Ratcliff

The area of Wapping where Free Trade Wharf is located was historically known as Ratcliff. The name ‘Ratcliff’ has nothing to do with rats but derives from the Red Cliff.

This red cliff was a bank of light-red gravel which once rose from the Thames above Wapping Marsh. It is no longer possible to detect the gravel.

Much of this gravel having been dug out and distributed around the world as ballast on ships that left Ratcliff.Ratcliff was once the beating heart of London’s river trade.

For three hundred and fifty years it linked the thriving mercantile centre of London to imperial ports and global trade routes around the world.Ratcliff was a hamlet when shipbuilders, ship-owners, captains, merchants and crew began to arrive during the reign of Elizabeth I, because of this Ratcliff was also known as ‘Sailor Town’.

They built wharves to anchor vessels at what was the closest practical landing spot to the City of London. The rapid growth of East London during the nineteenth century began with the docks. As the city expanded, it enveloped Ratcliff which found itself the underbelly of a vast new industrial capital. Ratcliff gained a new reputation, as a place that represented the very worst of London.

East India Company

In 1775 the East India Company erected saltpetre warehouses on the site of Free Trade Wharf. On 23 July 1794 a kettle of pitch boiled over at the nearby Clovers Barge Yard, spreading to a saltpetre barge which then exploded.

The subsequent fire rapidly spread destroying some 453 houses along with numerous warehouses including those of the East India Company, and various other nearby businesses. The East India Company re-built their warehouses between 1796/98. It is these buildings the outer shells of which exist, and are Grade II listed, today.

With the decline of maritime London Ratcliff entered a century long period of decline. These days the name ‘Ratcliff’ has faded into almost complete disuse! Just as the Thames ebbs and flows, so have the fortunes of the area.

Regalian Homes

Free Trade Wharf and disused warehouses were sold to the Inner London Education Authority in 1977. The ILEA intention was to further develop the City of London Polytechnic, but this plan did not materialise so the plot was put up for sale and acquired for development by Regalian Homes.

Regalian contracted architects Holder Mathias Alcock to design a statement building on the banks of the Thames to the west of the listed warehouses and refurbishment of the listed warehouses.

Holder Mathias Alcock had a fairly open brief with regard to the design and build of the new building.

The impressive design HMA arrived at is defined as Ziggurat in style. The building has a striking red brick façade designed to catch the sun and reflect the colour of the sun. This it does in spectacular fashion during early morning and late evening sun when the building positively glows as it reflects across the river.

The roots of the ‘ziggurat’ design stem from ancient Mesopotamia. Essentially the style if of a stepped building with similarities to a pyramid. Apart from this stepped styling the building was designed with a concave shape rather than being yet another anonymous flat faced building on the Thames. The architects designed this so as to offer as many flats as possible a direct river view . This together with various options of terraces and balconies. The design and styling of the building also meant that although some flats have a large degree of similarity, each flat contained within the main building is unique.

The Listed Building

Originally the listed warehouses were to form a small galleria. The galleria would be filled with boutique shops and eateries on the ground floor with flats forming the upper floors. The galleria being complimented with an open walkway from the Highway to the Thames. Sadly this vision was never fully realised and today the warehouses are almost entirely high quality apartments.

The pair of historic warehouses are known as The Listed Building. Historic England granted the warehouses listed status at Grade II on 27th September 1973 by . They appear on the National Heritage List under entry number 1357841.

Historic England states these warehouse were built in 1796. Described as a pair of three-storey brick-built wings fronted by an elaborate entrance arch bearing the arms of the East India Company. This entrance arch having been re-built in 1934 retaining these historically important 18th century arms.

London Pool

Free Trade Wharf is located on the north bank of the River Thames. This section of the Thames is known as the Lower Pool. Along with the Upper Pool, further upstream to the North, form the Pool of London. The water of the lower pool is both deep and still, relatively speaking for a major tidal river, and the ‘pool’ provides a protected mooring and is used as turning point for large ships visiting the city.

Historical Interest

To the western end of the Ziggurat building the observant passerby might notice a blue plaque to Captain James Cook. The plaque, erected, with permission by the Stepney Historical Trust, is a local historical interest plaque rather than the internationally renowned English Heritage official plaques.

Although it is nice to have this plaque it is largely indicative and represents an approximation of Cook’s accommodation.

The inscription reads ‘Captain James Cook, “The ablest and most renowned navigator this or any country hath produced” lived in a house a few yards from this spot, 126, Upper Shadwell, 1763 – 1765. Stepney Historical Trust’.

Horward’s 1799 map gives house numbers, and 126 Upper Shadwell was on the north side of the road, today named The Highway, 10 houses to the west of what is now Brodlove Lane. While the plaque is on the south side, to the east of Brodlove Lane.

Perhaps of greater interest are the inscriptions just around the corner from the plaque. The inscriptions are to be found on a pillar. The pillar is believed to be the former entrance archway to Charrington’s Coal Wharf.

There has been much speculation as to what these inscriptions mean but, as yet, we are not certain what they might mean. Regardless, they are now preserved for posterity.

King Edward Memorial Park

To the North and directly adjacent to Free Trade Wharf is King Edward Memorial Park. The park is a public open space and was opened in 1922 in memory of King Edward VII. With an area of 3.3 hectares, it is the 11th largest park in Tower Hamlets.

Along with a few other parks in the borough, KEMP has received the Green Flag Award for quality, and is considered to have good biodiversity value.

The park includes a bandstand, waterfront benches, children’s play area, bowling green, all weather football pitch and tennis courts. The paths and public toilets are accessible to wheelchair users. The Thames Path passes through the park. Until the end of 2025 the park currently has sections that are inaccessible due to the megaproject that is Thames Tideway. That project is in its final stages and once finished the park will have had an extensive makeover with an information centre specifically for the Tideway project.