history

Rotherhithe was first mentioned in an Anglo Saxon charter of 898 and its first real ‘historical mention is in 1016 when King Cnut , who sailed up the Thames to attack London, avoided ambush by forces at London Bridge by cutting a canal around the Londoners.

The nearby Bermondsey Abbey played an influential part on life in and around Rotherhithe with the rights to the rectory being owned by the Abbey Prior and the monks contributing greatly to establishing and maintaining flood defences.

Edward III had a palace at Rotherhithe (the remains have been recently excavated) and, in 1412, Henry IV stayed there in the hope that the sea air would cure his leprosy. The manor at Rotherhithe was owned by the monarchy from William II until Henry I gave it to his son.

THough it has had ties with church and royalty, the strongest ties for Rotherhithe have been in its relationship with the sea. As well as being the burial place for three of the four Mayflower owners (at the local church – built in 1715), it is also the birthplace of Christopher Jones (who was Captain of that ship), and of two master mariners, Peter Hills and Robert Booth, who founded a home for mariners and also founded a school which is the modern day Peter Hills school.

With its large docks, Rotherhithe was also famous for its shipbuilding. It competed strongly with the shipyards on the north side of the river (and with their shipbuilders, the 'freemen of the City of London’) and the first iron ship, the Aaron Manby, was constructed locally. It also possessed (at the time) the largest commercial dock in the western world and was the major whaling base in London until the trade died in the 1840's.

The docks themselves (and housing in the area) were destroyed during the blitz and, though trade recovered during the next decade, the introduction of larger ships and new shipping methods led to steady decline until they were eventually closed in 1970.

In the days of the Stuarts, wealthy Londoners used to come to the Cherry Gardens on Saturday to relax and enjoy the surroundings; in his diaries, Samuel Pepys records that he bought cherries for his wife here. The recent initiative of planting cherry trees in the area may well have been influenced by these.

The population growth in the area was quite dramatic during the 19th Century (where it grew by 350%) and the divide between rich and poor was great. Thankfully, this is now no longer the case and though the days of Saturday afternoons in the Cherry Garden are gone the origins of the village are still visible and the strong local community spirit remains.