Enderby's Wharf
Encyclopedia
Enderby's Wharf is a wharf and industrial site on the south bank of the Thames
in southeast London, associated with Telcon and other companies. It has a history of more than 150 years of production of submarine communication cables
and associated equipment, and is one of the most important sites in the history of submarine communications.
a little to the north of the historic centre of Greenwich
between the Thames and just south of the Blackwall Tunnel
approach road, across the river from Cubitt Town
. It covers an area of some 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) and has a frontage of around 600 feet (182.9 m). In 2010 a proposal was made to turn 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of the river frontage of the site not in use by Alcatel
into a cruise liner terminal and housing. The proposal (known as 'Enderby Wharf') received planning approval in 2011, subject to approval by the Greater London Authority.
, which acquired the site for a ropeworks in 1830. Enderbys also built Enderby House, which remains today as a listed building and part of the Alcatel
works on the site.
In 1857 submarine cable manufacturers Glass, Elliot & Co and W.T.Henley
took over the site; Henleys subsequently moved to North Woolwich
. As well as jointly making the short-lived first transatlantic telegraph cable
, Glass, Elliot supplied many early telegraph cables including Corsica
–Sardinia
, Lowestoft
–Zandvoort
, Malta
–Alexandria
and Sicily
–Algeria
. In the 1860s Glass, Elliot was absorbed into the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company (Telcon), which manufactured a second transatlantic telegraph cable at Enderby's Wharf. This was successfully laid by the SS Great Eastern
. The company went on to manufacture many more transatlantic cables, and others to Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong etc.
In 1935 the site came into the ownership of the newly formed Submarine Cables Ltd. After ownership by BICC
and AEI
, in 1970 it passed to STC
. Manufacture of submarine cable at the site ended in 1975 (transferring to Southampton), and work concentrated on manufacture of optical repeaters
and amplifiers
. It subsequently passed to Northern Telecom and then to Alcatel
in 1994.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in southeast London, associated with Telcon and other companies. It has a history of more than 150 years of production of submarine communication cables
Submarine communications cable
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....
and associated equipment, and is one of the most important sites in the history of submarine communications.
Location
The wharf lies on the Greenwich PeninsulaGreenwich Peninsula
Greenwich Peninsula is an area of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.The peninsula is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Thames, between the Isle of Dogs and Silvertown. To the south is the rest of Greenwich, to the south-east is Charlton.The peninsula lies...
a little to the north of the historic centre of Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
between the Thames and just south of the Blackwall Tunnel
Blackwall Tunnel
The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the London Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south of the East India Dock Road in Blackwall; the southern...
approach road, across the river from Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town is an area on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets in London, England. It is on the east of the Isle, facing Greenwich across the River Thames. To the west is Millwall, to the northwest Canary Wharf and to the north, across the Blue Bridge, Blackwall...
. It covers an area of some 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) and has a frontage of around 600 feet (182.9 m). In 2010 a proposal was made to turn 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of the river frontage of the site not in use by Alcatel
Alcatel
Alcatel Mobile Phones is a brand of mobile handsets. It was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China....
into a cruise liner terminal and housing. The proposal (known as 'Enderby Wharf') received planning approval in 2011, subject to approval by the Greater London Authority.
History
The wharf was first developed by the whaling company of Samuel Enderby & SonsSamuel Enderby & Sons
Samuel Enderby & Sons was a whaling and sealing company based in London, England, founded circa 1775 by Samuel Enderby . The company encouraged their captains to combine exploration with their business activities, and sponsored several of the earliest expeditions to the subantarctic, Southern Ocean...
, which acquired the site for a ropeworks in 1830. Enderbys also built Enderby House, which remains today as a listed building and part of the Alcatel
Alcatel
Alcatel Mobile Phones is a brand of mobile handsets. It was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China....
works on the site.
In 1857 submarine cable manufacturers Glass, Elliot & Co and W.T.Henley
William Thomas Henley
William Thomas Henley was a pioneer in the manufacture of telegraph cables. He designed and built a wire covering machine which is now in the London Science Museum....
took over the site; Henleys subsequently moved to North Woolwich
North Woolwich
North Woolwich is a place in the London Borough of Newham. It is located north of Woolwich proper which is on the south bank of the River Thames. The two places are linked by the Woolwich Ferry and the Woolwich foot tunnel.-History:...
. As well as jointly making the short-lived first transatlantic telegraph cable
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
, Glass, Elliot supplied many early telegraph cables including Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
–Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
–Zandvoort
Zandvoort
Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
–Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
–Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. In the 1860s Glass, Elliot was absorbed into the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company (Telcon), which manufactured a second transatlantic telegraph cable at Enderby's Wharf. This was successfully laid by the SS Great Eastern
SS Great Eastern
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, London. She was by far the largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch, and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers around the...
. The company went on to manufacture many more transatlantic cables, and others to Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong etc.
In 1935 the site came into the ownership of the newly formed Submarine Cables Ltd. After ownership by BICC
British Insulated Callender's Cables
British Insulated Callender's Cables was a 20th century British cable manufacturer and construction company, now renamed after former subsidiary Balfour Beatty.-History:...
and AEI
Associated Electrical Industries
Associated Electrical Industries was a British holding company formed in 1928 through the merger of the British Thomson-Houston Company and Metropolitan-Vickers electrical engineering companies...
, in 1970 it passed to STC
Standard Telephones and Cables
Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd was a British telephone, telegraph, radio, telecommunications and related equipment R&D manufacturer. During its history STC invented and developed several groundbreaking new technologies including PCM and optical fibres.The company began life in London as...
. Manufacture of submarine cable at the site ended in 1975 (transferring to Southampton), and work concentrated on manufacture of optical repeaters
Optical communications repeater
An optical communications repeater is used in a fiber-optic communications system to regenerate an optical signal by converting it to an electrical signal, processing that electrical signal and then retransmitting an optical signal...
and amplifiers
Optical amplifier
An optical amplifier is a device that amplifies an optical signal directly, without the need to first convert it to an electrical signal. An optical amplifier may be thought of as a laser without an optical cavity, or one in which feedback from the cavity is suppressed...
. It subsequently passed to Northern Telecom and then to Alcatel
Alcatel
Alcatel Mobile Phones is a brand of mobile handsets. It was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China....
in 1994.
See also
- W.T.HenleyWilliam Thomas HenleyWilliam Thomas Henley was a pioneer in the manufacture of telegraph cables. He designed and built a wire covering machine which is now in the London Science Museum....
- CallendersBritish Insulated Callender's CablesBritish Insulated Callender's Cables was a 20th century British cable manufacturer and construction company, now renamed after former subsidiary Balfour Beatty.-History:...
- Standard Telephones and CablesStandard Telephones and CablesStandard Telephones and Cables Ltd was a British telephone, telegraph, radio, telecommunications and related equipment R&D manufacturer. During its history STC invented and developed several groundbreaking new technologies including PCM and optical fibres.The company began life in London as...
- Siemens BrothersCarl Wilhelm SiemensCarl Wilhelm Siemens was a German born engineer who for most of his life worked in Britain and later became a British subject.-Biography:...
- India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Cable Company