Investigating the Maritime History of Rotherhithe

In the mid 17th century a timber river wall allowed occupation of marginal land. The site was used as a timber yard and then developed as a commercial wharf, with new waterfronts constructed in deeper water. In the second half of the 18th century the Woolcombe family of shipbuilders developed a new river frontage and a wet dock. In the early 19th century the Beatson family adapted the site as a ship-breakers' yard and built a fashionable dwelling house overlooking the wet dock and a warehouse. The findings at Pacific Wharf provide important insights into post-medieval woodworking techniques, and other key aspects of ship-building technology. This concise and extensively illustrated volume documents these processes in their archaeological context, providing an illuminating account of Southwark's maritime history.