Thames Watermen and Wherries: Fares and Daily Life

Fares and routes

• Short hops between stairs and wharves
• Market runs at dawn
• Night crossings when bridges were jammed

Watermen’s lore: Know the eddies, know the fares.

Work Rhythms

• Dawn ferries for markets; midday cargo; night crossings for theatre crowds.
• Knowledge passed orally: stairs, eddies, hazards.

Tools of the Trade

• Oars, hooks, fenders; tar and canvas for upkeep.