History Of The Area
Greenland dock
The dock was originally excavated in 1696 and was named Howland Great Wet Dock after the family that owned the land. By the mid-18th century it had become a base for Arctic whalers and was renamed Greenland Dock.
During the 19th century Greenland Dock received ships carrying Scandinavian and Baltic timber, Canadian grain, cheese and bacon. The dock was enlarged in 1904.
The docks were devastated by bombing during World War II and by the late 1960s, marine cargo transport had moved towards the less labour intensive system of containerisation which required deeper docks than those at Rotherhithe. New terminals were built at Tilbury and Felixstowe especially to accommodate container ships.
Greenland Dock closed in 1969, along with the rest of the Surrey Docks and the London Docklands Development Corporation commissioned a plan for mixed developments of squares and streets integrated into the existing environment and community.
Between 1984 and 1990, 1,250 homes were built at Greenland Dock, notably townhouses and apartment blocks. The scheme was a success and demand for the new housing exceeded expectations.
Surrey Quays overground station, which opened on the 7th of December 1869, was joined by the jubilee line tube at nearby Canada Water on the 19th of August 1999.
Tavern Quay was completed in 2016.
