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Discover the magic of Trinity Buoy Wharf (with map)

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Want to visit a really cool spot, very much off the beaten track, where a grown tree seemingly grows from a London black cab, and you can hear a one thousand year-long song and follow a quirky sculpture trail? Welcome to Trinity Buoy Wharf, a unique spot on the site of a former buoy manufacturing workshop (hence the name).

It’s a peaceful place with a unique atmosphere. It feels like being on an island (it’s surrounded by water on 3 sides), miles away from the bustle of London. Yet it’s a stone’s throw from Canary Wharf, and less than 45 minutes from central London.

Trinity Buoy Wharf: Practical Information

Website: https://www.trinitybuoywharf.com/

Address: 64 Orchard Pl, E14 0JW (check out the map below)

Opening times: 7:00 to 19:00

Where is Trinity Buoy Wharf?

Trinity Buoy Wharf is in Docklands, between Canary Wharf and London City airport.

How to get to Trinity Buoy Wharf?

By bus: you can take bus D3 from various locations in Canary Wharf (click here to look at the route on the TfL website). Its final stop is in the middle of Orchard Place. From there, it’s a few minutes’ walk down the road to Trinity Buoy Wharf (follow the signposts; also, there’s a map on the other side of the road). The bus starts in Bethnal Green, so this is also the best option if you travel from east London.

By Tube: the nearest tube station is Canning Town (Jubilee Line). Cross the river Lea on the London City Island Bridge (just outside the station), walk through the new urban development on the Leamouth Peninsula and keep walking down until you see the signs for Trinity Buoy Wharf.

By DLR: the nearest DLR station is East India. From there, it’s best to go down towards the Thames and following the Thames Path. The main road takes you to a jumble of grim concrete roundabouts that are not very pedestrian friendly, and it’s a pretty bleak experience overall. It’s not much faster, either.

Toilets in Trinity Buoy Wharf

There’s a row of toilet stalls at the back of the Orchard Café

Trinity Buoy Wharf then

Up until the late 18th Century, the peninsula was a rural area called Orchard Place. The name came from the house that stood there, called Orchard House, which was… well, a house with an orchard. Then, towards the end of the 18th century, several industries moved in: whale oil refining, engineering, and shipbuilding, amongst others. They are all gone now, their only remaining traces the painted signs as you walk towards Trinity Buoy Wharf.

By far the most important employer in the peninsula was Trinity House. Trinity House is a 500 years old company, still active today, whose purpose was to ensure the safety of seamen. They did (and do) this in two ways: by providing training, and by deploying and maintaining lighthouses, buoys, and beacons.

In 1803, Trinity House moved into Orchard Place and built workshops and storehouses for the manufacture and repairs of buoys. The site was known then as the Blackwall Workshops and was a centre for engineering and lighthouse keeper training. Trinity House also built two lighthouses for research and training purposes, one of which still stands.

Michael Faraday, one of the most important scientists of all times, had a workshop there. He was an adviser to Trinity House for nearly 30 years and made use of the lighthouses to conduct ground-breaking experiments in electricity, magnetism, and their application to lighthouse technology.

Blackwall Workshop, like the rest of Docklands, went into a slow decline in the second half of the 20th century, and finally closed in December 1988, when the site was bought by the London Docklands Development Corporation. The site stood empty and derelict for 10 years. In 1998, the lease was granted to a private company, who developed it into the Trinity Buoy Wharf we know today.

Trinity Buoy Wharf now: things to do

Since 1998, the site has been regenerated as a hub for artists and small businesses, as well as some not-so-little ones, like The Prince’s Foundation. There’s also a primary school, a working lighthouse (the only one in London), an original 1950s US diner, a boat converted into a recording studio, a gallery space with an ever-changing mix of exhibitions, and a sculpture trail featuring the wonderfully surrealist work of Andrew Baldwin.

Follow the art

Stroll around and discover the art. Art is everywhere in Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Check out the wonderfully whimsical sculptures by Andrew Baldwin dotted around the site. There are also murals, paintings and wall decorations by various artists. Some of them have obviously been on site for a while; some are newer and more transient.

In the remaining lighthouse, you’ll find Longplayer, a 1000 years long music piece. It’s on the internet, too, if you can’t make it in person.

Don’t miss what’s been described as London’s smallest museum, an immersive installation that recreates Michael Faraday’s workshop in an imaginary way, complete with adorable sleeping cat.

Find the Time and Tide bell, one of 9 such bells around the country, and hear the rhythms of the Thames.

There’s also Alunatime, “London’s first Moon and Tide Clock” and Floodtide, “Tidal Sonification” (although that doesn’t seem to work any more?). And have I mentioned the giant lightbulb? (It’s a work by Claire Morgan.)

Explore the architecture

If you enjoy exploring London’s architecture, Trinity Buoy Wharf is a fascinating eclectic mix of architectural styles.

First, there’s Container City, built from colourful repurposed shipping containers. They make for low-cost offices for small businesses and designer-makers. There’s actually more than one Container City; the first one was installed in 2001. Channel 5 did an interesting programme on them, including an interview with Eric Reynolds, the man who first came up with the idea of repurposing shipping containers as working spaces.

More repurposed containers are dotted around Trinity Buoy Wharf, housing additional artist studios, recording studios and exhibition spaces. Their vibrant colours really pop against the backdrop of the original architecture.

Then there are the structures build by Trinity House between 1835 and 1970. The most famous of these is probably the lighthouse, which dates from 1864. All the buildings are neatly labelled (the Chain Store, the Electrician’s Shop, Boiler Makers House…) and you can read their history here.

Do boats count as architecture? In any case, Trinity Buoy Wharf is home to several tug boats, a vivid reminder of the Thames as a working river. Curious about their history? You can read about it on the Trinity Buoy Wharf website.

Learn about the history of Trinity Buoy Wharf

Tucked in a corner somewhere, you’ll find a series of panel that narrate the history of Trinity Buoy Wharf and the Leamouth Peninsula, charting the timeline from the early days through now – Trinity Buoy Wharf is 25 years old!

Chill in the sun with a coffee or a burger

There are two places in Trinity Buoy Wharf where you can grab a bite to eat, and enjoy a quiet moment watching life on the river (both places have plenty of outdoor tables).

The Orchard Café serves – amongst other things – 9 types of all day breakfasts, and that’s not including the 5 different kinds of pancakes.

Fat Boy’s Diner is an American vintage diner, complete with Formica table and faux leather seating. Fun fact: it was built in 1956 in Worcester, Massachusetts – how cool is that?



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Trinity Buoy Wharf: map

Studio space at Trinity Buoy Wharf

Fancy getting a studio? Here’s a link to the available studio spaces.

My first video! Only 15 seconds, but I’m pleased with it.

If you enjoyed this, please like or share. Thank you!