Considering its rich past, Greenland Dock has seen quite a lot. This is the oldest of London’s riverside wet docks. It lies in Rotherhithe in what is now Docklands. Greenland Dock is one of only two functioning enclosed docks on the River Thames’ south bank.
Let’s step back to the late 1690s. The aristocratic Russell family owned this land. John Howland gave the land as a wedding gift for his daughter Elizabeth. She married Wriothesley Russell. They got permission to build a rectangular dock around 1695. It covered about 10 acres. The Howland Great Wet Dock could hold about 120 ships. John Wells, a shipwright, designed it. The dock was to refit East India ships.
Imagine a rural scene in 1717. Greenland Dock sits miles from London. Trees line three sides as windbreaks. The Russell family’s mansion stands at the western end. This wasn’t for cargo. It was a sheltered spot for ship repairs and berthing. Its nearness to Deptford dockyards helped.
By the 1720s, Greenland whalers used the dock. Blubber boiling houses sprung up to make oil. These were on the south side of Greenland Dock. In 1763, the fourth Duke of Bedford sold the dock. Its use by Greenland whaling ships led to its new name: Greenland Dock. But whaling declined by the early 1800s.
In 1806, William Richie bought Greenland Dock. He was a Greenwich timber merchant. Richie founded the Commercial Dock Company in 1807. The company built more docks and timber ponds. Rival firms added docks too. This created a maze of harbours, canals, and ponds. In 1865, Richie’s company joined the Surrey Docks. Together, they controlled about 80% of London’s timber trade.
Greenland Dock was central to London’s timber trade for over a century. Warehouses and timber piles lined it. Athletic deal porters maintained these. Many timber ships came from the Baltic region. Later, steamers replaced them.
Between 1895 and 1904, Greenland Dock grew to the west. Sir John Wolfe Barry oversaw this expansion. He also built Tower Bridge. The dock more than doubled in length and depth. It then covered over 22 acres. It had a depth of 31 feet and a length of 2,250 feet. A large lock was added. This allowed big cargo ships and ocean liners to dock. Cunard Line A-class ships sailed from Greenland Dock to Canada.
In 1909, Greenland Dock joined the Port of London. The Port of London Authority managed it. Alongside the big steamships were smaller sailing ships. These brought timber from Finland. Names like Finland Quay and Russia Dock reflect this trade.
World War II hit Greenland Dock hard. German bombs destroyed warehouses. The lock became unusable. It recovered after the war but soon declined. Timber packaging ended deal porters’ jobs in 1958. Containerization then took over. These ships were too big for London’s docks. The Surrey Commercial Docks closed in 1970. Southwark council bought Greenland Dock.
For over a decade, the Surrey Docks sat empty. Many warehouses were torn down. Most docks were filled in. Greenland Dock was spared. In 1981, it went to the London Docklands Development Corporation. A watersports centre opened.
A plan turned Greenland Dock into a residential area. This happened in the late 1980s. Today, luxury homes dominate the area. A new watersports centre stands where the Grand Surrey Canal once entered. Sailing and canoeing are popular here.
Greenland Dock remains mostly intact. It connects to South Dock. There’s a small marina at its eastern end. Old capstans and hydraulic machines still stand.
In 2005, comedian Malcolm Hardee drowned in Greenland Dock. He was stepping onto his houseboat. It was moored near his floating pub.
Today, Greenland Dock is a mix of history and modern life. It’s a reminder of London’s maritime past.