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| Greenland Dock. |
Walking around Rotherhithe it is hard to imagine that, just 40 years ago, this was a completely different area. Almost every part of it would have been docks, basins and cuts, rather than what now greets people. Housing estates, schools, shops, business centres, a farm, green spaces, ecology parks and, at its centre, Stave Hill Viewpoint have now replaced the docks that once covered this entire area.
Of course, some small areas of water can be found, like Globe Pond Nature Reserve, Lavender Pond Nature Reserve and Surrey Water. Then you have some of the original docks, such as Canada Dock, Greenland Dock, Norway Dock and South Dock.
Brief History
Located in Rotherhithe, on the Surrey side of the River Thames, this area had been a hub of commercial activity since the 17th century.
The Howland Great Wet Dock was built between 1695 and 1699 and was the oldest of London's riverside wet docks. In 1763 the dock was sold and renamed Greenland Dock, due to the amount of whalers that used it. Greenland Dock became the central hub for the Surrey Commercial Docks.
During the 1800s expansions and improvements resulted in the formation of the Surrey Commercial Docks Company. These docks were part of the larger Port of London, which handled a significant amount of commercial shipping trade to and from the UK.
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| This is how the area once looked. |
Many docks were named for what they imported or from where the products derived, while others had simpler names. There were docks named Albion, Canada, Greenland, Island, Lady, Lavender, Norway, Russia and Stave. Plus, the South and West Docks.
