As kids in the 50s we used to go back and forth as many times we could till the crew threw us off. Loved to watch the engine going round and round.

Just like the other comments, happy memories of spending hours on the old steam ferry just going back and forth. I remember the squeaking sound of the wet ropes tightening as the boats were being tied up and moving in the swell of the river. And of course watching the motion of the engines. Magic!

Fond memories for me. I used to be taken for a trip on this and sometimes my uncle who was the captain seen in this clip would come and say hello. He was one of my childhood heroes and I never expected to see him on film like this. Thank you for sharing, I have passed this on to members of my family.

Oh my I remember riding on this ferry I loved standing at the top of the glass doors looking down at the big machine going round and round driving the engine,fun times.

Fab studd, Alan.

Alan, thanks for posting this, bringing back many recollections of another attraction from my boyhood days, on a par with "trainspotting on the "Chatham" line. This is the most complete video of the great days of the Woolwich Ferry that I have seen,. A "cruise" on the ferry was an entertaining "day out" in the 1950's,(though the crew would usually chuck you off if you tried to stay on for a "round trip".!) As the contributor below mentions, it was an olefactory experience as well as a visual one: The paddle wheels stirred up not only detergent foam, but quite a lot of other river smells from a Thames which wasn't as "clean" as it is even today, especially on a warm summer's day! It was always interesting to go "inside" from the open passenger deck, to watch the engines working and that brought its own aromas of warm oil and steam. The "old" landing stage on the South side was at the bottom of Hare Street, near the entrance to the foot tunnel, and traffic queuing for the ferry would back-up into the shopping centre of Woolwich at busy times. Trolleybuses to Plumstead and Bexleyheath terminated near the ferry in Beresford Street. It was fascinating to watch the Thames water seething and gurgling around the heavy timbers of the pontoon, stirred up by the motion of the paddle wheels. New piers were built a little upstream of the originals on both sides of the River for the introduction of the "new" diesel ferries with directional thrust propulsion, which did away with the need to "tie up" to the piers while unloading and loading. They in turn were replaced by a new generation of ferries only a short time ago. We'd sometimes take one of the buses from North Woolwich a few stops northwards to where Albert Road crossed one of the entry locks to the Royal group of docks on a lifting bridge, and if the tide was right we'd be able to watch as one or two of the big ocean-going ships entered or left the docks. The Blue Star line boats brought frozen meat from South America, The Blue Funnel Line of Alfred Holt I believe sailed to ports in the Far East. As shown on your film, the upperworks of the ships towered above the terraced houses (and "prefabs") of North Woolwich. I remember that just downstream of the North Woolwich landing stage, Sun Tugs had a pier, and a number of their sturdy craft would be moored alongside, waiting for their next job of work on a River which always seemed busy with traffic: The ferries needed the maneouverability afforded by their independently driven paddle wheels to move across the River between the shipping. DurIng the first years that I recall, the early 1950's, below the Sun Tug pier some clusters of the last of the Thames sailing barges were moored. Though each would command a high price nowadays, they'd probably carried their last cargoes, and sadly were awaiting breaking up. Woolwich Arsenal was still in production then, and used the marshes now occupied by Belmarsh and Thamesmead for testing, so you'd sometimes hear a muffled explosion echoing out across the River. Edith Nesbit, the author of "The Railway Children" and other books lived at Well Hall, Eltham from 1899 until 1920. She and her first husband Hubert Bland were Fabian Socialists, who often had political and literary figures visit them there. In February 1917 a few years after the death of Bland, Edith married Thomas "Skipper" Tucker, the captain of one of the Woolwich Ferries. As Michael Caine (didn't) say "Not a lot of people Know that"!

The free Woolwich ferries were so enjoyable as a boy, that I joined the Merchant Navy. Happy days!

Wow this the old Woolwich ferry is in great company on this channel !

Seems this ferry was well used, this movie is a fascinating picture of a time gone by...

Fantastic footage! I remember the ferry very well, my Dad would take my brother and myself across. I especially remember watching the engines go round. Thank you…..

I remember these ferries well. First time across on one, I'd have been about three years old. That was in 1939. I recall getting into an awful lot of trouble because I'd climbed beneath the safe-rails on the gangway area whilst the ferry was under weigh. My dear Mum was terrified as the coaxed me to come back to safety. My family and I left London for Australia in 1951. I'm surprised to see they were still operating in 1961.

