Heritage

The early years

London was a port long before it became a great city and the capital of England. As far back as AD 47, when the Roman conquest of southern England was almost complete, the River Thames was deep enough to handle sea-going vessels.

The Romans recognised its use as a major shipping route into the heart of England and constructed a port known as Londinium on the north bank, which quickly became the capital of the Roman colony. Its prime position also led to strong trading links with Europe.

Exports included skins, slaves, corn, iron, silver and gold. London developed into a major inland port with quays and warehouses for importing and exporting goods.

After a fire swept through Londinium in AD61, all but destroying the entire settlement, the Romans abandoned the area. Despite this, London continued to safely store and market goods, and the area was soon to be settled again with the river proving to be both strategic in defence and providing a natural way for goods to be imported in and out of London.

Expansion and industrialisation

London soon flourished and over time the shipping trade remained a great employer to the Capital’s population. By Elizabethan times, huge expansion was necessary and led to a dock building programme that significantly increased the efficiency of London’s shipping.

By 1886 the Thames had become the busiest inland port in the world, importing spices from the Far East and tobacco from the America's. The Thames was so busy that the Victorians created vast enclosed docks inside the city itself.

The new technology of steam ships increased these ports’ efficiencies and there became seven enclosed dock systems, leading to new factories, power stations and shipyards.

20th century troubles

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Thames was so busy that there was a need to bring some order to an increasingly chaotic river and dock system. In response to this, the Port of London Authority was established in 1909. It took over the existing companies and began modernising the port.

Despite the Great Depression in the early 1930s, the amount of goods handled by the Port of London increased – a trend which continued after ports were restored following the German bombings of World War II.

Highs and lows of the trade

The number of goods handled in London’s port in the 1960s reached a record high, but soon after, containerisation, technological changes adopted by other ports and a switch in Britain’s trade following European Economic Community (EEC) membership, led to a rapid decline in the enclosed dock system in London.

By 1981 all of the enclosed docks except for Tilbury had closed. Existing riverside port facilities elsewhere on the Thames continued to thrive.

The future of shipping

Despite the closure of the old docks, London is still one of Britain's most active ports and handles over 50 million tonnes of imports and exports every year.

London Gateway will greatly increase trade and, by employing the latest technology, create one of the world’s most technologically advanced container ports.

In the 1960s, logistics supply lines were effective as the London docks allowed companies to transfer goods straight into the main markets in London and the south east. By combining the port with Europe’s largest logistics park, London Gateway aims to revive this success and transport goods more efficiently into the marketplace.

To find out more about the history of the Thames, please visit Museum of London Docklands (www.museumoflondon.com/docklands). You can also buy the pictures and others from the Museum's extensive picture library at www.museumoflondonprints.com.