The roads and riverside of Limehouse reveal evidence of its age-old connections with the sea and maritime trades, of its long journey from tiny riverside village – one of the “tower hamlets” – to today’s modern docklands area. Sailors passing through made it a truly cosmopolitan area – home to London’s first Chinatown – a bustling hive of industry with a dark side which philanthropists sought to address and some writers sought to exploit in sensational stories. Our Guided Walk takes us to the sublime St Anne’s church and Narrow Street’s fine 17th century house-fronts, to palatial sailors’ hostels, well- preserved 19th century warehouses and one of the very oldest urban railway viaducts, taking in splendid river views to Canary Wharf and the City along the way.
Guide: Andrew Parnell
Meet at Westferry DLR Station, London E14 8AS
This sixty-minute Virtual Walk explores the buildings of the London Borough of Newham, the southern part of which is dominated by the vast Royal Docks and the industries that built up around them. These have been partially redeveloped with some striking new buildings like the University of East London's Halls of Residence and the Crystal, the new home for the Greater London Assembly, while some of the heritage of the old docks remains. And Newham also offers much more than Docklands: you'll find a 12th century church, a memorial to Tudor Martyrs, a fine theatre and plenty of civic pride. The borough has some marvellous former industrial buildings along the River Lea and is home to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with buildings that put London on the world stage as part of London 2012. Whatever your taste in buildings, you are bound to find something you like.
Virtual Guide: Rob Smith
Online Event
Using old maps and photographs as we walk, with a chance for questions and discussion, this walk from East India DLR Station to Canary Wharf looks at the East India Company and the ruthless sugar traders that built warehouses in the area around Canary Wharf using profits made from the labour of enslaved Africans. You'll see what is left of the East and West India docks, built for sailing ships in the early 1800's.
Guide: Rob Smith
Meet at East India DLR Station, Aspen Way, London E14 9GF
This walk with Rob Smith along the River Lea takes us through the Olympic Park, passing London Stadium and many former industrial sites before reaching the beautiful tide mills at Bow. It then takes us to Canning Town to see the last loops of the Lea before it joins the Thames at Trinity Buoy Wharf. The Lea is one of the longest and most important tributaries of the Thames. It has formed the boundary between the Saxons and the Danes, been home to medieval mills and numerous other industries. This is one of series of walks by Rob which will look at the history of the River Lea, tracing its 42-mile course to the Thames.
Guide: Rob Smith
Meet at Hackney Wick Station, Wallace Road, London E9 5LH
This walk with Rob Smith from Royal Victoria Dock to Pontoon Dock looks at the vast Royal group of docks, built for steamships by entrepreneur engineers and at some of the industry that was created by the docks. Rob will also talk about the dock workers strike of 1889 and the creation of the Port of London Authority. One of a series of walks by Rob covering different periods in the development of the Port of London from the Romans to Canary Wharf, uncovering some of the legacy of the Port of London through street names, mooring posts, cranes, plaques etc. and using old maps and photographs.
Guide: Rob Smith
Meet at Royal Victoria DLR Station, Seagull Lane, London E16 1BZ
As recently as 1979, 85% of the area around what is now Canada Water was occupied by the waters of the Surrey Commercial Docks. Since then there has been a radical transformation, the former docks and timber storage ponds becoming woodland, parks, housing and shops. A new phase of development is bringing change again. On this Guided Walk, Rob will find the buildings from the old docks that have survived, explain how the docks worked and tell the story of their complex history. He will also explain how this part of London transformed into Docklands and why it is different to Canary Wharf, its neighbour on the other side of the river.
Guide: Rob Smith
Meet at Canada Water Station, Deal Porter Way, London SE16 2YS
