QUEENHITHE

It's hard to imagine that this was probably the busiest place on the river in the 16th and 17th century. The small inlet, Queenhithe, was one of the Legal Quays on the northern bank of the River Thames. Ships waiting to load and unload were jostling each other as they waited for a berth. There was a forest of sails and masts. Pilfering and smuggling was rife and even when the ships eventually tied up alongside at Queenhithe or the other wharves, the customs were waiting to collect their taxes and duties.

Now the river traffic is mainly pleasure launches. The River Police, formed in 1798 to cut the rising crime on the river and the quayside, are not likely to face any violent characters these days - just the odd drunk who jumps into the water from a riverside restaurant.