This is part of a multipart photo walk around the former London docklands. I’ve put an index to all the articles at the bottom of the page.
History
The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula in east London, on the north side of the Thames.
The Isle of Dogs was originally marsh until medieval engineers reclaimed the land by building earthen banks around its edge.
In the early 19th century, construction of the West India Docks began. The largest ship of that time, the SS Great Eastern designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was launched from the yard at Millwall.
The West India dock was quickly followed by the East India Dock and the Millwall Dock and rapid urbanisation of the area.
With the advent of containerisation the docks became obsolete. The last docks, West India and Millwall docks, closed in 1980, leaving the area derelict and abandoned.
Regeneration
In 1981 the London Docklands Development Corporation was created to redevelop the area.
New housing, office space and transport infrastructure were built.The area is dominated by the Canary Wharf development. It is a main financial centre in the United Kingdom and home to a cluster of high-rise buildings, including the third-tallest in the UK, Canada Tower.
Looking north from the south end of the Isle of Dogs up the residential Clippers Quay towards the Canary Wharf developmentClippers Quay housingMillwall Outer Dock boat abstract IA substantial knot. Detail from boat moored in the Millwall Outer DockRusty streak from outlet on a boat moored in the Millwall Outer DockConstruction, Millwall Outer DockA former dockside crane, repurposed as an artworkDockside abstractColourful residential balconies, MillwallCoot enjoying the regenerated dockColourful palette belonging to the Lotus floating chinese restaurant, Millwall DockIf you live in a highrise flat, where do you store your bike? The balcony, of course.Canary Wharf tall building abstractMaking a life in the concrete jungle. Canary Wharf developmentOdd man out, Canary WharfGreen seas, Canary WharfKing, Canary WharfStothert & Pitt, legendary British engineering company and builder of dockside equipment, Canary WharfLarge scale building, Canary WharfDefinitely no entry. We mean it. Canary WharfSix, Canary WharfSlippery when wet, Canary WharfHomogenous living, Canary WharfHappy couple, Canary WharfCanada Tower, Canary WharfPublic art, Canary WharfArtist Camille Walala designed interior of the Adams Plaza bridge, Canary Wharf Lunching in the city, Canary WharfReflection, South Dock, Canary WharfAbstract architecture, Canary WharfInverted reflection from metal roof, Canary WharfDelivering, Canary WharfDoughnut artwork, Canary WharfView upriver of the City of London from Canary WharfCycle path, Canary WharfLimekiln Dock, Canary WharfWould you take your car there? Canary Wharf.Lola’s, Canary WharfUnder the bridge, Wood Wharf, Canary WharfWhere am I going? Canary WharfFish, Canary WharfJackdaw, Canary WharfKeeping Canary Wharf tidySwoop, Canary WharfProperty bubble, Canary WharfStruck by a bolt of shadow, Canary WharfLiving at the top of the tree, Canary Wharf
End of the line – for now
We have reached the end of Part 2 of our docklands photo walks. The next photo walk article will cover the Rotherhithe docks redevelopment on the south side of the river.
Where is the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf?
Getting there
There are many transport links to the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf, including several Docklands Light Railway stops, Elizabeth line and Jubilee Line tube stops, buses and the Thames Clipper river boats.
