London Docks

The London Docks stand in Wapping, part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Built between 1799 and 1815, they were one of several dock systems in the historic Port of London. The docks were created to handle growing trade that the Thames wharves could no longer manage. They were the closest docks to the City of London until St Katharine Docks opened two decades later. The London Dock Company formed in 1800 to oversee construction and operation. Work began the following year, and the docks were completed by engineers Daniel Asher Alexander and John Rennie. The docks specialised in valuable goods such as ivory, spices, coffee, cocoa, wine and wool. Elegant warehouses and wine cellars were built to store these luxury items. The Port of London Authority took control of the docks in 1909. East Smithfield Station opened in 1864 to serve the docks by rail. The docks closed to shipping in 1969 and were sold to Tower Hamlets. The London Docklands Development Corporation later redeveloped much of the land. Today, parts of the docks remain visible. Hermitage Basin and Shadwell Basin still exist, while Wapping Basin is now a sports pitch. A small canal runs from Hermitage Basin to Tobacco Dock. Some of the Eastern Dock site has been turned into open space. The western portion was filled in, though plans for housing were never realised. The former Western Dock now includes the Fortress Wapping printing works. The old Tobacco Dock area is the centre of a residential development with over 1,000 properties.