Gabriels Wharf

The name Gabriel has graced the South Bank for over 200 years. Christopher Gabriel, a maker of woodworking planes starting in the 1770s, shifted his business around 1812 with the help of his sons to focus on importing and selling timber. In 1815, they secured a long lease on the site now known as Gabriel's Wharf. The business thrived, and Christopher's grandson, Thomas Gabriel, became a prominent figure, rising to Lord Mayor of London in the 1860s and earning the title of Sir Thomas Gabriel. Although the company closed the wharf in 1919, the Gabriel name endured. Today, the craft shops and restaurants that occupy Gabriel's Wharf draw inspiration from the legacy of a modest timber yard that left an indelible mark on the South Bank. Notably, the Gabriel family name lives on through singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, Sir Thomas's great-great-great nephew.