Shad Thames facts for kids
Shad Thames is a cool, historic street right by the River Thames in London, England. It's near the famous Tower Bridge. People also use "Shad Thames" to talk about the whole area around the street. Long ago, in the 1800s, this place had the biggest group of warehouses in all of London.
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Where is Shad Thames?
The street Shad Thames starts near Tower Bridge. It runs along the south side of the River Thames. The street is set back a bit from the river. There are many old warehouse buildings that have been turned into homes. Shad Thames then turns south along St Saviour's Dock. Part of the street is made of cobblestones.
To get there, you can use the London Underground or Docklands Light Railway. The closest stations are Tower Hill and Tower Gateway. You need to cross the river to reach them. Bermondsey and London Bridge stations are also nearby.
How did Shad Thames get its name?
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The name Shad Thames appeared on a map of London in 1747. One idea is that it comes from "St John-at-Thames." This refers to an old church called St John's Church. It used to be near the street. Another idea is that the name comes from "shad" fish. These fish used to live in the River Thames.
Today, the area is called Shad Thames or Butler's Wharf. Butler's Wharf was the biggest warehouse there. This area is a rectangle of streets and buildings. It's bordered by the Thames, Tower Bridge Road, Tooley Street, and St Saviour's Dock. It's in the north-east part of the SE1 area.
Long ago, around 1561, a map called this area "Horssey Down." This name might mean "Horse Down." It was a big field where horses and cattle grazed.
A busy past: London's food store
In Victorian times, Shad Thames was super important. It had London's largest group of warehouses. These huge buildings were finished in 1873. They stored massive amounts of tea, coffee, and spices. Goods were loaded and unloaded from river boats. Because of this, the area was known as the 'larder of London'. A book from 1878 said the whole riverside was full of places to store food for the city.
In the 1900s, the area became less busy. It was harder for ships to get through. Also, new ways of packing goods, like containerization, meant ships went further east. The last warehouses closed in 1972.
After the warehouses closed, many artists moved in. This was in the 1970s. It was probably because living there was cheap. Famous artists like David Hockney and Derek Jarman reportedly lived there.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Shad Thames got a big makeover. The old warehouses were empty but looked cool. They were turned into expensive apartments. Many of these new homes also had restaurants, bars, and shops on the ground floor.
Fun places to visit
As part of the makeover, a famous designer named Terence Conran opened several restaurants. These included Le Pont de la Tour and the Blueprint Cafe. The area also has many cafes, bars, and shops.
People can now walk along the riverside. This happened because local people fought for it. One of them was Maggie Blake. There's even an alley named after her, Maggie Blake's Cause. It leads from Shad Thames to the river.
Terence Conran also helped start the Design Museum here. It showed cool exhibitions about design. However, the museum moved to Kensington in 2016. It's now in a bigger building. The old Design Museum building is expected to become luxury apartments.
Many tourists now visit Shad Thames. This is because it's close to famous places. These include Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Potters Fields Park, and The Shard. There are also cultural events at More London.
Who lives in Shad Thames?
Many people live in Shad Thames. A lot of them live in the old warehouses that were turned into flats. New apartments are still being built. The people who live there have a group called the Shad Thames Residents’ Association.
The old warehouses still have their original look. You can see the brickwork and big signs. Many are named after the spices they used to store. For example, there's Vanilla & Sesame Court and Cayenne Court. Other buildings are named after wheat, tea, cinnamon, and ginger. People say that after a hundred years, the smell of spices was still in the bricks. So, the first people to live in the flats could still smell the spice their building was named after! New buildings have also been built. They have names like Spice Quay Heights and China Wharf.
Shad Thames is close to the City of London. This is a big business area across the river. Many people who work in the City live in Shad Thames. The restaurants are also popular with City workers at lunchtime. Because of this, homes in Shad Thames are very expensive.
Flats with river views are especially pricey. They often have balconies. They offer amazing views of the Thames and Tower Bridge. You can even see the "Gherkin" building. Some flats also have views of Canary Wharf in the distance. Most of the old warehouses have small windows. This limits the view. Newer buildings often have bigger windows for better views. For example, some flats in Spice Quay Heights have huge windows. A student home for the London School of Economics is also in the area.
One of the coolest things about Shad Thames is the walkways. These bridges cross high above the street. They used to connect warehouses. Workers would roll barrels across them. Now, they are balconies for the flats. Old photos show there used to be many more of these bridges.
The River Thames nearby
There's always something happening on the river next to Shad Thames. This part of the river is very deep. It's called the Pool of London. Even large ships can travel here. Sometimes, big cruise ships or navy ships stop near Shad Thames. They usually stay for a day or so. Then, they might go through Tower Bridge.
You'll often see police boats and fast speedboats. Passenger boats, like the 'Tate to Tate' boat, also pass by. Yachts from St Katharine Docks are also common.
