History bit
Located on Upper Thames Street, this site is currently in redevelopment to provide a 224 bedroom hotel and 9 residential apartments. It will also provide a new pedestrian walkway which is currently missing from the water's edge.
The previous buildings were bog-standard 1970s office blocks, which are apparently of little architectural exception in the area (according to the planning application). Nevertheless, they seemed to have certain charm. I could imagine myself sitting there in the early eighties, overlooking the mounting traffic on Upper Thames Street, and clock-watching til it was time to get the 17.24 back home to Dartford.
The visit
Came here with SirJonnyP after he fell through a roof, and we encountered a very dedicated builder drilling away in a different site. Seriously, who works at 9pm on a Friday night?!
After a long-winded entry, which included trying to climb a 8ft sheer sheet of metal for no apparent reason, we found the crane easily enough.
Once settled in with a few tins and a great view of the river it was a pretty sweet spot. At one point a gaggle of people began running over the rooftops beneath us, wildly taking selfies and causing a general ruckus. It transpired they were just residents doing a little exploration from a nearby roof garden. Funnily enough they didn’t come near the crane; as SJP noted: ‘do these people have no imagination?’.
a) looking west towards the building formerly known as Kings Reach Tower
b) city views
c) cannon street station with Tower Bridge in the background
d) St Pauls
e) the moon, BT tower and some cranes
f) and g) some bits of crane
Images taken on b+w film due to being a poor student.
Located on Upper Thames Street, this site is currently in redevelopment to provide a 224 bedroom hotel and 9 residential apartments. It will also provide a new pedestrian walkway which is currently missing from the water's edge.
The previous buildings were bog-standard 1970s office blocks, which are apparently of little architectural exception in the area (according to the planning application). Nevertheless, they seemed to have certain charm. I could imagine myself sitting there in the early eighties, overlooking the mounting traffic on Upper Thames Street, and clock-watching til it was time to get the 17.24 back home to Dartford.
The visit
Came here with SirJonnyP after he fell through a roof, and we encountered a very dedicated builder drilling away in a different site. Seriously, who works at 9pm on a Friday night?!
After a long-winded entry, which included trying to climb a 8ft sheer sheet of metal for no apparent reason, we found the crane easily enough.
Once settled in with a few tins and a great view of the river it was a pretty sweet spot. At one point a gaggle of people began running over the rooftops beneath us, wildly taking selfies and causing a general ruckus. It transpired they were just residents doing a little exploration from a nearby roof garden. Funnily enough they didn’t come near the crane; as SJP noted: ‘do these people have no imagination?’.
a) looking west towards the building formerly known as Kings Reach Tower
b) city views
c) cannon street station with Tower Bridge in the background
d) St Pauls
e) the moon, BT tower and some cranes
f) and g) some bits of crane
Images taken on b+w film due to being a poor student.
