What did the Docklands used to be like?

The main dockland areas were originally low-lying marshes, mostly unsuitable for agriculture and lightly populated. With the establishment of the docks, the dock workers formed a number of tight-knit local communities with their own distinctive cultures and slang.

What was the Docklands area like in the early 1900s what was the function of the area?

The Docklands area was for centuries the principal hub of British seaborne trade. In the latter part of the 20th century, many of the Docklands’ manufacturing plants and wharves were abandoned or given over to new residential and commercial developments.

What problems were there in the London Docklands?

Causes for the decline of London Docklands:

• The increasing size of ships meant they found it difficult to come far down the River Thames.
• Manufacturing decline.
• Tower blocks and low quality housing built in the 1950s and 60s.
• Containerization meant fewer dockers were needed as they got replaced by cranes.

What is the history of the Docklands?

Trading in the area now known as Docklands goes back as far as the Romans. But the Docklands as we know it began in earnest, in 1799, with the West India Dock Act. This was brought in to curb the high levels of congestion, and subsequent theft, that arose from the denseness of ships moored in the Thames.

What did the London Docks do for a living?

The docks specialised in high-value luxury commodities such as ivory, spices, coffee and cocoa as well as wine and wool, for which elegant warehouses and wine cellars were constructed. The system was never connected to the railway network. The Port of London Authority took over the London Docks together with the rest of the enclosed docks in 1909.

How did the Docklands change after the docks closed?

After the docks closed, the area had become derelict and poverty-ridden by the 1980s. The Docklands’ regeneration began later that decade; it has been redeveloped principally for commercial and residential use.

What was the Docklands like before Canary Wharf?

Now known as the London Docklands, or Canary Wharf, the Isle of Dogs has seen quite the transformation in the past three decades. Skyscrapers, not ships, now rule the skyline and financial heavyweights roam the streets. But what was it like pre-Canary Wharf?

Is there a floating village in the Royal Docks?

Residential, commercial and retail developments are springing up right the way along the 4 kilometres of London’s Royal Docks, from Gallion’s Reach to the planned floating village. The University of East London continues to thrive whilst ExCel now offers London’s only international conference centre .