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Photo walk #4: London Docklands north side – Part 3: Royal Docks and the Thames Barrier

August 31, 2023 by David

Posted in: London, Photowalk location guide

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.

The Royal Docks

The Royal Docks are the eastern-most part of the London Docklands. They consist the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock. During the height of operations, the three docks were the largest enclosed docks in the world.

The docks were built between 1855 and 1921 to provide berths for large vessels. They were a commercial success and London’s principal docks during the first half of the 20th century, specialising in imported foodstuffs. The docks were lined with rows of giant granaries and refrigerated warehouses.

The docks suffered a steady decline from the 1960s following the adoption of containerization and closed to commercial traffic in 1981.

The London Docklands Development Corporation led redevelopment of the area including new transport links and services throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Residential complexes have been built, a new university campus for the University of East London, the ExCeL Exhibition Centre and London City Airport on the quay between the Royal Albert Dock and the King George V dock. Most of the dock infrastructure has been removed but the basins remain, and some historic warehouses and cranes have been preserved. The derelict Spillers Millennium Mills and Silo D remain and are currently part of the Silvertown Partnership redevelopment project.

East India Dock Quay basin

I started this walk a little to the west of the Royal Docks at the East India Quay basin. This was the entrance to the East India Docks and are all that remains of that dock.

Capstan overlooking the East India Quay basin, once the entrance basin for the defunct and infilled East India Docks between the Isle of Dogs and the Royal Docks

Lock gates between East India Quay basin and the River Thames (with swan)

Long exposure view across the river to the 02 Millennium Dome from the East India Quay

Virginia Quay settlers monument, riverside near East India Quay basin. It commemorates the first settlers of the Colony of Virginia who departed from here in 1606 (Millennium Dome in the background across the river).

Another view of the 02 Millennium Dome at the tip of the Greenwich peninsula on the south side of the river. Taken from near the Virginia settlers monument.

Royal Victoria Dock

A short distance to the east of the India Quay is the entrance to the Royal Docks. At the entrance sits the tidal basin surface water pumping station.

Tidal basin water surface pumping station.

Colour abstract from part of the pumping station. Note the geometric distortion. This is the result of ‘rolling shutter’ from the very slow scan rate of the electronic shutter mode on my Fuji GFX50s. No matter what the set shutter speed, you are at risk of this artefact if there is any camera movement during the exposure.

Egg Thing. Not sure what this is, some kind of decorative feature of a water fountain.

The west side of the Royal Victoria Dock in dominated by the new City Hall and the terminus of the cable car across the river between the Royal Docks and the Millennium Dome on the Greenwich peninsula. The new City Hall was formerly known as The Crystal and was an exhibition centre for sustainable architecture. When it was built in 2012 it was the first building in the world to reach the highest sustainability award level.

City Hall. The new headquarters of the Greater London Authority since it vacated the beehive South Bank building in 2022. Situated on the quayside of the Royal Victoria Dock.

Colour abstract: part of a boat that is a floating cafe moored on the west side of the Royal Victoria Dock.

A moment of relaxation. Visitor sitting on the west side quay of the Royal Victoria Dock. Enjoying views of the water, zip line water skier and the floating restaurant ship Sunborn in the background.

Family stroll, Royal Victoria Dock. Zip line water skier and the cable car terminus in the background.

Continuing my walk anti clockwise around the Royal Victoria Dock, along the southern quay…

Preserved dockside mooring bollards.

Preserved dock crane.

In need of a fresh coat of paint.

Sunborn floating yacht hotel surrounded by preserved cranes, north side of Royal Victoria Dock. Viewed from the southern side quay.

Roughly half way along the southern quay of the Royal Victoria Dock is the SS Robin (now a museum) sitting on a floating pontoon. The Robin is the oldest complete example in the world of a steam coaster, a steamship designed for carrying bulk and general cargoes in coastal waters.

Screw and rudder of the SS Robin.

PSSU: Reflection abstract

Wait for me!

At the eastern end of the Royal Victoria Dock is the Silvertown area, now a mostly cleared area awaiting redevelopment. Two structures remain, the derelict Spillers Millennium Flour Mills and ‘Silo D’ redevelopment (silo ‘D’ is a giant former grain silo).

Spillers Millennium Mill

Silo ‘D’ a former dockside grain silo. Recognised as an excellent ‘accidental’ example of modernist building.

Thames Barrier

Next on the itinerary was a diversion back to the Thames to see the Thames Flood Barrier. Leave the Silvertown redevelopment walking south, cross the busy A1020 street to Pontoon Dock and the Thames Barrier Park.

Pontoon Dock, DLR station, adjacent to the Silvertown area of the Royal Victoria Dock en route to the Thames Flood Barrier.

Green Dock in the Thames Barrier Park looking out to the Barrier.

One of the most eye-catching features of the Thames Barrier park is the ‘Green Dock’, a 130 foot long sunken garden running diagonally through the park. It is a reminder of the Park’s dockland heritage.

The park is built on the former site of a petrochemical and acid works, necessitating extensive clean up works to protect the parklands.

Intriguing ceramic plaques on a wall in Thames Barrier Park.

And finally, the Thames Barrier…

15 minute long exposure of the Thames Flood Barrier taken from the north side of the river.

After shooting a number of long exposures of the Barrier and the river, I returned through the park back towards Silvertown. I couldn’t resist another shot of the Millennium Mills site. Looking forward to see what the developers will make of it once works are completed.

Millennium Mills II.

One part of Silvertown that was redeveloped some years ago is Britannia Village. This has a large monument to the former docklands in the form of a preserved 1930s chimney on a small roundabout in the village. Apparently, the chimney was originally part of the Ranks Empire Mill and when the mill was demolished in the 1990s, the chimney was spared at the suggestion of Prince (now King) Charles.

Silvertown Chimney memorial in Mill Road, Britannia Village.

Next, a walk back into the Royal Victoria Dock over the footbridge (a very high footbridge and the lifts don’t work, lots of puff needed to climb the steps).

View of the south side residences and cranes taken from the high footbridge over the dock.

The bow of the Sunborn overshadowed by a crane, north side of the Royal Victoria Dock near the footbridge.

Abstract, side of the Sunborn floating hotel, Royal Victoria Dock north side.

And finally, cranes silhouetted against the sunset sky…

Cranes and sunset sky, Royal Victoria Dock.

That’s it for this one

The sun is down, time to make my way back to the Royal Victoria DLR station and home. The next photo walk will be on the other side of the river, exploring the redeveloped former docks of the Rotherhithe peninsula. See you there! Don’t forget there is an index to all the parts of these docklands photo walks below at the end of the page.

Where are the Royal Docks and Thames Barrier?

Index to Docklands photo walk series

Photowalk #2 London Docklands north side – Part 1: St Katherine Dock to Limehouse Basin

Photo walk #3: London Docklands north side – Part 2: Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs

Photo walk #5: London Docklands – south side: Rotherhithe peninsula

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