Showing posts with label William Jessop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William Jessop. Show all posts

Thursday, January 15, 2026

West India Docks

A map of the West India Docks

The next time you’re visiting Canary Wharf, take a moment to look beyond the towering glass and steel. You are standing in a place with a history that is as rich, complex, and sometimes brutal, as any in London: Welcome to the West India Docks.

Once the beating heart of a global trading empire, these docks tell a fascinating story of ambition, immense wealth, human cost, and ultimate transformation.

Former entrance to the Millwall Dock

Before the West India Docks, the River Thames was a chaotic mess of ships, theft, and congestion. Enter the powerful West India merchants, who successfully lobbied for dedicated, secure docks. The result was the West India Dock Act of 1799, paving the way for a revolutionary development on the Isle of Dogs.