Thames Maritime Heritage

The Thames, which seemed in terminal decline as the 20th century drew to a close, is being rediscovered for the massive resource it is. As the 21st century hurtles towards the completion of its first decade, enlightened visionaries are working to protect, enhance, modernise and develop this resourse.Still others are working to preserve the living history and living heritage of The River. One such concept is Thames Maritime Heritage

The River is primarily liquid history. Its secondary function is as a transport route. Beyond and above those two exquisitely important functions, The River is a recreational facility for growing numbers of switched-in Londoners. Between Barrier'n' Bridge are sailing clubs, sail-training centres, hulks encased in concrete, boats floating on the tide, river-borne police, The Royal Navy, the RNLI, the MVS and myriad maritime secrets known only to a few. It is also an educational ans social facility, both on and off the water and a major commercial asset maintained and administered by the Port of London Authority (PLA).

One facility 'in the pipeline' is the "Thames Maritime Heritage River Life Centre".This mouthful, (thankfully nor acronymable at the moment) is a working term for a brilliant idea for the Greenwich Peninsula originally cobbled together by Chris Brown, Eric Woodhouse and Danny Creedon one a former HoU London MVS another a former RVO Thames region MVS and the third a waterman.  Within sight of the barrier and the Dome/O2 Arena, the "Thames Maritime Heritage River Life Centre"  is the ultimate maritime dream for the new century: a place where old boats will be restored to useful life, i.e. providing training and river experience to a generation only now being born on the banks of a river which has been central to the progress of Londonium back to the glory days of the Roman Empire and forward to the present.