River Wall, Stairs and Cranes, Custom House Quay

River Wall, Stairs and Cranes, Custom House Quay

This river wall, stairs and two cranes form part of the Custom House Quay and were built between 1817 and 1819 to designs by the renowned engineer John Rennie, with Jolliffe and Banks as contractors. The cranes were added later: the eastern crane dates from the 1820s or 30s and was possibly installed around 1828, while the western crane is probably from the 1830s. The manufacturers of both cranes remain unknown.

The quay wall runs approximately 170 metres along the river frontage in an east-west direction, terminating at the east end beneath Sugar Quay jetty. It is curved in profile and constructed in rusticated granite with diminishing courses towards the centre of the curve. The coping slabs are inset with diamond slips. Vertical recesses in the masonry once held timber fenders, of which all but one remain in place; these fenders are of uncertain date. At the east end, the wall projects forward and is followed by a recessed staircase that runs in a straight flight parallel to the wall, with two intermediate landings. The staircase is enclosed by a ramped wall with slightly rounded copings. The top masonry course of the wall includes incised lettering marking the three City parish boundaries that the wall traverses: 'A .B / 1819' and 'ST. D.E / 1819' at the east end (denoting All Hallows Barking and St Dunstan-in-the-East), and 'ST. D.E / 1819' and 'ST. / M. AT H / 1819' near the west end (denoting St Dunstan-in-the-East and St Mary-at-Hill). On either side of the stair recess are arched niches.

The eastern crane represents an important development in crane design from the early 19th century, when cast iron began to be applied to free-standing wharf cranes as an evolution from traditional timber models. It stands on a fluted cast-iron column mounted on a circular base. The jib comprises two cast-iron frames, each a single casting of truss-like form, mounted either side of a cast-iron pintle. The chords and integral St Andrew's Cross bracing are of I section. This early use of cast iron alone was later superseded by composite construction combining cast and wrought-iron members for structures requiring both strength and lightness, as exemplified by the western crane.

The western crane, which is fixed to the wall coping, represents a typologically later design. It stands on a sturdy tapering cast-iron column within a cast-iron frame that carries the pintle. The lower part of the jib comprises a single cast-iron cruciform strut ending in a tubular section bearing on the base, while the upper part consists of a pair of wrought-iron tensile tie-rods attached to the frame. The brake-wheel is broken, but the crane is otherwise intact. Diagonal cross-shaped iron strapping set into the coping and centred on the post appears to be a device for cramping the stones when the crane was installed, providing greater structural strength.

The two cranes together represent rare and early examples of iron crane design. The late-19th-century iron railings at the east and west ends of the wall, and the 20th-century steel balustrade running the length of the wall behind the coping, are not of special interest.