Pickfords Wharf, London 1973

Pickfords Wharf was a historic warehouse and wharf building located on the south bank of the River Thames, in the Bankside area of Southwark, London—close to today’s Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe.

Pickfords Wharf was named after the Pickfords company, a well-known British removals and logistics firm with origins dating back to the 17th century. By the 19th century, Pickfords was a major player in transport and freight, and the wharf became part of its goods-handling operations along the busy Thames.

With the decline of river freight and containerisation from the 1960s onward, the Thames-side wharves—including Pickfords Wharf—fell into disuse. The building eventually became derelict and was earmarked for redevelopment in the 1980s and 1990s as London’s South Bank began its transformation.

Today, Pickfords Wharf has been converted into luxury flats and commercial units, preserving the external brick façade and historic character while offering modern interiors. It is part of the gentrified Bankside area that blends old industrial architecture with contemporary urban living.