Putney pier

Not quite up to the historic piers of coastal Britain. But it is now the great Putney ferry terminal where (for a price), you can catch a boat down to Westminster at a sedate 8 knots. From Westminster you can change onto the fast ferry which chugs down to Tower bridge at ... 8 knots. Then below Tower bridge is allowed to open the throttle to power down to Greenwich, just occasionally slowing down to avoid washing down the river police station and any other little boats braving the chop.

Not something you want to do if you are in a a hurry or strapped for cash. £6.50 for each boat and it will take you about an hour.

Strictly speaking it is not a pier at all, but rather a couple of moored barges with a pair of pivoting ironwork gangways (pictured), to cope with the 6m tidal range.