DP World London Gateway. A Maritime History

Wessex Archaeology

The Thames estuary has been a major artery for communication and trade within south-eastern Britain and the wider world for most of human history. The remains of boats, ships and their former contents are important evidence of past societies and their ability to organise and operate systems of economic, trade, social and military contact at every scale from local to global.

From the outset of planning for London Gateway, it was recognised that construction would have implications for the historic marine environment. In anticipation of the dredging needed to deepen the approach channels to London Gateway, an extensive programme of marine archaeological work was undertaken to ensure that historic remains were identified, studied and protected.

This work accompanied the largest ever post-war navigational clearance operation in the Thames. A number of
locations are considered so significant that the design of the channel has been amended to enable their preservation in situ. The discoveries made by DP World’s marine archaeologists Wessex Archaeology are described in this booklet, which aims to capture this new information about the Thames and ensure that it is publicised and recorded. The findings have made a significant contribution to our understanding of the history of the Thames estuary and vividly illustrate past lives and events, from 17th century flagships to World War II minesweepers.