Royal Docks

They specialised particularly in the import and unloading of foodstuffs, with rows of giant granaries and refrigerated warehouses being sited alongside the quays.

The docks' great size and provision of numerous finger quays gave them a collective span of over 12 miles (19.3 km) of quaysides, serving hundreds of cargo and passenger ships at a time.

The Royal Navy saved the day for the dock owners by connecting the generators of two submarines to power the warehouses' freezers.

The docks' closure led to high levels of unemployment and social deprivation in the surrounding communities of North Woolwich and Silvertown.

An extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) opened in 1994 to provide direct links to the City of London and Canary Wharf.

This was later extended round the south side of the docks with the link to London City Airport opening in December 2005.

In 2011 the one hundred and twenty five hectares of the Royal Docks were granted Enterprise Zone status to help attract jobs and businesses to the area.

[2] In 2014, Singapore listed Oxley Holdings together with leading developer Ballymore UK have a Joint-Venture to set up a new waterfront township of Royal Wharf, with 3,385 new homes housing over 10,000.

The final phase is known as Mariner's Quarter which has the tallest building standing at 19 storeys, overseeing the river Thames and Canary Wharf.

[3] In March 2023, consultants unveiled proposals to use floating modules to create additional dockspace area that could be used to host Formula One motor racing events on a circuit incorporating 2.7km of the existing embankment along the Royal Victoria and Royal Albert Dock from ExCeL to the University of East London.

The docks' principal use is now water sports, but they do see occasional visits by naval and merchant vessels, especially during the annual London Boat Show and the biennial DSEi arms fair, both of which are held at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre.