The Custom House, on the north bank of the Thames in the City of London was formerly in use for the collection of customs duties. It was in use for many centuries and rebuilt on a number of occasions.
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Until 1814 the Custom House stood in the parish of All Hallows Barking, immediately to the east of the present site.
The site was long known as "Wool Quay", and, from the medieval period, a custom house was necessary there to levy the duty payable on exported wool. Such a building is recorded as early as 1377. The quay and the buildings on it were privately owned. Around 1380, one John Churchman built a custom house there to collect dues for the City of London, and in 1382 the crown came to an agreement to use its facilities.
Churchman’s custom house remained in use until 1559, the freehold passing through various hands. Its replacement was erected under the direction of William Paulet, Marquess of Winchester, the Lord High Treasurer. A print from 1663 shows it as a three storey building, with octagonal staircase towers. This structure was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666.
The post-fire replacement was on a rather larger scale, to the designs of Christopher Wren. The original estimate was for £6,000, but the eventual cost was more than £10,000. The new building was short- lived: in January 1715 a fire, which began in a nearby house, damaged the it beyond repair, and a new, larger structure was built to the designs of Thomas Ripley, “Master-Carpenter” to the board of Customs. This necessitated the acquisition of ground to the north, fronting onto Thames Street, and the east. The main body of the new building, however, had the same plan as Wren’s, and may have re-used its foundations, but was of three, rather than two storeys.[1]
With the growth of trade, the opening of the docks, and the increases in duties during the Napoleonic wars, larger premises became necessary in the early nineteenth century. To meet this need, a new building was begun to the designs of David Laing in October 1813, on a site immediately to the west of Ripleys’s building.[1] Laing had held the position of surveyor to HM Customs since 1810. [2] On 12 February 1814 the old building was destroyed by fire, resulting in the explosion of gunpowder and spirits. As a result papers were retrieved from as far as Hackney Marshes.[1]
The northern front of Laing’s new building was plain, but the south front towards the river had wings with Ionic colonnades and a projecting centre section. The attic storey of the latter was decorated with terracotta figures in bas-relief representing the arts and sciences, commerce and industry, and inhabitants of various countries of the world. A clock dial, nine feet in diameter, was supported by colossal figures symbolising Industry and Plenty, and the royal arms by figures of Ocean and Commerce. The river front was 488 feet long, and the building cost £255,000.[3]
In 1825, the beechwood pilings which served as foundations for the custom house gave way, leading to a partial collapse of the building,. The central section was rebuilt on new foundations, to a new design with Ionic columns by Robert Smirke, at a cost of £180,000.[3] [2]
As originally built, the interior contained warehouses, cellars, about 170 offices, and a “Long room”, measuring, 190 by 66 feet. On the ground floor was the "Queen’s warehouse", with a rib-vaulted ceiling. The cellars in the basement were fireproof, and used to store wine and spirits seized by the customs.[3]
Details from listed building database (199607) . Images of England. English Heritage.