December 2023

This short film "The Tide Line," produced by local filmmakers Superfolk Films, highlights the past, present, and future plans for Butler's Wharf.

Emma Sanderson-Nash, chair of Butler's Wharf Riverside Trust, describes the film and the project: "Many of you will be familiar with Butler's Wharf Riverside Trust, a local group that campaigned for design-led improvements to the jetty. We have no concluded our work and hope you enjoy our short film "The Tide Line," which reveals our vision for the waterfront path. 

"The Tide Line includes new planting, seating and lighting for the jetty and is the culmination of years of works and consultation. Our brief film captures the uniqueness of the jetty, traveling back through time, showing the rich and diverse history of the area. 

"Competition winners Ludwig Willis have thoughtfully used this history and blended good design with the need for practicality. 

"We hope you enjoy our film, which concludes the work of the Trust and has been made available on the STRA website. We look forward to the riverfront leaseholders making the Tide Line become a reality."

November 2023

The jetty at Butler's Wharf is one of London's most loved riverside spaces, sitting in the shadow of a UNESCO World Heritage site - the Tower of London - and Grade 1 listed Tower Bridge. The largest collection of Victorian warehouses remaining in London, it represents an important moment in Britain's history. The imports that passed across the jetty in the 19th century created a bridge between London and the rest of the world. Sadly, the jetty has been neglected in recent years. STRA has supported Butler's Wharf Riverside Trust's desire to bring change to this important site.

The Trust was founded with publicly-declared aims to protect, enhance, and preserve Butler's Wharf jetty. The resident-led campaign has been about finding community-supported solutions to the jetty's problems. 

The Trust believed that a public design competition was a means not only to find solutions to the jetty's problems, but also the best way to engage as many stakeholders as possible in arriving at those solutions. The Trust wanted to be sure that the public was consulted on the jetty's future.

In 2019, the Trust applied for and was awarded £29,500 from Southwark Council's 'Cleaner, Greener, Safer' fund in support its aims, allowing it to embark on a design competition in partnership with the London Festival of Architecture. The goal was to create a new vision for the jetty which not only celebrated its unique location and history, but also remedied some of the space's ironic issues. 

The documents linked below represent the culmination of the Trust's work: 

The Tide Line Stage 3 Report by Ludwig Willis

This report is the result of four years of discussion, design, and development and presents the designs at a 'planning-ready' stage. It includes costings ranging from minimum to maximum, as well as projected maintenance costs. The design can be delivered on a modular basis. 

Butler's Wharf Riverside Trust Concluding Report

This report sets out the Trust's conclusions, including how BWRT's work evolved over a four year period and providing all the background material about its consultations. It highlights the central work of BWRT's design competition.

Contact BWRT.