The industrialisation of Thames water management in the 19th century from many

The embankment of the Thames in central London was carried out between 1865 and 1900 as part of a city wide scheme to improve sanitation through sewage removal, drainage, clean water provision and improvements to Thames water quality. The Embankment construction took place against a backdrop of industrialisation of the waterfront, including the establishment and expansion of factories, ship building, and dock facilities. The period in which the Embankment was build has been the subject of vast amounts of research, largely by historians, and a smaller number of archaeologists. This paper seeks to illustrate the ways in which a wider variety of stories of Thames-side industrialisation can be told using alternative sources, and alternative approaches to historical source material. Taking an inter-disciplinary approach to the industrialisation of the Thames waterside allows us to move beyond purely industrial archaeological or historical narratives and understand the social complexities and realities of the lived experience.

HANNA STEYNE, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER