So as you may have already read last Sunday we headed out on another bike ride, as well as a bruised sore knee and a visit to some fantastic hedges in the Thames Barrier Park we also stopped for breakfast at the Bow Creek Cafe just inside Trinity Buoy Wharf. We had a quick deliberation about whether to eat here or at the Fatboy's Diner, but as it wasn't yet lunchtime the cafe and its bacon rolls won out, this time.
For me the cafe was a find, and I loved it's greenery and quirky decor. It's in a shipping container - they seem to be finding me since my visit to Boxpark in Shoreditch - with seating inside and out. We chose outside - the sun was out, although it was still a little chilly, we got a view of our bikes (I'm still nervous about leaving them even though they're locked up) and well who wouldn't want to sit in these surroundings?
While I locked the bikes and took over one of the outside tables, MOH popped inside and ordered bacon rolls and hot drinks and when they were ready there was a knock on this window and off he went to collect them.
Trinity House - or more formally The Corporation of Trinity House, which is a voluntary association of shipmen and mariners - had its headquarters in the City of London and established Trinity Buoy Wharf as its Thames-side workshop in 1803. At first wooden buoys and sea marks were made and stored here, and a mooring was provided for the Trinity House yacht, which they used to lay the buoys and collect them for maintenance and repair. With its coat of arms Trinity House also received the authority to put up and maintain beacons, marks and signs of the sea "for the better navigation of the coasts of England". Since 1573 it's been famous for buoys, lighthouses and lightships and pioneering the development of these.
Trinity Buoy Wharf also houses London's only remaining lighthouse and I'll share pictures of that and of the Michael Faraday exhibition (he had a workshop in the roof space of the present lighthouse) there too which is in a shed, and I have to say it's one of the best sheds I've ever been in!
Anyway, back to more views of the cafe.
Where we sat we had a great view of the Lightship. It was built in 1938 in Dartmouth and was used in a number of locations; it no longer has its engines and I understand is looking forward to retirement as part of Trinity Buoy Wharf's unique heritage. And in case you're wondering a Lightship is a lighthouse on a ship...
It also provided a great opportunity for some rope shots!
And some muddy tyres.
And yes, breakfast was now ready so that took precedence over any photos or further explorations!
With the bacon rolls eaten - they were really very good - we were ready to continue on our way. I'll share more from our visit to Trinity Buoy Wharf - and the Michael Faraday shed - here in the next few days, so I hope you'll pop back for that.
Oh and as for the cafe, we'll be back for breakfast again soon - and we'll be back at the wharf to try Fatboy's Diner too!
