The Wharf

Lore & Background

The word wharf comes from the Old English hwearf, cognate to the Old Dutch word werf, which both evolved to mean 'yard', an outdoor place where work is done, like a shipyard or a lumberyard. Originally, werf or werva in Old Dutch simply referred to inhabited ground that was not yet built on, or alternatively to a terp. In the northeast and east of England the term staith or staithe (from the Norse for landing stage) is also used. Quay has its origin in the Proto-Celtic language, ultimately tracing back to *kagio- 'to encompass, enclose'.

In Their Own Story

The fog was thicker than usual tonight, curling around the base of the gantry crane like something alive. Enzo crouched behind a stack of salt-crusted crates, listening to the diesel cough and sputter of the truck he was supposed to be loading. Three men moved along the pier, their boots slapping the wet planks. One of them carried a duffel bag that swung with a weight that wasn't grain or rope. He watched them through the gap between two containers, the sodium light above painting everything in a sickly amber. The harbor water lapped at the pilings, patient and black. He counted to ten. Then he moved.

Reader's Guide

A wharf commonly comprises a fixed platform, often on pilings. Commercial ports may have warehouses that serve as interim storage. Where there is a need for more capacity, multiple wharves or a single large wharf with multiple berths will be constructed, sometimes projecting over the water. A pier, raised over the water rather than within it, is commonly used for cases where the weight or volume of cargos will be low. Smaller and more modern wharves are sometimes built on flotation devices (pontoons) to keep them at the same level as the ship, even during changing tides.

Did You Know?

• In everyday parlance the term quay (pronounced 'key') is common in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and many other Commonwealth countries, and the Republic of Ireland, and may also refer to neighbourhoods and roadw
• The term wharf is more common in the United States.
• In old ports such as London (which once had around 1700 wharves) many old wharves have been converted to residential or office use.
• Certain early railways in England referred to goods loading points as 'wharves'.
• The person who was resident in charge of the wharf was referred to as a 'wharfinger'.