Our Neighborhood and Flat
Mike and I absolutely fell in love with our flat (apartment) the second that we saw it! In fact, it was the first place the realtor showed us, but for as many others subsequent flats that we looked at, we knew the first one was ours.
Located at New Concordia Wharf on Mill Street (London area of Southwark), it was built in a converted 1800’s warehouse which housed spices, teas and other commodities. These items were unloaded and loaded onto river boats on the River Thames in Victorian times using the towering black cranes which can still be seen all along the buildings.
An 1878 book says:
“Shad Thames, and, indeed, the whole riverside, contain extensive granaries and storehouses for the supply of the metropolis. Indeed, from Morgan’s Lane – a turning about the middle of Tooley Street, on the north side, to St Saviour’s (once called Savory) Dock, the whole line of street – called in one part Pickle Herring Street, and in the other Shad Thames – exhibits an uninterrupted series of wharves, warehouses, mills, and factories, on both sides of the narrow and crowded roadway.”
During WWII, bombs rained down all over London, and this area was no different, although a few of the warehouses escaped being hit. Later, during the 20th century, the area declined when use of shipping containers meant goods had to unload further east. The last warehouses closed in 1972. One of our movers recalled playing in our very flat as a boy. He said it still smelled of spices and he and his friends had great fun making up games using the conveyor belts that were left there.
Various artists took up residence in the low-cost area after the closures, but the area was regenerated in the 1980s and 90s when it was converted into amazing, eclectic and luxurious flats.
We’ve never lived anywhere SOOOOOO cool! Exquisite yet quirky, posh but comfy, it sits directly on the Thames with an additional tidal waterway to one side. Perched just at the end of where tourists don’t wander (with a little wooden bridge and gates that locked at night), it was close enough to be quickly in the thick of city life, but removed enough to be peaceful.
We enjoyed U.S. amenities such as a full-sized freezer/fridge and a washer and dryer! Happily, the flat was completely furnished with unique and elegant, yet comfortable furniture; it really was completely turn-key (including dishes, and decor), so we needed little more than our toothbrushes and clothes. Having three bedrooms and baths meant we could share our find with our family; they were able to visit often and we had such fantastic times!
Right out our bedroom doors to the balcony, the River Neckinger flows. Often we'd see small crafts and kayaks go by, headed to or from the Thames. It’s a “reduced subterranean river that rises in Southwark and flows approximately 2.5 kilometers through that part of London to St Saviour’s Dock where it enters the Thames.”*
It has a pretty colorful (?) history, as it’s the place where convicted pirates were hanged at the Wharf in the 17th century. “The name of the river is believed to derive from the term ‘devil’s neck cloth,’ a slang term for the hangman’s noose.”*
Other tidbits about it include*:
- 14th century mention by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales 'as the place where the Pilgrims water their horses on their way to Thomas Becket’s shrine.'
- 16th century writings by herbalist and botanist John Gerard about the wild willow herb found there.
- Middle ages: the Bermonsey Abbey, a local religious house, used the Neckinger’s water to power a Tide mill.
- 17th and 18th centuries saw homes and businesses being built on the former Abbey grounds and tanners being attracted to its banks for the supply of tidal water.
- In 1790 the paper-producing Neckinger Mill was established and was later sold to leather manufactuers.
- In the 1980s the area was converted into residential development
*Wikipedia sourced
This flat was a dreamy place to be and we adored EVERY minute of living there!
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