Shad Thames once fed London; now it feeds your camera.
London has no shortage of pretty streets, whether they be pastel-coloured, wisteria-draped, or beautiful mews. Shad Thames is precisely none of these things, and yet it’s become an unexpected hit on Instagram. Filled with converted Victorian warehouses, this cobbled street is gorgeous in its own way, with the overhead gantries making for a dramatic backdrop.
See also: 27 more cult and unusual sightseeing spots in London.
You’ll most likely have seen Shad Thames on Instagram, but it found fame some 150 years ago for a very different reason. The street’s warehouses – which lead on to Butler’s Wharf – were completed in 1873, and were used to store grain, fruit, sugar, coffee, tea, and spices from all over the world. (Those walkways you can see were actually used to roll barrels from warehouse to warehouse.) As the first point of call for ships returning to London, it was a natural place to dock and unload exotic wares, thus earning it the nickname ‘the larder of London’.
In fact, the historical importance of Shad Thames, its location within the Pool of London – the deep, still stretch of water between London Bridge and Rotherhithe that was perfect for docking ships – and the increasing development of London’s East End all led to the development of another nearby landmark: Tower Bridge. So really, London has a lot to thank Shad Thames for when you think about it!
However, what followed was a story familiar to London’s industrial centres. As the world changed, Shad Thames fell victim to the competing forces of river congestion, global trade patterns, and the changing nature of shipping and storage. By 1972, the last warehouses were closed, and by the 1980s plans to redevelop the area with upmarket flats, shops, and restaurants were under way – thus turfing out a flourishing local art community which boasted David Hockney and Derek Jarman amongst its members.
Nowadays, those striking overhead walkways serve as balconies for luxury flats, though reminders of Shad Thames’ past can be seen in the names (for instance, Cayenne Court and Wheat Wharf) and the odd piece of industrial kit repurposed as an architectural feature. With flat prices being distinctly London-ish, your stay here is likely to be temporary, best spent in a coffee shop or in the restaurants dotted around, including riverside Le Pont de la Tour or smashing pasta place Legare.
For Shad Thames, river traffic may have given way to Instagram traffic, but its close proximity to Tower Bridge and City Hall make it an excellent spot for a wander. If only to grab that perfect shot…
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Featured image: James Beard