The neo-Georgian Impounding station at Hermitage Basin was the first of a standard design: identical clones could be seen throughout the sprawling domains of the Port of London Authority. The first one built is also the last survivor.
The basin was the back-door to London Docks.Across the entrance stood the world’s first cast iron swing bridge. This too was reproduced throughout the docks, but they are all now lost. The red brick customs building and the fag-end of the basin wall are all that’s left.
Hermitage basin redeveloped but still the old custom house stands as a sculptor's studio but the old dock walls have almost vanished. A private housing development stands at the edge of what is now an ornamental lake.
The old pumphouse is occupied by the sculptor Wendy taylor C.B.E. who has owned the building since 2001 for her studio. Her work can be seen in the adjacent park and in front of the Tower hotel, “The Timepiece”.
The housing alongside the dock is now a gated community.
Looking east across London main dock , where some of the larger warehouses have already gone, to those that still decay alongside the water. In the distance Oswell House can be seen.
The old dock wall from London main dock has been retained and preserved and the expensive townhouses of Spirit Quay,Waveney close, Roding Mews and Welland Mews run alongside what is now only an ornamental channel.
South Quay warehouses looking east. These were the repositories and secure storage for spirits and alcoholic beverages from afar.
Spirit Quay apartments and maisopnettes sitting above the old London Dock Quay where once valuable cargoes were unloaded.
The spirit vaults inside the old warehouses with winches down to the cellars.
Another entrance to the London Dock was through Wapping basin which by 1971 was completely filled and ready for redevelopment.
The Western spirit warehouses are visible with Tower Bridge in the distance.
The spirit warehouses were structurally sound but had served their purpose.
Demolition under way to allow for the new private housing to be constructed.
The new apartments and maisonettes of Spirit Quay have retained some of the character of the lost warehouses.
The filled basin still surrounded by the old dock walls and above the digger bucket the old Wapping Dock entrance buildings still stand.
A new sports hall has been constructed alongside the restored tobacco warehouse and the dock now provides a sports ground for residents.
More expansion to the sports halls to the left and behind the walls the fashionable waping apatment blocks can be seen.
The beautiful tobacco warehouse sweeping round following the line of the high dock walls, perhaps a foreign crop has sprouted!
The basic structure well preserved, this warehouse is now a neighbourhood fitness centre.
a perfectly preserved warehouse is alocal fitness facility alongside the sports ground.
This dock is almost as it was before closure except for Wapping Basin and provides a clear view through to Tower Bridge and the Tower Hotel.
Almost filled ready for new housing the character and shape of the dock is gone.
The Tower landmarks are still visible but to the right most of the larger Pennington Street warehouses have gone to make way for “Fortress Wapping” a new print works for The Times and Rupert Murdoch’s other newspapers.
Where there was water now all filled and expensive new mews and townhouse developments have appeared, the Sard peaks over the top.
This line of warehouses is adjacent to Pennington Street in which stood the listed warehouses for the docks early days.
“Fortress Wapping” has replaced the old warehouses fronting the dock and the Pennington Street 4 storey warehouses which were destroyed by “accidental “ fires.
The old dock is now almost entirely covered by housing stock except for the ornamental canal running through. To the right are the smart new offices and print works built by Rupert Murdoch to change the face of newspaper production in London.
The ornamental canals had not yet been filled and construction was underway for News International offices and print works.
A closer view of the newspaper offices and print works alongside the canal.
IN 2015 News International sold the site for redevelopment to the Berkeley Group at the price of 150 million pounds. St.George part of the group are creating Wapping Village and a new square .
The four storey warehouse on the north side of London Dock were listed buildings.
The single storey warehouses to the left would survive but the larger structures to the right would be destroyed by fire.
By the time I was visiting these warehouses the timber interiors were damp and decaying, according to a local fire officer an “accidental” fire was impossible, but they burnt!
One of the stunning single storey warehouses that face Pennington St E.!. used for a time as artist studios they are now being redeveloped as part of St'. George Wapping Village.
Completely refurbished and redesigned by JTP Design Group unit 5 Pennington Street, The Rum Warehouse.
A stunning use of the old warehouse redesigned and repurposed bt JTP Design Group in Unit 5 Pennington Street, The Rum Warehouse.
The wonderful vaulted timber and glazed ceilings of these warehouses led to the preservation and listing of these structures.
Sadly empty shops and puddles are all that’s left of the shopping centre that was created inside Tobacco Dock.
An exterior refurbishment of the Tobacco Street warehouse at the Eastern end of Pennington Street and the docks.
In the Eighties more than 70 million pounds were spent renovating and refurbishing this site as a new “Covent Garden” and in 1989 the centre was opened, sadly the timing was not good and the project failed but English Heritage placed a grade 1 listing on the site in 2003.
The replica pirate ships “Three Sisters” and “Skylark” are rusting outside the Tobacco Dock buildings now used for Gin and beer festivals.
Beyond the Tobacco Dock roofs the International Press buildings are clearly visible and all the housing to the left covers what was London Dock.
NO more print works, the Wapping Village development is under way. beyond the old docks the Shard now stands proud.
The most easterly dock of the London docks triumvirate sadly deserted.
Some sympathetic redevelopment has occurred and St.Paul’s church stands in the trees.
Now sealed from the Thames the dock contains a sailing club in the largest area of water left in the docks surrounded by warehouse style developments in harmony with the old dock.
A well painted tugboat on Tench Street Dock wall almost 20 feet tall which provided security for the docks warehouses storing liquor and tobacco.
A trace of the old tugboat remains on the part of wall now surrounding gated housing developments.
The Tench Street Graffiti including the tugboat is visible on the long wall leading to the entrance into Wapping Basin.
Some original graffiti remains joined by colourful new material which the council has tried to scrub away. Tower bridge is visible above the entrance to Wapping sports ground.