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Thames River Navigation
The Thames is the most important inland waterway in southeastern England; after the Restoration of the Stuart dynasty in the 1660s, the Port of Londo…
Timeline
- 1660–1663Docklands, City of London · LondonAfter Charles II's restoration, the Civil War's restrictions on shipping were lifted; Thames sailing barges and lighters resumed their traffic, and customs and merchant companies reorganized river cargo handling and port loading and unloading.
- 1664–1667Upper Thames to London stretch · EnglandCoal brought by sea from places such as Newcastle was transferred by barge along the Thames into the city; the river coal fleet expanded, supporting London's industrial and heating needs, with river transport costing less than overland routes.
- 1668–1670Gravesend · KentDuring the Anglo-Dutch Wars, shipping in the Thames estuary was once threatened; after the war, river transport order was rebuilt, and anchorages such as Gravesend continued to serve as transit nodes for ocean-going vessels entering and leaving London.
Sources
- London's River: A History of the Thames — Gavin Weightman (1990)
- Port of London Authority — History of the Port https://www.pla.co.uk/about-us/history-of-the-port