Trinity Buoy Wharf

Established in 1803, Trinity Buoy Wharf was the engineering depot and training lighthouse for Trinity House Lighthouse Keepers. Although it never served as a traditional lighthouse for guiding ships along the Thames, it was used as an experimental lighthouse where the famous scientist and inventor Michael Faraday conducted pioneering work on electric lighting for lighthouses.

Originally, the buoys and seamarks were manufactured and stored on the site. The Trinity House Yacht moored alongside, serviced and maintained the buoys.

The first lighthouse was built in 1854, and the current tower, designed by James Douglass, was built in 1862.

The Chain and Buoy Store alongside the lighthouse were built in 1864 to Douglass’s design. These facilities were used to test lighting equipment and train lighthouse keepers. The roof space adjoining the current lighthouse was the workshop for Trinity House Scientific Advisor Professor Michael Faraday.

In 1869, Trinity House established an engineering establishment to test and repair new iron buoys. By 1875, the works had extended into the neighbouring property that had previously been the Green’s Shipyard site.

By 1910 around 150 staff were employed at the site.

The depot supplied and maintained navigation buoys and lightships between Southwold and Dungeness.

The depot closed on 3rd December 1988 when the London Docklands Development Corporation purchased the site. In the same year, Urban Space Management took on the site as a long-term lease.

Today, Trinity Buoy Wharf is a thriving cultural space that hosts artists’ studios, galleries, creative businesses, and event spaces. It has become a magnet for artists, musicians, designers, and other creative professionals who are drawn to its unique atmosphere and collaborative environment.

Longplayer is a thousand-year-long musical composition that began playing at midnight on 31st December 31 1999 and will continue without repetition until 31st December 2999. A computer plays the music in the lighthouse, which visitors can hear.

The wharf offers stunning views of the River Thames, including the O2 Arena, Canary Wharf, and the Greenwich Peninsula. There is also a café where visitors can enjoy food and drinks with a riverside view.

Moored alongside Trinity Buoy Wharf is Lightship 95, used as a recording studio.

Further links:
London Lighthouse Trail