The Port of London is that part of the River Thames in England lying between Teddington Lock and the defined boundary with the North Sea and including any associated docks. Once the largest port in the world, it is the United Kingdom's second largest port, after Grimsby & Immingham as of 2012. Usage is largely governed by the Port of London Authority, a public trust established in 1908; while mainly responsible for coordination and enforcement of activities it also has some minor operations of its own.
The port can handle cruise liners, roll-on roll-off ferries and cargo of all types at the larger facilities in its eastern extent. As with many similar historic European ports, such as Antwerp and Rotterdam, many activities have steadily moved downstream towards the open sea as ships have grown larger and the land upriver taken over for other uses.