Woolwich Ferry

The nearest alternative crossing for pedestrians is the Woolwich foot tunnel about 100 metres (110 yds) to the east.[6] A Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station, Woolwich Arsenal on the south side of the Thames, was opened in January 2009 as the new terminus of the London City Airport branch.[7] King George V DLR station, on the opposite side of the river, is close to the north ferry dock.

The nearest vehicle alternatives are the Blackwall Tunnel about two miles (3 km) upstream to the west, or the Dartford Crossing around ten miles (16 km) downstream to the east. Both tunnels have height restrictions for heavy goods vehicles, and users of the Dartford Crossing incur toll charges.[8][9]

There has been a connection across the Thames between what is now Old Woolwich and what would later be North Woolwich since the Norman Conquest. The area was mentioned in Domesday Book as 63 acres (25 ha) belonging to Hamon, the dapifer (steward), "which belong to (pertinent in) Woolwich"; the "pertinent" here refers to the portion of land north of the Thames yet also part of the county of Kent.[10] State papers in 1308 show that a service was running between North Woolwich and Warren Lane. That year, William de Wicton sold the business to William atte Halle for £10. The ferry was subsequently sold in 1320 for 100 silver marks.[11]

Cross-river traffic increased following the establishment of the Royal Arsenal in 1671.[12] To enable movement of troops and supplies, the army established its own ferry in 1810.[13] The following year an Act of Parliament established a commercial ferry company,[14] but it was dissolved in 1844.[13] In 1846, the Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway extended its lines to include a Thames wharf branch; eventually three steam ferries operated, but they proved inadequate to meet the growing demand. In October 1880, a public meeting was held in Woolwich to discuss setting up a locally run steam-ferry service, but the cost was seen as prohibitive.[13]

Following the establishment of the Metropolitan Board of Works, which had taken over toll bridges in west London and opened them to free public use, it was suggested that the board should fund a free crossing of the Thames in east London.[13] Proposals were made to provide services at Woolwich and further upstream at Greenwich, but the latter plan was abandoned.[15] In 1884 the board agreed to provide two steam-powered ferries, each costing £10,650, and asked chief engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette to lead design and construction.[16] In September 1887 Messrs Mowlem and company were awarded contracts valued at £54,900 to build approaches, bridges and pontoons.[14][17]

The service was officially opened on 23 March 1889,[18] with the paddle steamer Gordon. Two days before the first service, the Metropolitan Board of Works was replaced by the London County Council (LCC), and the opening ceremony was conducted by Lord Rosebery instead of the expected Bazalgette. The sister vessel Duncan was introduced on 20 April.[6]

By the end of the 1920s, the rise in motor traffic had put pressure on the ferry's capacity. A proposed bridge between Shooter's Hill and East Ham was rejected as too obvious a target for wartime bombings, and a third vessel was introduced instead.[19] Because of the lack of a fixed crossing, the Thames became a psychological barrier for those living in the East End of London, who could only use a limited number of routes to cross the river, including the Woolwich Ferry.[20] The lack of a suitable alternative route was instrumental in creating plans for what eventually became the Dartford Crossing further downstream.[19][21]

Traffic queueing for the Woolwich Ferry in 1955. The modernisation of the roll-on/roll-off service in 1963 reduced waiting times.

By the 1950s it was quicker for ferry traffic to divert via the Blackwall Tunnel even with all three vessels operating at full capacity.[22] In April 1963, the paddle steamers were replaced and the ferry service upgraded to a more modern roll-on/roll-off model,[18] reducing waiting times on the approach roads.[23] The LCC continued to operate the ferry until it was replaced by the Greater London Council (GLC) on 31 March 1965. In 1964, Marples Ridgway started building the current reinforced concrete terminals, which can operate over a 30 feet (9.1 m) tidal range.[6] The current terminals were opened in 1966.[24]

After the abolition of the GLC in 1986, the responsibility for operating the service was transferred to the Secretary of State for Transport, who contracted the then London Borough of Greenwich to run the service.[25] Asset ownership and operating rights were subsequently transferred to Transport for London (TfL) on the establishment of the Greater London Authority,[26] but the London Borough of Greenwich continued to operate the ferry on behalf of TfL.[27]

In March 2008, the London Borough of Greenwich gave TfL notice that it would cease operating the service from 30 September 2008. On 12 September TfL announced that the outsourcing group Serco would take over the operation of the service from 1 October 2008; the contract ran initially until 31 March 2010.[28] Control of the crossing passed from Serco to Briggs Marine, which was expanding into public passenger services, in December 2012. The company was awarded a £50 million seven-year contract, which began in April 2013.[29]

In 2014, TfL began an upgrade of the ferry service, starting by refurbishing the piers and in 2016 ordering two new boats to replace the existing vessels that were nearing the end of their working life.[30][31] In early 2017, it was announced that the new ferries were being built by Polish firm Remontowa to a design by LMG Marin.[32] The diesel-electric hybrid vessels have 210 metres (690 ft) of space for road vehicles over several lanes and dedicated cyclist accommodation. The vessels are licensed to carry 150 passengers segregated from road traffic.[32] Continuing the tradition of naming the ferries after local people, it was announced in June 2017 that the two new vessels would be named after Dame Vera Lynn, a singer and entertainer from nearby East Ham, and Ben Woollacott, the 19-year-old deckhand on the Woolwich Ferry who drowned after being dragged overboard in a mooring accident in 2011.[33]

In October 2018, the Woolwich Ferry was suspended for four months in order to undertake major repair work for the piers, and the existing vessels were taken out of service.[34] The foot tunnel remained open.[35] The ferry service resumed on 1 February 2019.[36]

Following expiry of Briggs Marine's contract in December 2020, the service is now run by London River Services.[37]

On 3 August 2011, 19-year-old ferry worker Ben Woollacott died after falling off the boat into the River Thames.[38] The MAIB report published in August 2012 blamed "unseamanlike working practices" during the unmooring operation for the death.[39] When two new ships were bought to update the service in 2018, one was named after him.[40]