Wharfinger: Hay's Galleria
Hay's Galleria, now a retail and eating experience in the shadow of Tower Bridge, is only the latest incarnation of a wharf that has seen a number of different visitors.
Roman remains suggested it was the site of a villa but its recorded history starts with its role as the city residence of the Abbot of Battle.
The townhouse was known as the Inn of Bataille and had its own private quay. When the last incumbent of the title left in the middle ages, the site continued its tradition of brewing beer, which it sold locally.
In 1651, Alexander Hay bought the lease and set about remodelling the area for warehousing. At the height of its popularity - at the centre of what became known as "London's larder", Hay's Wharf extended from London Bridge to Tower Bridge and saw trade in lamb, tea, coffee and cocoa.
The last Hay connected to the company died in 1838 and in 1857 new owner John Humphrey Jr rebuilt the wharf with an enclosed dock.
In 1969, the Hay's Wharf Company ceased operation and in the 1980s warehouses were converted for residential and commercial use under the new name of Hay's Galleria.
Read The Wharf's
E-Edition
Leave a comment