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On the 10th January, all L6th A Level geography students had the opportunity to visit the London Docklands Museum where we were able to immerse ourselves in the rich maritime and trading history of the docklands in Canary Wharf. We began our day by getting the train to Canary Wharf, where Mrs Bowler pointed out some key features of the regeneration in the area. This included the HSBC building which is soon projected to be transformed into a multi-purpose space for leisure and housing, as well as the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) railway which was built to transport commuters into the area. We then carried on through the regenerated area to the London Docklands Museum which is housed in the old warehouses of the East India dock.

Throughout the day we then explored different sections of the museum, this included the ‘Regeneration’ floor, which detailed the process by which the industrial dock area was transformed into a new central business district. This offered us a more detailed insight into the causes of decline in the area and the different groups involved in the regeneration. After lunch this section was followed by the area focused on the less recent history of the dock which detailed the docks history as a key trading point and it’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. There was even a huge hamster wheel you could run on which represented the wheels used to lift goods in the docks!

These areas of the museum explored the decline of the docks and the consequent redevelopment and regeneration into the dynamic and thriving business hub of Canary Wharf as well as the rich historical tapestry of the docks and the harrowing transatlantic slave trade.This trip allowed us all to gain further insight into the historically significant area of the docklands, which is a key focus point in our regeneration topic as our ‘local place’. 

By Gigi and Ella

Image 1 - Canary Wharf today
Image 2 - The Original Warehouse 1 and 2 on East India Dock, now the home of London Museum Docklands
Image 3 - Butlers Wharf, the old warehouse buildings that were disused. 
Image 4 - An historial museum display depicting how the dockland warehousing would have looked