thames discovery programme

key site information: Custom House FCY04

The zone is approximately 500m long and 50m wide; it is bounded to the W
by London Bridge and to the E by Quay Walk. The access to the site is via
stone stairs to the E of Custom House. These are well maintained, with a
handrail but can become slippery at times. The ground conditions on the site
are generally firm (sands and gravels) however, caution is necessary as
mudlarkers are active on the site, and there are dredged areas masked by deep mud.

archaeological and historical background

prehistoric
A number of prehistoric finds have been recovered from the area. Residual flints were discovered
during excavations at Regis House to the west of the zone, and a Neolithic flint axe was found on
Lower Thames Street. Two Bronze Age axes, a spearhead and a sword were recovered from the
foreshore.

roman
The zone lies to the south of the line of the Roman waterfront (i.e. within the contemporary river
channel), and Roman ceramics and metalwork have been recovered during mudlarking activities on
the Billingsgate foreshore. Numerous investigations in the immediate vicinity of the site have shown
that the establishment of the Roman port in the mid 1st century AD led to the development of a
succession of waterfront structures over the course of the next two hundred years. Quayside
development was centred on the area of the Roman bridgehead (slightly downstream of modern
London Bridge). The limits of this development are not exactly established, however waterfront
structures of mid 2nd to mid 3rd century date were excavated at Old Custom House (now Sugar
Quay) at the eastern end of the foreshore site, and the late 3rd century east-west river wall has
been definitely identified as far east as Three Quays House, adjacent to the Tower.

early medieval
From the late 4th century until c900AD there is almost no sign of permanent settlement within the
walled city, and waterfront sites uniformly provide evidence of considerable silting over the latest
Roman quays. After the Alfredian reoccupation of the city the only evidence of activity in the area
comes from excavations to the west of Custom House; at Regis House (where a number of sunken
feature buildings were recorded dating to the 10th and 11th centuries), and at New Fresh Wharf
(where clay and timber embankments dating to the late 10th and early 11th centuries were
identified). A single coin of Eadred AD946-55 has been recovered from the foreshore. The place-
name ‘Billingsgate’ is likely to be of Saxon origin and the dedication of the nearby church to St
Botolph is also indicative of activity of this date.

later medieval
Archaeological evidence from four nearby sites (London Bridge, New Fresh Wharf, Billingsgate and
(old) Custom House) shows successive southward waterfront development from west to east. Corn,
malt and salt, as well as fish, were landed and traded at Billingsgate, which was one of the City’s
principal wharves. The first Custom House was built in 1275 to the east of the present site; it was
rebuilt in 1378 by John Churchman, Sheriff of London.

post medieval
In 1559 Custom House was rebuilt by William Paulet, Marquess of Winchester. It was destroyed
during the Great Fire of 1666 and again rebuilt by Christopher Wren. In 1714, an accidental
explosion of gunpowder severely damaged the Wren building, and it was reconstructed by John
Ripley (1717-25). This building again burnt down in 1814. Construction of a new Custom House,
designed by David Laing (on the present site) began in 1813 and was completed by 1817. A partial
collapse of the building in 1825 led to Laing’s dismissal and a subsequent rebuilding by Robert
Smirke; it is this building which largely survives on the site today. The East Wing of the Custom
House was destroyed during the WWII Blitz and rebuilt to the original plan.
ά101 Access Custom House Stairs. Wide granite steps with modern railing
ά102 Riverfront defence Granite riverside wall (1819)
ά103 Access Causeway leading from ά101. Middle section eroded away. Remainder consists of planks, uprights and concrete
ά104 Bargebed Very large bargebed with metal and wood tie backs. Overlain by ά103
ά105 Agradation Layer of sand, gravel, chalk, pot, tile, glass (river rolled), at top of foreshore
ά106 Vessel Remains of vessel under modern jetty
ά107 Consolidation Chalk consolidation. Currently being eroded out and spread over zone
ά108 Artefact scatter Animal bone, with frequent clay pipe fragments
ά109 Vessel Remains of vessel
ά110 Mooring feature Anchor point. Round metal object with chain
ά111 Jetty Concrete slab. Remains of access to jetty
ά112 Jetty Remains of jetty in water, now used as dolphins
ά113 Gridiron In front of Custom House
ά114 Mooring feature Anchor point and chain. Moulded concrete
ά115 Agradation Mud, largely covering bargebed and in dredged area in front of this.
ά116 Artefact scatter Timbers. Planks and offcuts, marking mudlarking holes
ά117 Mooring feature Anchor point and chain. Stone.
ά118 Riverfront defence Concrete riverside wall (under modern jetty)
ά119 Consolidation Concreted consolidation - eroding out
ά120 Gridiron? Remains of gridiron?
ά121 Wharf Remains of wharf
ά122 Riverfront defence Sheet piled riverwall
ά123 Deposit Very frequent shell (oyster, mussel, scallop, whelk) and pot, tile, clay pipe, animal bone
ά124 Wharf Remains of wharf with braces, standing up to approx 5m in height
ά125 Wharf ?Revetment and wharf (2/3 phases). Roundwood piles and horizontal planking (reused house timbers)
ά126 Wharf Collapsed wharf. Revetment similar to ά125, timber horizontals go back into brick wall ά127
ά127 Riverfront defence Brick riverside wall
ά128 Riverfront defence Granite riverside wall
ά129 Wharf Revetment beneath ά 120 (earlier wharf structure?)
ά130 Artefact scatter Nails on ά104. Exposed in middle of barge bed
ά131 Furniture Sign. Parish boundary mark (All Hallows Barking / St Dunstan’s in the East)
ά132 Timber Possibly associated with stair
ά133 Structure (unclassified) Wharf? Timber. Group of timbers
ά134 Structure (unclassified) Timber – remains of stair? Causeway?
ά135 Vessel Remains of vessel close to timbers ά136
ά136 Structure (unclassified) Timber. Vertical posts
ά137 Wharf Modern wharf structure - Wool Quay
ά138 Riverfront defence Sheet piled river wall
ά139 Riverfront defence Stone built river wall