LONDON DOCKLANDS
From Tower Bridge to
the Royal Docks and the Isle of Dogs is one of the oldest areas of London,
containing the wharfs, warehouses and ports along the River Thames. In the last
half of the 1980s this whole area was rejuvenated with very modern buildings
and an extensive new light rail system, Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The
trains are fully automatic, with no drivers but a service agent on board to
assist passengers.
Throughout the Docklands, there are restaurants, shops, apartment and town
house developments (with a distinct Canadian flavour) sometimes mingling with
some of the oldest streets in London.
The center of the Docklands
is
Canary Wharf - One Canada Square
is Britain's tallest building
Historical Background
Walk alongside the
Tower walls and suddenly you are thrust into the most modern area of London.
The photo is St Katharine Dock, an inner harbour/marina just metres from Tower
Bridge. (One night we were walking along the bridge when we heard the
announcement that it would be opening and saw the traffic stop and the barrier
come down. We were so excited. We waited and watched in the rain as the bridge
slowly opened and a tall ship sailed through. Standing at the barrier, the
bridge stretched above our heads into the air. If you have never seen it -
especially from this close a viewpoint - it may be hard for you to imagine how
grand it looked.) From the marina, you begin your adventure into Docklands. The
contrast between London the Old and London the New will never be more apparent.
Meanwhile, you can sit at St Katharine Dock and have a drink and pretend you
are somewhere completely different. It's pretty hard to believe that moments
before you were ins ide the ancient walls of The Tower. Dicken's Inn can also
be found here. It used to be a spice warehouse (18th century) but now it's an
inn with vaulted ceilings and fairly decent place to eat.
