Relics in a Forgotten Park

Keilyn beside a giant anchor.

It was during one of my walks with Keilyn that we discovered a small park on the banks of the River Thames.

We had just disembarked from the Woolwich Free Ferry and were heading along Pier Road, when we noticed a giant anchor. It was set atop a concrete and brick base that was being encroached upon by bushes.

Keilyn and the Railway Crane.

The path meandered around the raised anchor, leading us to a wide, but narrow, concrete area beside the river. To our left was a Railway Crane, resting on a short section of rails attached to concrete sleepers. It was a fascinating thing to discover. There was no engine, nor cab, so I am unsure as to how it was powered.

A little further on we discovered benches, facing the river, another anchor and, towards the end of the park, a propeller and a set of steps led down to the foreshore. 

Keilyn standing on the smaller anchor.

This park had been designed, at some point, as a place that people could sit to watch the River Thames, while the trees acted as a screen, blocking out the sight of the industrial and residential complexes, springing up beyond Pier Road.

Keilyn standing on a propeller.

Raised brick borders may have been planted with flowers, but are now overgrown with uncontrolled bushes and weeds.

What was frustrating was the sheer absence of information regarding the four relics on display. Especially for the Crane on Rails.

A Crane on Rails.

I can find next to nothing online about this park. For instance I can't even find its name. On Google Maps the 'Crane on Rails' is marked, but that is all.

North Woolwich was home to the Royal Docks, with railway lines carrying both freight and passengers, traversing the area. The sidings were just off Pier Road.

But this Railway Crane looks far too small to have lifted anything from a cargo shop or from the side of a freight train. 

Keilyn takes the controls.

Harland & Wolff, the shipbuilders, had two sites in North Woolwich. One was located where City Airport now resides, while the other was at the entrance to the south of King George V Lock and was the largest yard in London. This site is now a residential area.

Again there is no way that I can see this little Railway Crane lifting the sort of weights that would be required in building ships. But, Harland & Wolff didn't just build ships like the Titanic... they also built Narrow Boats. 

After checking through some images online, I discovered some old photos of the Harland & Wolff Yard, which appear to show two cranes, much like the one on Pier Road.

Are those the same railway cranes in front of the shipyards?

It appears that two cranes were capable of lifting a Narrow Boat, which allowed for the hull to be inspected much more easily. The Yards closed in 1972.

So, could this be where the Railway Crane on Pier Road came from? 

Regardless, stumbling across this little find, in what appears to be a forgotten park, was cool.