IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Royal Crest Avenue, LONDON, E16 2TE

The Gulf Lubricants plant at Minoco Wharf was closed some years ago and the 5.9 hectare site was sold for development. This ended a long connection with oil production going back to 1896. The riverside site is between the Barrier Point residential development to the east and the industrial units to the west. The site is currently owned by the developers Ballymore. In June 2007 a planning application was submitted for a phased mixed development with residential, employment, retail and food and drink components along with community, health, education, cultural, assembly and leisure & recreational uses. There will be vehicular, pedestrian and cycle access from North Woolwich Road. There will also be a marina with lock access to river Thames. The scheme includes public realm, public open space and private amenity space, landscaping and a network of footways and cycleways including a riverside path. The area concerned can just be seen through the wire fencing.

This memorial is at the entrance to Minoco Wharf in Silvertown. There used to be a TNT explosives factory here, belonging to Brunner-Mond & Co. For the previous 2 years (in order to support the war effort) the works had carried out the purification of TNT, an inherently dangerous activity about which little was known. On 19th January 1917 there was a fire at the factory, which led to a huge explosion. 73 people were killed, hundreds injured and there was damage to properties for miles around. The fire burned for days. Because Britain was at war with Germany, full details of the explosion were suppressed at the time. It remains London's biggest ever explosion. The memorial was erected to commemorate the victims, and company employees who died in World Wars 1 and 2.

Looking north-northwest.

Looking north-northwest across a massive spoil heap. The tip of the Shard can also be seen to the left.

New blocks of flats on the north bank. Five years earlier, only the tower on the right was here Image

This is a second version of Image, taken this time from the actual platform at Pontoon Dock Station. The headlights of an approaching DLR train can also be seen to finish the scene off! View taken looking west-southwest along the tracks. Again, I have placed the subject position in the same square as the photographer's position so as to satisfy the one-square rule.

This view was taken looking west-southwest across North Woolwich Road to Canary Wharf from Pontoon Dock station. I also have a view of Canary Wharf from Queen Mary University here: Image

These white blocks of flats are located just on the other side of Thames Barrier Park, adjacent to the "maze" of wavy hedges. View taken from Pontoon Dock station looking southwest.

Looking above one of the closed gates of the Thames Barrier taken from further along the Thames path towards Greenwich. The gates are closed as today is the annual closure for maintenance - don't worry, London isn't at threat of a flood!

Taken looking through one of the Thames Barrier's gates. The gates are closed as today is the annual closure for maintenance - don't worry, London isn't at threat of a flood!