EC3 Aldgate, Broadgate, Fenchurch St, Monument, Tower Hill
The Tower of London Children's Beachby Rose Baillie |
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Today it seems strange that people once bathed freely in the Thames and played on a sandy beach at the Tower, but from 1934-39 and 1946-71 the foreshore at the Tower was the site of the Tower of London Children’s Beach, a much enjoyed, well supported and fondly remembered recreation of the sea-side in central London. |
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The Beach was the brainchild of the Rev P.T.B.‘Tubby’Clayton , the founder of Toc H and a man of great energy and good-heartedness. When he became the incumbent of All Hallows, Barking-by-the-Tower, he noticed that children were bathing on the shingle in front of the Tower, but at some risk, because the tide rose faster at Iron Gate Stairs and Tower Pier than the centre of the strand. Rather than prohibit this ‘Tubby’ thought of ways to make it safer, with life-belts, beach wardens and a rescue boat. |
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The Beach was opened under the auspices of the Tower Hill Improvement Trust in July 1934 in a grand ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor, the Bishop of London, the Lieutenant of the Tower and other dignities. The King (George V) had been petitioned for permission to create the beach and he replied, through his Private Secretary, that he pleased to give his entire approval to the project that would, he felt, give a much needed and health-giving playground to the children of the district. |
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The beach was an immediate success with an estimated 70,000 visitors in its first year and 400,000 by September 1939. For many poor Londoners it was the only ‘sea-side’ they could regularly visit, with beach entertainments and annual gala days. The beach would open for 4-5 hours at low tide from April until the end of September. Access to the beach was provided by ships ladders operated by a hoist located on the embankment opposite the Tower’s Middle Drawbridge. It was further improved in 1936 by the provision of deckchairs and the spreading of imported clean sand, with all the running expenses paid for by Lord Wakefield of Hythe, a great philanthropist. |
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The Beach reopened after the war in August 1946 with new ladders from the famous SS Rawalpindi, which had fought the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Soon afterwards there was a notable sandcastle building competition judged by star singer and actress Tessie O’Shea. Although plenty of people still enjoyed the Beach it never regained its pre-war popularity. The sand was gradually washed away and it finally closed in 1971. |
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Except that was not the end of the story. With increasing interest in the Thames foreshore as an environmental and archaeological resource the Tower foreshore began to be opened for 2 days in July for the Tower Archaeological Weekends, with the City of London Archaeological Society (of which I am Chair) playing a leading role. I have written a short history of the Tower Beach*, but I am always interested in hearing more personal recollections to add to future editions. If any reader remembers the Beach or knows someone who wants to talk about it I would be very pleased to hear from them. |
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*A5, 28pp £3.50 including p & p from 15 Escuan Lodge, Aberdeen Park, London N5 2AP. Cheques payable to R. Baillie. Email info@colas.org.uk |
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