Place    From 1696  To 1969

Surrey Docks

Categories: Commerce, Transport

The south bank of the Thames used to be in Surrey, now in Southwark. The first dock created here in 1696 was initially named Howland Great Wet Dock and then Greenland Dock due to the whaling ships that used it. By the mid 1800s the Commercial Dock Company had built many other docks on the east side of the Rotherhithe peninsula and the Surrey Dock Company had done the same on the west side. In 1865 the two companies merged to form the Surrey Commercial Docks Company. The bodies of water that we can see named on the 1889 insurance map are: Globe Pond, Lavender Pond, Acorn Pond, Lady Dock, Norway Dock, Greenland Dock, South Dock, Stave Dock, Russia Dock, Island Dock, Basin, Albion Dock, Canada Dock, Canada Pond, Quebec Pond, Centre Pond, Commercial Basin, Grand Surrey Canal.

1895-1904 Greenland Dock was greatly enlarged by John Wolfe-Barry, approximately doubling in length and depth.

The docks were badly damaged by bombing in WW2, but it was the containerisation of international freight transport that brought the end of these docks - they were too small for the size of those ships.

Largely drained and filled in, the area was redeveloped during the 1980s and 90s and renamed Surrey Quays.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Surrey Docks

Commemorated ati

Hydraulic lock gate engine

Hydraulic Lock Gate Engine This machinery was installed in 1902, at the time ...

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Hydraulic sluice

Hydraulic Sluice The sluice gate inside this pit was raised and lowered using...

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Lock Keepers Office

Lock Keepers Office The crews of men who worked ships in and out of Greenland...

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Norway cut swing bridge

Norway cut swing bridge This footbridge, with its granite paving, formerly st...

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Surrey Commercial Docks - relief model

{Around the rim:} London Docklands 1989 Surrey Commercial Docks 1896 Designe...

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Other Subjects

Honsway C&E Foundation

Honsway C&E Foundation

We believe this is/was a commercial organisation with offices in Gerrard Street.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
The Ivy restaurant

The Ivy restaurant

The Ivy, opened by Abele Giandolini, as an unlicensed Italian cafe in 1917 in a building on the same site. Famous as a theatrical-celebrities haunt, possibly due to its late closing time of near-mi...

Place, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial
Jamrach's Emporium

Jamrach's Emporium

Exotic shop dealing in wild animals. It was run by Charles Jamrach, who inherited the business from his father. Known to seafarers throughout the world, they would bring animals from distant lands ...

Place, Commerce, Animals

2 memorials
Keith Nigel Loudoun-Shand, OBE, TD

Keith Nigel Loudoun-Shand, OBE, TD

He is shown as Keith Loudoun-Shand on the Tea Industry plaque on Sir John Lyon House, 8 High Timber Street, London, EC4. Tea broker. Major in the Queen's Royal Rifles, awarded the OBE in 1965. Sour...

Person, Armed Forces, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial
White Lion pub, Islington

White Lion pub, Islington

We can find no information about this pub.

Building, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Hannah Barlow

Hannah Barlow

Born Bishop's Stortford. Studied at Lambeth School of Art where she was a student of John Sparkes. Began work at Doulton's in 1871, the first female employee, she specialised in painting animals. H...

Person, Art, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens

Officially, The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. They originated in the garden of Kew Park formed by Lord Capel John of Tewkesbury. They were extended by Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales and further...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture

4 memorials
Edward Johnston

Edward Johnston

Calligrapher and lettering designer. Born in San José, Uruguay, the son of an army officer. When the family returned to Britain, he studied medicine in Edinburgh for a while, but became fascinated ...

Person, Craft / Design, Scotland, Uruguay

4 memorials
Sir Hugh Willoughby

Sir Hugh Willoughby

Sea captain.  Looking for a trade route, the North-East Passage, a 3 ship expedition set sail, from Harwich, with Willoughby in charge and captain of the 'Bona Esperanza'. The Esperanza and the 'Bo...

Person, Exploring

1 memorial
James Morton Lethbridge

James Morton Lethbridge

Born London, a son of George Lethbridge. He articled in architecture under his father for four years (September 1894 to early 1898). After assisting several British architects, including Charles F....

Person, Architecture, Armed Forces, Canada

1 memorial