Woolwich Ferry

The Woolwich Ferry carries vehicles and pedestrians across the Thames in east London, linking Woolwich on the south bank with North Woolwich on the north. It has run since the 14th century, though the present free service began in 1889 after tolls were removed from bridges to the west. Around two million passengers use it each year, and it remains popular because nearby bridges are scarce. Lorries and cars queue for the short crossing, while cyclists and walkers use the same deck. The river here is wide and tidal, so the terminals must handle a rise and fall of nine metres. The ferry’s history is tied to the Royal Arsenal, established in 1671, which needed reliable links for troops and supplies. In the 19th century the Metropolitan Board of Works paid for two steam ferries designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, each costing over £10,000. By the 1920s motor traffic had grown so fast that a third vessel was added. In 1963 paddle steamers gave way to roll-on roll-off ferries, cutting waiting times on the approach roads. The current reinforced concrete terminals, opened in 1966, can cope with the Thames’s tidal range. On deck, drivers wait in lanes while the vessel’s diesel-electric hybrid engines hum below. The two newest boats, named after Dame Vera Lynn and Ben Woollacott, carry 150 passengers apart from the vehicles. From the north dock you can see the Royal Docks and the distant towers of Canary Wharf. The south side shows Woolwich’s Georgian dockyard buildings and the brick mass of the Arsenal. A short walk east brings the Woolwich foot tunnel, another crossing just a hundred metres away.