Granaries, Shipyards and Wharves - Cycling from Guildford

and after an exhaustive search of the premises,
discovered a recently discharged pistol in the soil pipe
of the privy, where Patch claimed to have been at the
time of the shot. Patch was duly tried at Horsemonger
Lane on Saturday April 5 1806, found guilty, and
hanged at Kennington, the following Monday.
Poor Mrs. Blight did not have much luck with her
second marriage. This was to a Deptford coal
merchant named Long. Together with her son, she
established a ship owning, building and repairing
business under the name Blight, Long & Blight. For a
time this prospered, although they only built a couple
of small vessels and eventually ran into financial
difficulties. Mr. Long became insane, and Mrs. Blight
was left in reduced circumstances.
� CROSS OVER THE CATWALK ON THE OUTER LOCK GATE, TURN RIGHT,
AND PAUSE BY THE STAIRS LEADING DOWN TO THE RIVER
These are a set of the WATERMEN’S STAIRS, in this case
after the nearby DOG & DUCK pub, which dated back at
least to 1723. Although said to be rather “basic” inside,
with sawdust-strewn floors, there was a small garden
with tables and chairs where it was pleasant to sit with a
drink on a summer evening. The pub name itself recalls a
cruel “sport” in which water fowl had their wings
clipped so that they could not fly, and were then released
to be chased through the water by dogs. THE DOG &
DUCK fell victim to the second V2 to land in Bermondsey
in 1944 (October 31) and was totally destroyed.
12 SOUTHWARK HISTORY WALKS