The Woolwich Ferry is a service across the River Thames linking Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich with North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. It also links two ends of the inner London orbital routes: the North Circular and the South Circular. Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 12935 km² Origin Kemble Mouth North Sea Basin countries England This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... Woolwich (pronounced Woolitch) is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ... The London Borough of Greenwich is a London borough in southeast London, formed in 1965 my merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich. ... North Woolwich consists of two tracts of land, totalling 412 acres (1. ... The London Borough of Newham is a London borough in East London. ... The A406 or the North Circular Road is a trunk-road linking west and east London going via North London. ... The A205 or South Circular Road is a roughly semicircular trunk road that joins west London to east London via south London. ...

A ferry service had operated across the river at Woolwich since at least the 14th century. The free ferry service was instigated by Sir Joseph Bazalgette using powers granted in the Metropolitan Board of Works (Various Powers) Act 1885, and was officially opened on 23 March 1889. (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ... Memorial to Sir Joseph Bazalgette on Victoria Embankment Sir Joseph William Bazalgette (28 March 1819 - 15 March 1891) was one of the great Victorian civil engineers. ... The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the principal instrument of London-wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889. ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

The current three vessels (built in Dundee in 1963 to replace the previous four paddle steamers used since 1923) were each named after prominent local politicians: John Burns, Ernest Bevin and James Newman (Newman was mayor of Woolwich, 1923-25). This continued a practice started in 1923 with The Squire (named after William Squires, another former mayor of Woolwich), and in 1930 with the Will Crooks (Labour MP for Woolwich, 1903-1921) and the John Benn (Sir John was a member of London County Council, Liberal MP for Wapping, and grandfather of Tony Benn). For other uses see Dundee (disambiguation) Dundee is Scotlands fourth largest city, population 154 674 (2001), situated on the North bank of the Firth of Tay. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... John Burns (20 October 1858-24 January 1943) was a prominent English trade unionist, anti-racist, socialist and politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly associated with London politics. ... The Rt Hon Ernest Bevin Ernest Bevin (9 March 1881 - 14 April 1951), British labour leader and politician, was born in a small village in Somerset, England. ... William (Will) Crooks (6 April 1852- 5 June 1921) was a noted trade unionist and politician from Poplar, London, and a member of the Fabian Society. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or Democratic Socialist political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... Sir John Williams Benn, 1st Baronet (November 13, 1850-10 April 1922) was a British politician, particularly associated with London politics, and noted as the grandfather of Tony Benn. ... The County of London, shown within a map of Englands 1890 counties London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London from 1889 until 1965, when it was replaced by the Greater London Council. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become known as... Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... Tony Benn speaking in London, June 2004 The Right Honourable Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician regarded as being on the left of the Labour Party. ...

The ferries can carry lorries and other road traffic across the river, plus large numbers of foot passengers (licensed capacity: 500 passengers and 200 tonnes of vehicles). At peak periods, two ferries criss-cross the river at approximately 10 minute intervals. The service is owned and financed by Transport for London and operated by the London Borough of Greenwich. Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for the transport system of London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. ... The London Borough of Greenwich is a London borough in southeast London, formed in 1965 my merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich. ...

If the ferry service is not operating, pedestrians can use the nearby Woolwich foot tunnel; for vehicles, the nearest alternatives are the Blackwall Tunnel about two miles upstream to the west, or the Dartford Crossing some ten miles downstream to the east. The Woolwich foot tunnel is a tunnel crossing under the River Thames in east London from Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. ... The Blackwall Tunnel is a road tunnel underneath the River Thames in London, linking the London Borough of Greenwich with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... The Dartford Crossing joins Dartford and Thurrock across the River Thames. ...

In 2004 proposals for a new bridge, the Thames Gateway Bridge, close to the location of the Woolwich Ferry, received funding. This is likely to lead to the closure of the ferry by 2013. The Thames Gateway Bridge is a proposed new crossing of the River Thames, expected to be built between 2009 and 2013 to connect Beckton in the borough of Newham with Thamesmead in the borough of Greenwich. ...

• Map (http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=543200&Y=179600&scale=10000) and aerial photo (http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?x=543200&y=179600&scale=10000) of Woolwich Ferry from Multimap.com
• Other map and aerial photo sources (http://www.rhaworth.myby.co.uk/oscoor_a.htm?543200_179600_region:GB_scale:10000)

Multimap. ...

Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 12935 km² Origin Kemble Mouth North Sea Basin countries England This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... The Blackwall Tunnel is a road tunnel underneath the River Thames in London, linking the London Borough of Greenwich with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... The Thames Barrier is a flood control structure on the River Thames at Woolwich Reach in London. ... This article is about the map grid references in the UK. For the Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The Woolwich foot tunnel is a tunnel crossing under the River Thames in east London from Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. ...

External link

Official Web page of the ferry (http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/Travel/LocalTravelServices/WoolwichFerry.htm)

• http://www.yellins.co.uk/woolwichferry In depth website about the Woolwich Ferry