St Katherine's Docks

In 1558 the newly ascended Queen Elizabeth I appointed Dr. Thomas Wilson of the hospital that stood on the docks as Master of St. Katherine’s Docks. The Queen issued a charter to make the hospital responsible for aiding the poor. The area around the hospital had become very busy as wharves were built up around the tidal inlet- this was the first time that the name St. Katherine Docks had been used.

Though the Hospital was untouched by the Great Fire of London, the Black Plague hit the area and the hospital very badly and it began to fall into disrepair.

The whole area was revived in the early nineteenth century when London became a hive of industry- the Docks did tremendous trade in importing and exporting produce. The massive financial possibilities meant that the Hospital was demolished to make way for the new Docks and processing plants.

During the Second World War the Docks suffered heavy bombing from the Luftwaffe. Oil and dried goods in the warehouses and on the barges meant that the Docks burnt for days- destroying it almost entirely. The damaged to the Docks was never fully restored- the North and East Quays remained out of use.

In 1969 the GLC invited proposals for redevelopment of the Dock area. The Taylor Woodrow Property Company won the contract and much of the area was redeveloped into office buildings and residential and recreational areas, however it was stipulated that the buildings must conform to guidelines to reflect the historical importance of St. Katherine’s Dock.