London's Docklands

In its heyday, London’s Docklands was dominated by the Port of London; a sprawling network of quays, ancient wharves, deep canals and high-walled basins that stretched along the Thames from the City to Tilbury. Two or three generations ago, London Docks provided employment for over 100,000 men, but the demise of London’s Docklands in the late 20th century ended a tradition of waterside industry that had existed in London since Roman times. Yet the Docks themselves still stand defiantly; too expensive (and expansive) to be attractive to property developers despite the fact that most are sited in prime real estate areas. For the foreseeable future, the Docks will remain part of London, a visual reminder that, for a time, Britannia did indeed rule the waves. From archaeological finds through to diaries, newspaper articles, census returns and personal interviews, the lost docks of London are rediscovered through fascinating tales of Medieval mercers, river pirates, shipbuilders, merchant adventurers, mud larks, Dockers, socialist agitators, brothel keepers and opium eaters, to name but a few. AUTHOR: Fioan Rule is a London historian, whose previous books include The Worst Street in London (Ian Allan, 2008), Streets of Sin (THP, 2015) and The Oldest House in London (THP, 2017). In 1998, she set up her own marketing and research company, and, after successfully completing a Diploma course in Local History from the University of Oxford, began to specialise in historical writing and research.

Author Biography

FIONA RULE is a writer, researcher and historian. A regular contributor to television and radio programmes, Fiona also has her own company, House Histories, which specialises in researching the history of people’s homes. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Local History from the University of Oxford.