| St Katharine's Dock (picture by Matthew Walters) |  |
St Katharine's Dock
Photographer Description of St Katharine's Dock
Saint Katharine's Dock, London. A marina with residential, business, and retail buildings - adjacent to Tower Bridge.St Katharine's Dock - Further Information
St Katharine's Dock on the northern back of the River Thames in London is a yachting marina surrounded by a residential complex in a warehouse conversion. It also contains shops, restaurants and a hotel and is near to the Tower of London.1000 years of history have echoed around these docks. Since their founding by King Edgar in the 10th century, through the turbulent middle ages through to recent day, these docks have been of vital importance to the city of London for trade and transport.
The 18th century industrial revolution saw trade far exceed the capacity of both these docks and the River Thames itself, often more than 800 vessels tried to cram into the Pool of London at any given time. 1799 saw parliamentary approval to privately construct these enclosed docks for commercial purposes to assist the smooth economy of trade. Given the war with France and the unprecedentedly successful trade routes established with the West Indies, a more manageable solution was thus installed to meet the demands.
Late 20th century saw another significant change. As property prices in London soared, commercial developers sought the re-utilisation of every possible square foot of buildings such as these former trade warehouses to transform them into prime residential and business premises. Now an enclave of prestigious and very expensive properties set around a marina, St Katharine's Dock is a haven of peace set aside from the bustling city which surrounds it - almost a complete role-reversal from its roots as the frenzied and infamously colourful harbour at the heart of a growing city and Empire.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Adjacent to St Katharine's Pier for river transport. Near to Tower Bridge approach road and major roundabout. Nearest Tube station is Tower Hill a few mins walk north-west.