Angerstein Wharf

Angerstein Wharf is the location of a marine construction aggregate and an associated cement facility, operated by the Cemex company, located on the south bank of the Bugsby's Reach of the River Thames in the New Charlton area of London in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It has safeguarded wharf status.

The wharf was named after John Julius Angerstein (1732–1823), a local land owner, investor, businessman and art collector who built a 1 mile (1.6 km) long railway line from the line that runs from Blackheath to Charlton. When built the junction faced Blackheath but the junction now faces Charlton station. The branch was leased to the South Eastern Railway from 30 October 1852 to 1898 when they bought it outright. The company established its signal works at the location although according to an 1895 map the route towards Blackheath had been disconnected. This area is referred to as the Angerstein Triangle but the date of the signal works closing is unknown (believed to be early 1980s).

When opened the wharf had a river frontage of 755 feet (230 m) and could accommodate ships of up to 1,500 tons.

Between 1820 and 1930 dredging contractors Flowers and Everett operated on the site and operated a narrow gauge system with three locomotives. The steel firm Redpath Dorman Long operated a steel fabrication plant on the site between 1903 and 1978. Another steel company - the Greenwich Metal Works - operated on the site between 1913 and 1976. Both companies operated privately owned shunting locomotives.

Between 1919 and 1967 a large glass bottling factory operated by the United Glass Bottle Manufacturers was based on the site.

Adjacent to the branch was the London County Council's central tram repair depot (opened 1909) which was served by a siding off the branch. Another mile and a half siding served the South Metropolitan Gasworks, whilst a privately run firm called Christies supplied railway sleepers and had an extensive internal rail network on their site. By 1925 some 30,000 tons of sleepers and significant numbers of telegraph poles were being produced from this site. There was also a general goods facility dealing with manure, steel, rails,fertilisers, coal, coke, stone,flour,sand,slates, timber and petrol.

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