Granaries, Shipyards and Wharves - Cycling from Guildford

The SHIP & WHALE stands in one corner of THE
REDRIFF ESTATE, which still preserves the outline of
three parallel streets (York Street, Russell Street – the
Bedford family name and Thames Street). The first
and last are now ELGAR STREET and ODESSA STREET,
Russell Street being represented by the access road
through the estate. At one time the Bedford Estate
Trustees laid out these three streets, with building
plots designed to attract high quality housing. At least
one such dwelling was built, because shipbuilder
Daniel Brent lived in it for the last years of his active
life. The development of “Bloomsbury in
Rotherhithe”, was frustrated by the boiling of whale
blubber and the associated awful smell at
GREENLAND DOCK. The plots were split up into
smaller sites, and a huddle of small houses, shops and
workshops grew up. When these were demolished to
make way for the REDRIFF ESTATE in 1930 many
proved to have been built using old ship’s timbers.
The last ship’s figurehead carver in Rotherhithe, who
just survived working into the 20th century, had his
workshop here. There were also blocks of shipyard
workers tied cottages, like those in RANDALL’S RENTS
bearing the names of SEDGER and CASTLE, the
master shipbuilders to whom they belonged.
THE REDRIFF ESTATE IN THE 1950S. NOTE THE SHIP’S DERRICK APPEARING
OVER THE DOCK BOUNDARY WALL.
18 SOUTHWARK HISTORY WALKS