherhithe) and Wapping, which places are chiefly inhabited by sailors … a man would suspect himself in another country. Their manner of living, speaking, acting, dressing and behaving are so peculiar to themselves. Yet withal they are the bravest and boldest of fellows.” John Fielding 1776.
The parish of St Mary, Rotherhithe, historically part of Surrey, was included in the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey in 1900 and become part of the London Borough of Southwark in 1965.
The docks
Rotherhithe was the first place where docks serving London were constructed. Commercial development of Rotherhithe was intrinsically linked to its docks - Greenland Dock and then the Surrey Docks from the 19th century which were the centre of London’s timber trade. The docks closed in 1970, after which the area underwent major redevelopment through the London Docklands Development Corporation.
The old village round St Mary’s church survived the closure of the docks and in 1968 was designated as the Rotherhithe Conservation Area.
Rotherhithe Street
Rotherhithe Street is said to be the longest in London and is certainly one of the oldest. Over two miles long, it follows the line of the old river wall, built to contain the flooding from the Thames and appears on Rocque’s map of 1745. It was inhabited in past decades by shipbuilders and seafarers and was known for its doss houses and many taverns.
Mayflower Inn
The Mayflower Inn, opened in 1780 and partly rebuilt after the second world war was named after the famous ship that was once moored there before an historic journey. It was the ship that in 1620 carried the so called Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth to Plymouth Rock in what would become the United States of America.
The Tunnels
The Thames Tunnel, linking Rotherhithe to Wapping, was the first ever underwater tunnel. It was built by Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel between 1825 and 1843. In the course of the building the Thames broke through five times and there were many incidents of illness, accidents and drowning. 
It was used for the first 26 years by pedestrians and stall holders. In 1865 the East London Railway Company bought the tunnel, by then a dosshouse, and it reopened in 1869. In WWI solders were billeted there. Now it is used by London Underground and the Brunel Museum located near the tube station over the tunnel.
A separate road tunnel still in use today, known simply as the Rotherhithe tunnel, was opened in 1908. An information sheet about the history of the road tunnel (pdf 400kb) was produced for its 2008 Centenary.
St Olav's Church
St Olav’s Church, near the entrance to Rotherhithe tunnel, was built in 1927 as a seamen’s mission and as a place of spiritual welfare for Norwegian sailors coming from the whaling and timber ships when Surrey docks ere flourishing. It became the focus of Norwegian resistance during World War II, when the government in exile was based in London.
St Olave’s Square in Rotherhithe has historical connections with Norway. King Canute, sole ruler of England and Norway in 1016, and King of Norway in 1028, is thought to have constructed a canal, utilising the area’s ditches and streams to bypass heavily defended London bridge, when he sailed up the Thames to attack London in 1015.
The above information was taken from ‘A Trail Walk around Old Rotherhithe’, researched and written by the Local History Group, based at Time and Talents, Rotherhithe.
A map of key historical sites and other places of interest in Rotherhithe (pdf 2mb) was produced in July 2008 with the support of the Rotherhithe Community Council.
*Redriff or Redriffe is the former name for Rotherhithe dating back to the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), known as a haven where haven were landed (with ‘rather’ or ‘rother’ meaning cattle in Old English and ‘hythe’ an Anglo-Saxon word for haven).
Contact us
For more information contact
Darryl Telles
Tel: 020 7525 1787
Fax: 020 7237 0616
darryl.telles@southwark.gov.uk
Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Area Office
South Bermondsey Children and Parent Centre
Tenda Road
SE16 3PN
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