page_title: Watermen's stairs
section_title: Public stairs in use on the River Thames early 1700s
hierarchical_section_title: Watermen's stairs / Public stairs in use on the River Thames early 1700s
context_page_description: Watermen's stairs were semipermanent structures that formed part of a complex transport network of public stairs, causeways and alleys in use from the 14th century to access the waters of the tidal River Thames in England. They were used by watermen, who taxied passengers across and along the river in London.
  Stairs were used at high tide, and causeways were used at low tide, built down to the littoral water level from street level, their location being memorised during a waterman's apprenticeship. Stairs were recognised by custom and practice as safe plying places to pick up and put down passengers and were a valuable aid to rescue if anyone was unfortunate enough to fall into the river, as they were often built adjacent to a public house.
context_section_description: In 1746 the surveyor and cartographer John Rocque published a map of London that listed the main stairs and docks then in use on the Thames.
  On the London side of the river, going up stream:
  The Old Swan,
  Coleharbour,
  The Steel Yard,
  Dowgate,
  Three Cranes,
  Queenhithe,
  Trig,
  Paul's Wharf,
  Common Stairs, or Puddle Dock,
  Blackfriars,
  Dorset,
  White Friars,
  Temple,
  Essex,
  Arundel,
  Surrey,
  Strand,
  Somerset,
  Savoy,
  Worcester,
  Salisbury,
  Ivybridge,
  Exchange,
  York,
  Black Lion,
  Hungerford,
  Whitehall,
  Privy Garden,
  Manchester,
  Westminster Stairs,
  Parliament,
  Horse Ferry,
  Ranelagh,
  Hospital,
  Bishop,
  Old Magpie,
  Feathers,
  Old Church,
  Beaufort.
  Going through the bridge, still on the London side:
  Billingsgate,
  Sabbs,
  Custom House,
  Tower,
  Irongate,
  St. Catherine's,
  Ship,
  Brew House,
  Hermitage,
  Wapping Old,
  Wapping New,
  Execution Dock,
  Wapping Dock,
  King Edward's,
  New Crane,
  King James's,
  Shadwell,
  Bell Wharf,
  Ratcliff Cross,
  Limehouse,
  Duke's Shore
  Crossing over to the Surrey side above bridge:
  Pepper Alley,
  St. Saviour's,
  Bank End,
  Horseshoe Alley,
  New Thames Street,
  Mold Strand,
  Falcon,
  Paris Garden,
  Marygold,
  Bull,
  Old Barge House,
  Morris's Causeway,
  Cupid's or Cuper's,
  King's Arms,
  Stangate,
  Lambeth Palace,
  Horse Ferry,
  Vauxhall.
  Going down through the bridge on the Surrey side:
  Tooley,
  Battle,
  Bridge,
  Pickle Herring,
  Still,
  Old,
  New,
  Savory's Mill,
  East Lane,
  Three Mariners,
  Fountain,
  Mill,
  Rotherhithe or Redriff,
  Cherry Garden,
  King,
  Elephant,
  Church,
  Swan,
  Globe,
  Shepherd and Dock,
  Pageant.
  Plus about fifteen more down to Deptford, Greenwich and Woolwich.
  When J. Wallis and J. Cary published their 1784 map of "London, Westminster and Southwark" (which showed the Thames from the White Hart Stairs above Lambeth Palace down to Trinity Steps near Stepney), the stairs appear as follows. London side: The stair and bridges going downstream from Horse Ferry are:
  Parliament,
  Westminster Bridge,
  Manchester,
  Privy Garden,
  Whitehall,
  Hungerford,
  York Buildings,
  Salisbury,
  Savoy,
  Somerset Watergate,
  Strand,
  Surrey,
  Arundel,
  Essex,
  Temple,
  White Friars,
  Dorset,
  Blackfriars Bridge,
  Puddle Dock,
  Trig,
  Queen Hith,
  3 Crane,
  Steel Yard,
  Cole Harbour,
  Old Swan,
  London Bridge,
  Billingsgate,
  Custom House,
  Tower,
  Iron Gate,
  Parsons,
  Hermitage,
  Union,
  Wapping Old,
  Wapping New,
  Wapping Dock,
  King Edward,
  Frying Pan,
  New Crane,
  King James's,
  Pelican,
  Shadwell Dock,
  Coal,
  Bell Wharf,
  Stone,
  Trinity and Stage.
  Surrey side:  The stairs and bridges* going downstream from White Hart are:
  Horse Ferry,
  Lambeth,
  Standgate,
  Westminster Bridge,
  King's Arms,
  Cuper's Bridge,
  Morris's Causeway,
  Old Barge House,
  Bull,
  Marygold,
  Bl Fryars Bridge,
  Paris Garden,
  Falcon,
  Goat,
  Horseshoe Alley,
  Bank End,
  St. Mary Overies,
  Cock Alley,
  Pepper Alley,
  London Bridge,
  Tooley,
  Pickle Herring,
  Still,
  Horsleydown Old,
  Horsleydown New,
  Savory Mill,
  East Lane,
  3 Mariners,
  Fountain,
  Cherry Garden,
  W Lane,
  Redriff,
  King,
  Elephant,
  Church,
  Hanover,
  Russel's Mill
  King & Queen.
caption: Wapping Old Stairs
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