A pier on the River Thames in west London has been renamed St Mary’s Wandsworth after criticism by anti-racism campaigners.
The pier, formerly known as Plantation Wharf Pier, is located between the Wandsworth Riverside Quarter and Chelsea Harbour piers.
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers acquired the site in 2019 and has been in consultation with stakeholders and residents from the wider local development to change the name after an outcry in 2021.
The name Plantation Wharf Pier was inherited from a nearby residential and commercial development of the same name. Critics of the name associated it with colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.
The Labour MP Marsha de Cordova had previously called on the nearby housing development Plantation Wharf to also change its name, describing it as offensive.
The developers launched a consultation to research and review the names associated with the housing complex, which is still ongoing.
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers announced that the renaming of the pier had gone into effect on Monday after talks with house and boat residents. The pier’s signage has been updated to reflect the change.
“The updated pier name will appear in our new Uber Boat by Thames Clippers timetable and route map, which comes into effect on the same day as the official name change,” the company said in a statement.
Vanessa Brady, the chair of the board of directors of Plantation Wharf Management Ltd, said that while the housing estate was interested in following suit, the route was more complicated.
“For the estate, this is not an unwillingness to negotiate but as a private estate it means any changes must be funded by the residents,” she said. “It is not a simple process, but we will continue to consult with residents to see if they agree to pay for the costs incurred in changing the name and indeed if they want to change their name.
“We can only consult and then act on the wishes of the leaseholders. Another idea would be to receive a fund from the mayor’s office to pay for it.”
De Cordova welcomed the decision to change the name of the pier as an important step forward. “The term ‘plantation’ carries highly offensive connotations, does not serve the wonderful diversity of Battersea’s residents and makes a mockery of the violent history of chattel enslavement,” she said.
“Having campaigned for Thames Clippers to change the pier’s name, I am pleased this has been achieved. It marks an important step forward in how we structure our public spaces.”
She called on the developers who own Plantation Wharf to follow suit, describing it as disappointing that they had yet to make a similar announcement.
“I encourage them to think about how a change of name could better serve our community and Battersea’s shared values,” De Cordova said.
One of those who first raised concerns about the name was Rachelle Ferron, the head of entertainment at ITV. In 2021, after dining at an Ivy restaurant that served Plantation rum, Ferron walked past the housing complex and pier and was struck by what she described as a shocking pattern of normalised references to slavery.
She later wrote an opinion piece in the Guardian, calling on the restaurant group and the developers of Plantation Wharf to change the names.
After Ferron’s complaint, Ivy removed all Plantation rum products from its restaurants, bars and menus, and Maison Ferrand last year renamed the drink. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers has now followed suit by taking action on the pier name.
Ferron welcomed the pier’s renaming as a positive step forward. “While advocating for Plantation Rum to rebrand in 2022, I was taken aback to learn about Plantation Wharf on the world-renowned River Thames, which stood as a shameful signpost to slavery. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers inherited the name from a neighbouring development, which continues to brand its bricks with references to the transatlantic slave trade,” she said.
“I am pleased that Uber Boat by Thames Clippers listened and led the way by renaming its pier to St Mary’s Wandsworth, which is much more appropriate for our times and diverse city. I sincerely hope this encourages Plantation Wharf Management Ltd to follow suit.”
