Lower Pool and Limehouse Reach (c. 1904-1947) by Arthur BurgessBank of England Museum
Limehouse Reach
You’re now at Limehouse Reach, which is opposite Limehouse and stretches down the western side of the Isle of Dogs.
This landscape was painted in 1940 and shows goods being transported along the river on barges during the Second World War.
As you can imagine, the docks were an important target for bombing raids. In the years following this painting, about 2,500 bombs were dropped in the area.
Wharves were important to London's infrastructure
By the end of the 1700s, millions of tonnes of goods passed through these wharves each year.
These docks were so busy ships could wait for weeks before unloading their cargo! Goods were vulnerable to perishing or being stolen, so new docks were built on the Isle of Dogs in 1802.
West India Docks from the South East (c. 1840) by William ParrottBank of England Museum
The development of the Docklands created capacity for bigger ships (and more of them) travelling from all over the world. London, and Britain as a whole, became heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade through a system known as triangular trade.
Ships would travel from London to Africa to sell goods such as copper, guns and textiles. The profits would be used to buy enslaved people who were sold in the West Indies and America, where they were forced to work on plantations.
Goods such as sugar and cotton produced there were then bought with the proceeds and brought back to London.
Cotton Rag
Until the introduction of polymer, banknotes were made from a blend of cotton and linen which was soaked until the fibres separate into a pulp which was then made into sheets of paper.
Lower Pool and Limehouse Reach (c. 1904-1947) by Arthur BurgessBank of England Museum
The area we know as Canary Wharf is named after the quay where fruit and vegetables were unloaded, which came from the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean.
West India Docks got its name because most of the goods processed there came from that area of the world.
The docks remind us of the centrality of the Caribbean and the transatlantic slave trade to the economy of the British Empire.
Do you know where your food, clothing and everyday essentials come from?
In the 1960s, London’s wharves and docks suffered a dramatic loss of industry. Shipping moved away from London to ports in the East of England that could accommodate larger container ships.
Limehouse Reach (2020) by Justin PipergerBank of England Museum
Today, national economies are linked by trade, political alliances and migration. The Bank of England constantly monitors worldwide economic conditions, as well as what’s happening closer to home.
This helps the Bank prepare for international events that will affect the United Kingdom’s economy such as COVID-19, which caused unprecedented social and economic disruption around the world.
Entrance to Shadwell Basin
During the expansion of the docks in the early 1800s, Shadwell Basin was completed in 1832.
By the 1850s, another expansion was needed as the entrance was too small for the newer, larger ships being used. It is the only part of the original docks system that still exists today.
Globe Wharf
This is Globe Wharf – a Grade II listed, six-storey warehouse in Rotherhithe. It was built in the 1880s as a granary and converted into a rice store and mill in 1924. In the 1990s, it was converted into flats.
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The Docklands transformed from warehouses to skyscrapers
Today, the area includes the financial district Canary Wharf. London’s Docklands Development Corporation was set up to regenerate the Docklands area. Transport links were improved and from 1991, large banks such as HSBC and Citigroup relocated here from the City of London.
Lower Pool and Limehouse Reach (c. 1904-1947) by Arthur BurgessBank of England Museum
Back in historic London, you look on as dock workers are loading and unloading goods near Shadwell Docks. The docks were a prime target for bombing raids during the Second World War, so their work was especially dangerous.
These men were working in what was known as a reserved occupation – a job absolutely essential to the war effort – so they were protected from being called up to fight.
This could be frustrating for those who wanted to serve on the front lines and they might take on extra duties, such as Air Raid Precaution wardens, on top of their day jobs to feel like they were ‘doing their bit.'
Picture the City is an exhibition produced by the Bank of England Museum.
The Docklands is part 8 of 8 in this digital exhibition. To go to the start of the exhibition, click here.
All images © Bank of England Museum except where stated.
Explore more and discover the sites in real life on our website!
With thanks to: Thomas.Matthews and the Brunel Museum.
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