Home > Woolwich Ferry

A ferry service had operated across the river at Woolwich since at least the 14th century. The free ferry service was instigated by Sir Joseph Bazalgette using powers granted in the Metropolitan Board of Works (Various Powers) Act 1885, and was officially opened on 23 March 1889.

The current three vessels (built in Dundee in 1963 to replace the previous four paddle steamers used since 1923) were each named after prominent local politicians: John Burns, Ernest BevinErnest Bevin ( 9 March 1881 14 April 1951), British labour leader and politician, was born in a small village in Somerset, England. His father, who he never knew, was an agricultural labourer and his mother was a housemaid who died when he was eight. and James Newman (Newman was mayor of Woolwich, 1923-25). This continued a practice started in 1923 with The Squire (named after William Squires, another former mayor of Woolwich), and in 1930 with the Will CrooksWilliam (Will) Crooks ( 6 April 1852- 5 June 1921) was a noted trade unionist and politician from Poplar, London, and a member of the Fabian Society. He is particularly remembered for his campaigning work against poverty and inequality. Born in Shirbutt S (Labour MP for Woolwich, 1903-1921) and the John Benn (Sir John was a member of London County CouncilCounty of London, shown within a map of England's 1890 counties London County Council (LCC was the principal local government body for the County of London from 1889 until 1965, when it was replaced by the Greater London Council. It covered the area today, Liberal MP for WappingWapping is a place in London, England in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is situated on the north shore of the River Thames facing Bermondsey and Rotherhithe and is part of the Docklands area of London. The area was first settled by Saxons, from w, and grandfather of Tony BennThe Right Honourable Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate is a British politician regarded as being on the left of the Labour Party. Family background Tony Benn's father William Wedgwood Benn).

The ferries can carry lorries and other road traffic across the river, plus large numbers of foot passengers (licensed capacity: 500 passengers and 200 tonnes of vehicles). At peak periods, two ferries criss-cross the river at approximately 10 minute intervals.

If the ferry service is not operating, pedestians can use the nearby Woolwich foot tunnelThe Woolwich foot tunnel is a tunnel crossing under the River Thames in east London from Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. The tunnel offers pedestrians an alternative way to cross the river whe; for vehicles, the nearest alternatives are the Blackwall TunnelThe Blackwall Tunnel is a road tunnel underneath the River Thames in London, linking the London Borough of Greenwich with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is actually two tunnels, one built at the end of the 19th century, the other completed some 7 about two miles upstream to the west, or the Dartford Crossing some ten miles downstream to the east.