Museum of London Docklands

The Museum of London Docklands (formerly known as Museum in Docklands), based in West India Quay, explains the history of the River Thames, the growth of Port of London and the docks historical link to the Atlantic slave trade. The museum is part of the Museum of London and is jointly funded by the City of London Corporation and the Greater London Authority.

Museum of London Docklands
Location within London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Former name
Museum in Docklands
Established2003 (2003)
Location
Coordinates51°30′27″N 0°1′25″W
Visitors324,438 (2019)[1]
DirectorSharon Ament
Public transit accessWest India Quay
WebsiteOfficial website
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameWAREHOUSES AND GENERAL OFFICES AT WESTERN END OF NORTH QUAY
Designated19 July 1950
Reference no.1242440

The museum opened in 2003 in grade I listed early-19th century Georgian "low" sugar warehouses built in 1802 on the north side of West India Docks, a short walk from Canary Wharf.[2][3]

Collections and exhibits

Much of the museum's collection is from the museum and archives of the Port of London Authority, which became part of the port and river collections of the Museum of London in the 1970s. These were put into storage by the Museum of London in 1985.[4] The museum includes videos presented by Tony Robinson, and it houses a large collection of historical artifacts, models, and pictures in 12 galleries and a children's gallery (Mudlarks), arranged over two floors. Visitors are directed through the displays in chronological order.[3] The periods covered range from the first port on the Thames in Roman times to the closure of the central London docks in the 1970s and subsequent transformation of the area with commercial and residential developments.[5][6]

The Museum of London Docklands has a lecture theatre and meeting rooms and hosts talks and events connected with the docks. Several workers who worked on the docks in the 1960s take part in these events, including one from the Pentonville Five. The reading room and Sainsbury's Study Centre house the archives.

The museum acquired several historic vessels for preservation over its existence. Among these were the tugboats Knocker White and Varlet, both acquired in 1986.[7][8] By the 2010s the museum had decided to rationalise its collection of vessels, one was transferred to a local group, and another, the Wey barge Perseverance IV, to the National Trust. The last two vessels, Knocker White and Varlet, were transferred to Trinity Buoy Wharf in November 2016.[9][10]

In 2007, the museum celebrated the bicentenary of the British abolition of slavery by opening a £14 million Heritage Lottery Funded exhibition entitled London, Sugar, Slavery about the practice.[11][12] In March 2016, the museum opened an exhibit relating to the building itself. The building was originally called No.1 Warehouse, and was built in 1802 during the expansion of West India Docks.[13] In September, the museum displayed Dick Moore's George Cross medal for bravery during the London Blitz.[14] In 2017, the museum opened an exhibit displaying archaeological findings discovered during Crossrail work.[15] In 2020 it plans to put the Havering hoard on display.[16]

  • West India Quay with the museum in the background
  • The Museum of London Docklands at night

Transport connections
ServiceStation/StopLines/Routes servedDistance from
Museum of London Docklands
London Buses Westferry station 135, 277, D3, D7
London Underground Canary Wharf 800 metres walk
Docklands Light Railway West India Quay 2 minute/400 metres walk[17]
London River Services Canary Wharf Pier Commuter Service
Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Service		650 metres walk

See also

References
  1. "ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  2. Sara Wajid (9 November 2007). "London, Sugar & Slavery Opens At Museum In Docklands". Culture24.org. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  3. Emma Midgley (23 May 2003). "MGM 2003 - A Capital Addition, Museum In Docklands Now Open". Culture24.org. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  4. Foster, J.; Sheppard, J. (30 April 2016). British Archives: A Guide to Archive Resources in the UK. Springer. p. 400. ISBN 9781349652280. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  5. "Museum of London - Thames Highway". museumoflondon.org.uk.
  6. Hawthorne, Kate; Sheppard, Daniella (29 September 2016). The Young Person's Guide to the Internet: The Essential Website Reference Book for Young People, Parents and Teachers. Taylor & Francis. p. 130. ISBN 9780415345057. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  7. "Knocker White". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  8. "Varlet". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  9. "Historic vessels Knocker White and Varlet set sail to new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf". Museum of London. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  10. "Historic vessels Knocker White and Varlet set sail to new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf". Trinity Buoy Wharf. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  11. Eckersley, Susannah; Lloyd, Katherine; Whitehead, Christopher; Mason, Rhiannon (May 2015). Museums, Migration and Identity in Europe: Peoples, Places and Identities. Ashgate Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 9781472425188. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  12. Tolia-Kelly, Divya; Waterton, Emma; Waterton, Emma; Watson, Steve (July 2016). Heritage, Affect and Emotion: Politics, Practices and Infrastructures. Routledge. p. 125. ISBN 9781317122388. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  13. Broadbent, Giles (11 March 2016). "Museum of London Docklands to open a new storehouse of history". The Wharf. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  14. Broadbent, Giles (29 September 2016). "Family's pride as museum tells of their hero's courage". The Wharf. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  15. Drury, James (22 September 2016). "Largest Collection Of Crossrail Treasures To Go On Display". Londonist. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  16. https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/whats-on/exhibitions/havering-hoard-bronze-age-mystery
  17. Museum of London Docklands: Getting there
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