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Burrells Wharf Square, LONDON, E14 3TD

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's ship the Great Eastern was constructed here between 1854 and 1857 and was finally launched sideways at 1:42pm on 31st January 1858, aided by an unusually high tide and strong winds. The full story can be seen at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Eastern The site of the launch is still partly visible next to Burrell's Wharf on the Isle of Dogs as can be seen here. She was eventually scrapped at New Ferry on the River Mersey by Henry Bath & Son Ltd in 1889–1890. It took 18 months to take her apart. At the time Everton Football Club were looking for a flagpole for their Anfield ground, and consequently purchased her top mast. It still stands there today at the ground which is now owned by Liverpool Football Club, at the Kop end.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's ship the Great Eastern was constructed here between 1854 and 1857 and was finally launched sideways at 1:42pm on 31st January 1858, aided by an unusually high tide and strong winds. The full story can be seen at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Eastern The site of the launch is still partly visible next to Burrell's Wharf on the Isle of Dogs as can be seen here. She was eventually scrapped at New Ferry on the River Mersey by Henry Bath & Son Ltd in 1889–1890. It took 18 months to take her apart. At the time Everton Football Club were looking for a flagpole for their Anfield ground, and consequently purchased her top mast. It still stands there today at the ground which is now owned by Liverpool Football Club, at the Kop end.

These old timbers are what remains of the slipway from which was launched Brunel's ambitious but ill fated creation, the "SS Great Eastern". She was the first double skinned iron hulled ship to be built, the first to have steam powering paddle wheels as well as a propeller, and had six sail carrying masts as a back up. It was envisaged that with this combination she would sail round the world without refuelling. At a displacement of 32,000 tons, she was destined to be the largest ship for another forty one years. Her huge size was to present enormous problems at the launch. Couldn't go stern first as she would have hit the far bank of the river. So a sideways launch was chosen. But again, her size and weight was too much and defeated the steam powered rams which were to push her broadside into the water. Only after the thirteenth attempt did they finally achieve success on the 31st of January 1858. After fitting out, and on her maiden voyage her engine blew up, killing five stokers and one more who panicked and jumped overboard and was lost. She did however complete several transatlantic crossings, mostly as a cable layer. But alas, she proved to be far too costly to operate and was finally broken up in 1889. For a picture of the restraining chains used at the launch, see Image

That famous picture of the great IK Brunel, complete with top hat and cigar, by the chains of the 'Great Eastern', was probably taken very close to this place. Of course, it was not allowed on 'Geograph' as it was a picture of a person.

Looking southwest from the junction with Westferry Road

See Image

Part of Burrell's paintworks, reusing a converted building of the Millwall Ironworks which was used to create the plates for the hulls of iron ships such as the Great Eastern, built and launched close by http://exploringeastlondon.co.uk/eel/Millwall/Millwall.htm#Platehouse .

SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built by J. Scott Russell & Co. at Millwall on the River Thames.

Looking northeast