On 2015\03\27 13:12, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\03\27 07:00, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

In message , at 13:26:14 on Fri, 27 Mar
2015, Basil Jet remarked:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

From Teddington to the North Sea.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:26:14 on Fri, 27 Mar 2015,
Basil Jet remarked:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry
crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

From Teddington to the North Sea.

And obviously at Woolwich.

Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:26:14 on Fri, 27 Mar
2015, Basil Jet remarked:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks
as if they wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously
maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite
each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the
abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to
the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

From Teddington to the North Sea.

And obviously at Woolwich.

And the flow on the tideway is a good deal quicker on the
flood than on the ebb.

--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\03\27 13:12, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\03\27 07:00, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

Yes, I know, but on average the water flows downstream, so the ferries will
most often be powering towards the dock, rather than resisting the current.
That makes them more controllable, and less likely to smash into the dock.

Incidentally, I notice that, slightly downstream, there's an old, derelict
pier just opposite the old North Woolwich station -- was this used by the
ferries in the past? Or was it to serve passengers who arrived at the
station?

Recliner wrote:
Incidentally, I notice that, slightly downstream, there's an old, derelict
pier just opposite the old North Woolwich station -- was this used by the
ferries in the past? Or was it to serve passengers who arrived at the
station?

It's marked as 'LNER pier' on this map:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/north_woolwich/
adjacent to the 'Free Ferry' which goes from what looks to be the current
pier. According to the text, the Great Eastern ran a North to South
Woolwich ferry competing with the free ferry which closed in 1908, but the
pier was then used for river steamers. Looks like the pier has been there
since 1847.

Theo

Theo Markettos wrote:
Looks like the pier has been there since 1847.

Some pictures:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n...index122.shtml

Theo

Theo Markettos wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:
Looks like the pier has been there since 1847.

Some pictures:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n...index122.shtml

Yes, I'd also stumbled on that site after posing my question. I went along
there this morning and took some new pics, which I'll. upload tomorrow. I
was the solitary foot passenger on the ferry I took to the south bank.

The old station/museum looks a bit sad these days, with boarded-up windows.
I wonder how long before it's replaced by another block of riverside posh
flats?

On 27 Mar 2015 16:04:32 +0000 (GMT), Theo Markettos
wrote:

Theo Markettos wrote:
Looks like the pier has been there since 1847.

Some pictures:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n...index122.shtml


And here's some more of mine, taken yesterday morning:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...7651196745800/