London's docks were once the busiest in Britain. They had developed
piecemeal from the beginning of the nineteenth century as the existing
riverside wharves became too congested and pilfering became rife. Dock
systems were built on both sides of the Thames. The largest group, 'The
Royals' comprising the Royal Victoria, Royal Albert and King George V
docks, created the greatest enclosed dock area in the world. Changes in
cargo handling methods, such as containerisation, led to all new
developments being concentrated at Tilbury from the late 1960s and the
closure of the London docks, along with nearly all of the private
riverside wharves and canal wharves. The London Docklands Development
Corporation was set up to redevelop the dock sites. So what replaced the
docks, and what remains to remind us of what was there before? This book
follows the Thames Path, which has opened up much of what was once a
largely hidden world, from Greenwich to Rainham and Erith to examine the
changes and the heritage that remains on both sides of the river. Also
included is the network of rivers, canals and sewers in East London that
linked into and made use of the Thames. Finally, it looks at Tilbury on
the north bank, where the docks are now concentrated, and Gravesend on
the south side, a town with long maritime connections to London.
