For a research trip for my thriller series Angel of the South, I visited Shad Thames, which runs east along the south bank of the Thames from Tower Bridge. It’s a fascinating area, and tightly compressed. In a rush, you could see it all in an hour and a half. These were my highlights:
Metal Walkways
The first thing that strikes you are the black metal walkways high overhead. Labourers used them to move crates from one warehouse to another, so they wouldn’t be obstructed by the crowds below. Because the buildings all along the narrow street have retained their period authenticity, the street feels incredibly Victorian.
Horsleydown Stairs
At the start of the walk, Horseleydown Stairs lead down to a little pebble beach on the Thames, beneath Tower Bridge. There are all sorts of theories about where that name comes from. My favourite includes a charming one written on the statue of Jacob the dray horse (featured later). It states that dray horses were told to take a rest and lie down before crossing Tower Bridge (“horse-lie-down”).
If you’re lucky, the tide will be out so you can walk on the beach. If not, by walking around the full Shad Thames circuit takes about an hour. By the time you’re back to the start, the tide might be out, so it could be worth trying again.
St Saviour’s Dock
A sculpture of exotic fruit (a reminder of the days when such fruit was brought into England via the docks here) stands on St. Saviour’s Dock.
But best of all is Neckinger Inlet, a name derived from Neckerchief, London slang for the hangman’s noose. The authorities hung pirates who tried to rob the berthing ships there. I visited the Neckinger twice, an hour and a half apart. The first time, it was full of water. The second, the tide had receded leaving only wet, muddy sand and confused-sounding seagulls like they couldn’t understand where the water had gone. The old, well-preserved wharves on either side of the inlet have names redolent of their importing history: Cinammon, Java and Saffron.
Jacob the Dray Horse
The statue of Jacob the dray horse stands in the centre of the surrounding, cobalt-blue, modernist Circle flats. The statue was helicoptered over London in 1987. I had a coffee outside a little cafe on the corner here, overlooking Jacob, made by a Moroccan man who was listening to the news in Arabic. Somehow, it seemed fitting considering how central this whole area was to trade in the Nineteenth century.
The Flag Store and Pyramid
Built in 1899, the Flag Store building itself is imposing enough. Add the gate into Jubilee Yard, and you’ve got something worthy of a film. And if you go through the gate, into the yard, you’ll see something that looks very out of place: a modernist, glass-fronted pyramid. It looks to have no real purpose, but apparently, there’s enough space inside for offices.
What Makes Shad Thames a Good Location for Thrillers?
My thriller series Angel of the South is set mainly in South London. I’m keen to use London as cinematically as I can in the books. Locations that have come up so far include Deptford Railway Arches, the Meridian Line at Canary Wharf and Crystal Palace Park. Unusual settings, in other words that are often off the touristy beaten track.
The first hundred yards or so of Shad Thames is certainly quite touristy, but with its great history, and those walkways criss-crossing overhead, it would make a great location for a scene in one of the books. But interestingly, the area I can most see cropping up is The Circle, with Jacob the dray horse. Somehow, it seems like the sort of place where Billie, the main character, would rent a flat…
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