In photos: the long abandoned North Woolwich Pier on the River Thames

A short walk from the former North Woolwich station can be found the remans of the North Woolwich Pier, which was built in the mid-1800s by the Eastern Counties Railway to provide a ferry connection across the Thames to Woolwich and Woolwich Arsenal.

The pier stands, although heavily vandalised.

I wouldn’t recommend walking to the end as the wood is very weak,

The excellent disused-stations site explains the reasons for the pier’s demise.

On 1st October 1908 the Great Eastern Railway withdrew the service as it was unable to compete with the free ferry (now know as the Woolwich Ferry).

 

The railway pier on the south bank became disused and was eventually demolished but that on the north bank was retained and until WW2 was used by the LNER as a calling point for river steamers providing a service to Southend and Margate.

The pier has survived many attempts to set it on fire.

Pier building as seen in the 1940s. Inside there was a small booking office which has since disappeared,

More info

• A short history of the North Woolwich branch
• North Woolwich railway station – a photo study of a desolate station, 1980
• History of North Woolwich Pier
• Video: The North Woolwich Railway: A Series of Unfortunate Events

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