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manyofthemwithcargoesfromtheLowCountriesweremostlysmallhardlylargerthanrivercraft.WealsoknowfromdocumentsthatonrareoccasionsaVenetiangalleyanenormousshipforthetimewithseveralbanksofoarswouldcometotradeinLondon.Itwouldhaveanchoredinthemiddleoftheriverandbeservicedbymanysmallerboats.Onegalleyin1481hadanimmensecargoofcarpetssilksoapspicesglassbeakersandbottlesandraisins.ItwouldhaveamazedalltheresidentsofHorselydownbyitsgiganticsizeandopulenceresemblingthecruiselinersoftoday.Fromabout1550to1700Londongrewinpopulationbyabouteighttimesafter1650forthersttimeLondonovertookParisinitsnumberofpeople.Oneofthemainreasonsforthiswasthecreationofatradingempireroundtheworldbasedonagrowingdominanceoftheoceans.NaturallytheSouthwarkandBermondseywaterfrontwasoneofthecentresoftheseincreasedactivities.Duringthe18thcenturytheOneTowerBridgesitecomesintosharperfocus.Twoearlystreetmapsshoweverymajorstreetandmanyofthesmalleralleysarenamed.AtthisdatethesitewaslargelyopenspacebeinggardensbehindhousesonthispartofTooleyStreetthencalledHorsleyDowntothewestwasthewarrenofalleysandsmallhousesaroundStoneyLaneandVineYardnowVineLane.TherewerethreestairsorpointsofpublicaccesstotheriverfromwesttoeastStillStairsatthetopofPottersFieldsalleythecuriously-namedDancingBridgethewordbridgewasusedtomeanasimplestairintothewaterforaccesstosmallboatsandHorselydownOldStairsattheendofHorselydownLane.WithintheeastsideoftheOneTowerBridgesitewasFreemansLanerunningnorthfromTooleyStreetbutthehousestherearenotdifferentiated.WhilstTowerBridgelooksolderthanitsyearsitwasactuallyonlybuiltin1886-94.DesignedbytheengineerSirJohnWolfeBarryandthearchitectSirHoraceJones.ItquicklybecomethesymbolicgatewaybetweenthePoolofLondonandthemainareaofdocksdownstream.Itwasdesignedwithsteam-poweredliftingbasculestoallowtall-mastedandhigh-funnelledshipsthroughandhigh-levelwalkwaystoallowpedestriansacrossassumingtheyweretenoughtoclimballthestairs.Thestoneworkconcealsathoroughlymodernironandsteelstructure.TheareaaroundOneTowerBridgewasknownasthelarderofLondonbecauseofallthefoodstuffslandinghereincludingbananasspicesandrumfromtheCaribbean.TradewithBalticcountriesparticularlyinhidesandfurwasalsoimportant.Thecommercialbuildingsaprivateefdomofbondedcustoms-sealedwarehousesjealouslyguardedfromthegeneralpubliclledthewholeOneTowerBridgesitebacktothene1894StOlavesGrammerSchool.Withthearrivaloflargecontainershipsberthingdownstreamthelabour-intensivedaysofdockersandstevedoresthosewholoadedandunloadedtheshipsdrewtoaclose.Theshippingandwarehousingtraderapidlydwindledtoapointwhereitbecameunviablethisfarupriver.Thewharfshereclosedin1969andtheareafellsilentandincreasinglyderelict.Howeverplanswerebeinglaidandthebuildingswereacquiredbypropertydevelopersawaitingthecreationofthenextchapterinhistory.Thatchapterisnowwellunderway.OneTowerBridgeisaluxurydevelopmentof123and4bedstunningapartmentsallwithbalconiesandoutstandingviewsoverLondonandtheriver.Apartmentswithpricesstartingat785000andarenowavailableforsale.TheareaaroundOneTowerBridgewasknownasthelarderofLondonSalesEnquiriesforOneTowerBridgeSalesLoungetemporarylocationThePavilionEmpireSquare.LongLaneSE1t02078710011wwww.onetowerbridge.co.ukTHERIVERSUMMER2013PROPERTY39