Forum Topic

Dock Estates History

For the local history buffs [and I have not checked whether the Dock estates own website has this or not], I came across a photo of the architects model while the estate was in planning stage. The Book I took this from was published by the GLC in 1969, so the estates scheme was obviously a long time in the works.[Apologies if this fails, it has been a long time since I posted pictures, and the host site gives 4 different address versions].

Nigel Moore ● 3376d7 Comments

Not the Dock estate, but a follow up to Guy's post. There's a terrific family history website which includes terrific stuff on the entertainments on the eyots here: http://ukfamilyrecords.com/Blog/?cat=15

Valerie Bott ● 3365d

Some new ones to me there Neil, thanks for the link. I see the architectural model was a popular subject, but I actually preferred many of the other photos and prints.Interesting to see the view from Augustus Close bridge with the old Turnover bridge missing, dated 1969. Odd that I cannot recall the trees being that large back then.

Nigel Moore ● 3370d

Thanks for that link, Neil.There's a picture of  'Island House' and I found this fantastic site :http://www.panoramaofthethames.com/1829/guide/the-islands"These two aits separated by Hog Hole, opposite St George’s Chapel, are known as Makenshaw and Hill (Brentford Ait). In the early C18th the Swan Tavern or Three Swans was known for assignations of the Royal Princes and actresses who had travelled from London. Mary Robinson (Perdita) recalled in her memoirs waiting for a signal from Kew Palace to meet with the Prince of Wales, later George IV.By 1780 Island House was owned by the West family of Kew who were  famous for  cooking 'pitch cocked and stewed eels'. In 1811 it was described as ‘a great nuisance to this parish and neighbourhood on both sides of the river with a house of entertainment which has long been a harbour for men and women of the worst description where riotous and indecent scenes were often exhibited during the summer months on Sundays’.Robert Hunter who lived across the river in one of the finest houses on Kew Green, was the main complainant. Shortly afterwards he bought the island, closed the inn and filled in the pond where the eels were reared.Poplar trees have been planted on the ait to hide the industrial area on the Brentford Middlesex bank in the views from royal Kew which, it may be said, overlooks the worst part of Brentford.© 2015 Panorama of the Thames Ltd."

Guy Lambert ● 3372d

Have a look at the Guildhall library website. They have some interesting Dock photographs. i suspect they came from the GLC Library.https://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/

Neil Chippendale ● 3372d

Sorry about the previous; it seems I cannot link to where I put that picture. Trying my usual -

Nigel Moore ● 3373d

There is a website – in fact more than one – but the site with the history section as I remembered it, seems to have a broken link.Another item from before even Brunel began works, is this plan of the original streams and navigable rivers that formed part of the Brent delta even after the Grand Junction Canal Company had done its worst in blocking them off.It is very odd that, bar an initial court challenge to Dr Johnson’s illegal obstruction of the western-most branch prior to the passage of the 1793 Act, nobody ever seems to have objected to the criminal offence involved in stopping up these rivers. It may be, of course, that the Act enabling the Great Western and Brentford Railway contained authority for this [I will have to check that up some day].Regardless, it does appear from correspondence of the time that the Duke of Northumberland was urging the infill of these streams and rivers, for some reason – and this map marks the sections that the Railway company were going to fill in [with material brought from Paddington if I recall correctly].It is curious to consider that the Dock estate is largely built on earth from more central London [possibly when creating Paddington Basin].

Nigel Moore ● 3373d

i think there is a website for Brentford Docks.  No doubt one of the nice archivists who visit this site will let us know.

Emma Renton ● 3375d