The dock was designed by Henry Berry and opened in 1785.

The dock was named in honour of Queen Charlotte, the consort of George III,[4] and it was later expanded by John Foster, Sr. At its largest, the dock consisted of a main basin and two branch docks, which were separated by a graving dock.

Branch Dock Number 2 (to the north) has since been filled in and is used as a car park.

The graving dock is now straddled by an apartment block, The Keel, which was formerly the HM Revenue and Customs building.

[5] This and the other docks in the southern system were owned by British Waterways, transferred to the Canal & River Trust in 2012.