A view from the Isle of Does.
Entrance to St Katharine’s Dock, built in 1828. The dock is still in use as a yacht marina, attracting many visitors on account of its proximity to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
HMS President, small-boat headquarters of the Royal Navy in London, just beyond St Katharine’s Dock on the north shore.
Headquarters of the London River Police at Wapping. The vessels are serviced in a new hangar projecting over the water just to the left of this photograph.
The ‘Royal Nore’ one of the Port of London launches used to patrol the River from
Teddington lock to the sea and to transport the Queen and visiting VIPs up and down the River.
Cuckold’s Point A Frolick to Horn Fair, Greenwich, October 1700
“At Cuckold’s Point, we went into the House, where the Troop of Merry Cuckolds us’d to Rendesvous: Arm’d with Shovel, Spade or Pick-Ax; their Heads adorn’d with Horned Helmets; and from thence to March, in Order, for Horn-Fair…”
This account of the origin of the name of Cuckold’s Point and of the great medieval annual fairs on Blackheath tells the story of how King John of England (1199-1216), passing this way, fell in love with the Miller’s wife and resolved to take her to bed.
Greenwich Campus Map Photo Gallery
“…when an Opportunity stood fair, the Dame consented; but as ‘tis believ’d, so cunningly arrang’d the matter, that her Husband should come Home and Catch ‘em in the height of their Passion; which the Miller did accordingly; and seeming not to know that he was King, took him up in his Arms and Theaten’d to fling him into the Mill-Dam, and Grind his Head
His Majesty was said to be so frightened that, in exchange for his life and freedom, the Miller would be given all the land he could see from his mill looking downriver on the south side provided the King was immediately released unharmed. The only condition was that the Miller:
“…should once a Year, upon that day Twelve-month, which prov’d the 18th of October, Walk to the farthest bound of his Estate with a pair of Bucks-horns on his Head, attended with all his Family, or in Neglect of which, the Land should be forfeited…”
The Miller washed his eyes carefully and looked downwards and saw as far as Charlton-Hill embracing all of Rotherhithe, Deptford, Greenwich and Blackheath:
“…all which Land he afterwards Enjoy’d, only performing the aforementioned Ceremony, according to Agreement: and it is said that there are Lands hereabout that are held even to this Day after the same manner”.
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