The oldest neighbour
River Thames
The tidal river that made Wapping, and that still measures its days.
From King Edward Memorial Park in the east to St Katharine Docks in the west, Wapping has a mile and a half of riverbank — more accessible foreshore than almost anywhere central. At low tide, mudlarks search the strand for clay pipes and Tudor pottery.
The Thames here is tidal: it rises and falls roughly seven metres twice a day. The water-stairs cut into the wharves — Wapping Old Stairs, Pelican Stairs, King Henry's Stairs — are some of the oldest river accesses in London.