Used to love watching the engines when my mum took me to see my nan in canni g town

Just a fabulously piece of history - thanks for capturing it for us all to enjoy today!👍🏻

Thanks for posting this wonderful footage. I remember travelling over on the old ferry during a visit to Woolwich in the early 1960s. I recall that vehicles waiting to cross (northbound) would queue in Hare Street. I recall that the road surface was made from what I think were wooden cobbles, covered liberally with engine oil/grease from the heavy vehicles. In later years, I went to high school in Woolwich, often lunching at Barry's Cafe on what would have been the old ferry approach.

Great video. Takes me back to my Red Rover days out when I would usually head for a trip across the river on the ferry.

I went on this ferry! In the 1950s every Saturday morning after going to the Granada Saturday morning kids movies.mike 😅😅❤

I remember my Dad taking me on the ferry in the 1950s, we went down into the engine room too. Good memories from childhood.

Fascinating footage.👌 I worked on the Kyle/Kyleakin ferry twenty-odd years ago and the thing I noticed most about this film is the cramped conditions for loading/unloading. While we used smaller vessels, there was way more space and the Skye boats were ro/ro in my time, so easier to move traffic about. Thanks for sharing this excellent wee film.👍 Cheers for now, Dougie.

You never cease to amaze with your videos. Thanks Alan and Heather.

Yes i had many a happy 'cruises' on the Woolwich ferry in the 60s , with friends we would go down to get the ferry across to silvertown (remember the molasses smell from Tate & Lyle ?) and play in the playground there. Then return ferry in late afternoon home for tea. We were all of 10 - not possible today I fear.

Fantastic dose of nostalgia to cure homesickness, thank you! I worked in KGV and would look forward to a good sausage toastie at the head of the Foot Tunnel after my voyage. If I had the 1/6d....not always! xx

Thank you so much for posting this. My Dad took me on the Ferry in the 50's and early 60's, I can still bring to mind the wonderful smell of the dirty old river churned up by the paddles, mixed with the smell of the engine and oiled motion (especially if you walked through the noise was deafening), not to mention the wonderful sounds. As we lived in Dulwich it was a nice day out, I noticed the Rickett Cockerell lorry one of which delivered our coal. What a visually rich time this was!

I spent Christmas 1962 with my parents aboard the Metcalfe motor vessel 'MELISSA M' Dad was the 2nd Engineer. We were there to celebrate the commissioning of the new 'ANN M' Dad took me to see the ferries and we travelled on all four of them. We were also joined by Dad's father who told the Captain of the 2nd 'GORDON' that he had lived in Woolwich for a time and had used the original vessels the 'DUNCAN' the first 'GORDON' & the 'HUTTON' This was some of my earliest memories as I was on 5! Some years ago I was on the very last crossings of their diesel successors.

So fabulous. . We do so enjoy your videos. But oh my...this is all my history. I so would adore to sail with The Royal Dafodil down to Southend. Taken for granted since my swinging sixties experience. That goodness these are preserved and so beautiful presented.

Wonderful veiw into our history always love these videos

This is such a lovely little film ! Us kids would ride the Ferry after Saturday Morning pictures in 1950 s ! I sit here now watching this & can smell the hot oil & hear the rhythm of the engine room as we stood watching the massive engines ! A crab washed onto the deck one very rough crossing ,I ran forward ,picked it up & tossed it back in the river ! I dont think now it thanked me as the Thames was so polluted ! Does anyone else think thats The London Mammoth floating crane in the background at 0.37 please ? Thank you !

Brilliant! I remember it well! Thank you!!

Fond memories of crossings in the1950,s

I remember riding on that ferry to visit my gran in East Ham .

Thanks for the memories. Four return trips on a good day, otherwise three, was our ritual when visiting my granny who lived in Lewisham. She was nervous about disembarking on the north bank so it was only when I was a teenager - 13 in 1961 - that I was allowed to do so, and then meet up with her again one return crossing later. Then home for tea on the 54 bus, or the 75, change at Blackheath, if we were being lazy. By the way, I believe that the excursion steamer was the Royal Sovereign, not the Royal Daffodil.

Yes, that ferry has always been well-used. even at weekends, but moreso before the tunnel and bridge were built downstream at Dartford. I remember as a kid at Woolwich., watching it board. The were brand new parking-meters installed that took 6d. Well, not any of ours they didnt! Mum and Dad were definitley of a time where you didnt pay to park your car- We consequently walked miles...

What memory's.After going shopping In Woolwich a trip on the ferry, watching the engine's and seeing if our neighbour was working in the boiler room shoveling coal, a hot dirty job.

Would make a good boards of canada video

The passing ship is NOT the Royal Daffodil, but could be Royal Sovereign or Queen of the Channel.

There is a scene in an old horror movie of the ferry getting sunk by some Atomic sea monster. What was that movie?

Hi - where did you find this footage Alan?