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Canary Wharf

Now the financial center of London, but once docks for the trade of the vast British Empire which expanded across one-fifth of the world at one point in time.

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West India Docks

Once the largest dock in the world, a majority of the trade undertaken by the British Empire went through here.

Related Tours

Private Walking Tour - Trade and Empire; History of Canary Wharf and the Docklands

The Canary Wharf area has a rich story of development and innovation, which this tour unfolds for the visitor. From the initial ground-breaking development of the West India Docks, through the area’s development as an enterprise zone to today’s harmonious mix of enterprise, art and landscape.

Commence your tour at Reuters Plaza, and learn about London's public transport system
Learn about biodiversity at Jubilee Park
Uncover Blackwall Basin - part of the docks complex, now reused for floating homes
Enjoy the sounds and smells of the Billingsgate Fish Market
Take in gorgeous views at Crossrail Place Roof Garden, used as a performance space
Learn about the docks and their importance at the Import Dock Warehouses
Visit the Museum of London Docklands to uncover this historical time of development
Recount stories of the WI Docks at the Ledge Building and Dedication Plague
Discover (and witness) development at the Riverside by Canary Wharf Pier
Conclude at Cabot Place via Westberry Circus, where a recent sculpture by Henry Moore stands

When they opened in 1802, the West India Docks was London’s first commercial docks complex. It revolutionised trade and ushered in prosperity and growth. Much of this enterprise has survived and the tour takes in a number of important sights such as the great warehouse complex on the Import Dock – in its day the world’s biggest public development – and the Blackwall Basin, now a haven for floating homes.

After the Docks closed in 1980, the area became the flagship Enterprise Zone for London’s new Docklands scene. The tour includes aspects of that development, such as the area’s first new apartment block, a City market which moved here and is still flourishing, and the light railway that enabled the area to grow.

Development

Today the area presents many aspects of modern development. It is a place of enterprise still, yet in the modern mould. New building projects are set within areas which maintain the ecological balance through the use of greenery, encouraging wildlife. Art is encouraged too, with important sculptures by a variety of artists a prominent feature of the development.