There have been working docks in London since Roman times and the current docks were formerly part of the Port of London, once the world’s largest port. The advent of large ship containerisation killed off the docks in the 1970s and 8 square miles of former docklands fell into dereliction.
In 1981 the government created the Dockland Redevelopment Corporation. Huge areas of the Docklands were converted into residential, commercial and light industrial space, and development continues today. The docks specialised in high-value luxury commodities such as ivory, spices, coffee and cocoa and the names of the developments often reflects these origins. The Canary Wharf project on the Isle of Dogs established a second London business and financial district.
Most of the old wharves and warehouses were demolished, but some have been restored and converted into flats, and the population has more than doubled over the last 40 years. Some dock basins survived redevelopment and are used as marinas or water sport centres.
Today, the redeveloped Docklands region is a tempting photographic location.
Photo walk route: St Katherine Dock to Limehouse Basin
I decided to start my photo walk next to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge at Tower Hill tube station. This is very close to St Katharine Dock.
St Katherine Dock
The original dock was designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1928. It was badly damaged by German bombing during the war and left largely derelict. The dock was redeveloped as a modern urban space between 1970-1990 with offices, public and private housing, a large hotel, shops and restaurants, a pub, a marina and other recreational facilities. It is a popular leisure destination. The marina itself it split into 3 sections separated by narrow gaps with walkways. It is quite easy to get lost when wandering around and lose track of which part of the marina you are in. There are locks from the marinas providing access to the Thames. During our visit, a boat used the lock. The original hydraulic systems for operating the gates and filling and emptying the dock are fascinating to this engineering nerd. The lock gates themselves don’t lift up or open like doors, they tilt down and lie flat under the water.
Hermitage Basin
Next stop was Hermitage Basin in the area known as Wapping.
Originally, Wapping contained the Western and Eastern Docks (linked by Tobacco Dock) which have largely been infilled and redeveloped. Hermitage basin provided access to the Thames from the Western Dock. The Basin survives but no longer has access to the river.
Wapping became notorious in the 1980s when Rupert Murdoch secretly built modern printing and publishing works there in 1986, resulting in a trade union dispute that became known as the “Battle of Wapping” and which eventually broke trade union power over newspaper printing.
Spirit Quay and Ornamental Canal to Tobacco Dock
This is a small canal remnant that runs from Hermitage Basin to Tobacco Dock. The redeveloped canal with its terraced banks is an elegant walking route between residential buildings. It’s an excellent place for reflection photography.
The canal finally reaches to Tobacco Dock, a Grade I listed warehouse. The name comes from its original use as a warehouse built to store tobacco and other valuable imports. Tobacco Dock had underground storage for 8 million gallons of wine! Tobacco Dock originally connected the Western and Eastern docks.
The dock was initially redeveloped as a retail shopping complex but this venture failed. All that remains of the shopping complex are the rusting hulks of two replica pirate ships built to entertain shoppers’ children. The complex was later temporarily used to house security personnel for the 2012 London Olympics. Now it hosts a conference centre.
There is not a lot to be seen here from the outside, other than the high security walls and wrought iron gates built to protect the warehouse goods, and the ornamental boats outside.
Unfortunately, I seem to have lost my Tobacco Dock images. I’ll upload them if they ever come to light!
Shadwell Basin
Shadwell Basin originally connected the Eastern Dock to the Thames. The Eastern Dock is no more, but the basin survives.
The redeveloped basin is home to a mix of residential and small business properties which surround it on three sides. At its south-eastern end is the former Wapping hydraulic power station building. Nearby, overlooked by the restored bascule bridge, a concrete pier is the site for the Wapping Docklands Market, a Saturday only sustainable food market. The dock itself has floating pontoons jetties for water sports, and is full of many large fish. I did try to photograph the fish, but unsuccessfully. Ghosts under the water.
Shadwell Basin to Limehouse Basin
Shadwell Basin empties into the Thames and it is possible (more or less) to make you way along the riverside Thames path to the Limehouse Basin, our final destination for this part of the docklands photo walk.
Limehouse Basin is a navigable link between the Thames and two of London’s canals. It was first dug in 1820 as the terminus of the Regent’s Canal. It was used transship goods between the Port of London and the canal system. Cargoes handled were chiefly coal and timber but it also carried ice and ice cream! The dock closed for transshipment in 1969. In 1968 the Limehouse Cut canal was diverted to flow into the basin. It has two entirely different canals opening into it.
The Basin was redeveloped for housing in phases starting in 1981.
The Basin has a lock system connecting it to the Thames. The original mid-Victorian lock was large and used a lot of water, so in 1988 the lock was rebuilt and is now much smaller. It was built inside the original lock, some of whose remains can still be seen.
The inevitable: more reflection photos!
End of the line – for now
We have reached the end of Part 1 of our docklands photo walks. Thanks to Robert for the company (and the beer). The next photo walk article will cover the Canary Wharf redevelopment of the Isle of Dogs docks.
Where are the London Docklands?
The London Docklands redevelopment does not occupy one place. This photo walk covered the area of from St Katherine Dock just east of Tower Bridge, to the location of the old Western and Eastern docks of the London Docks in Wapping, just west of the Isle of Dogs. There are more developments on the Isle of Dogs, more further east where the London City airport is located, and another area south of the River Thames, on the Rotherhithe Peninsula.
Getting there
There are many transport links, but we started from Tower Hill Tube station next to Tower Bridge and returned home from Victoria Railway Station via the Thames Clipper river boat service. Don’t even consider driving…
Google maps views:
Index to Docklands photo walks
Photo walk #3: London Docklands north side – Part 2: Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs
Photo walk #4: London Docklands north side – Part 3: Royal Docks and the Thames Barrier
Photo walk #5: London Docklands – south side: Rotherhithe peninsula
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