Execution Dock

You are standing near the site of Execution Dock in Wapping, a location that served as the final destination for pirates, smugglers, and mutineers for over four hundred years. The High Court of Admiralty held jurisdiction over these crimes, and by placing the gallows just beyond the low-tide mark on the foreshore of the River Thames, the authorities physically manifested their reach into the open sea. This was a performative space designed to be seen from the water, ensuring that any sailor entering the port of London understood the lethal consequences of challenging maritime law.