Greenland Dock (and South Dock). I am from the suburbs of SW London& don't get to explore SE London much. A few days ago I explored the Surrey Docks and Greenland Dock. One of the oldest, and the furthest up the Thames to take large ships, it was built from 1695 and was called the Howland Great Wet Dock and used to refit East India ships. The named changed from the 1720s as Greenland whalers used the dock and blubber boiling houses were built by the dock. As the whaling declined it became the centre of the London timber trade, and in 1865 various docks came part of the Surrey Commercial docks. A lot of names come from this time including Finland Dock, Russia Dock, Norway Dock, Swedish Yard, Baltic Wharf, Brunswick Yard, and Canada Water. Greenland Dock was expanded from 1895 to 1904 (by Sir John Wolfe-Barry who built Tower Bridge) and it could take Cunard liners, including ships that took passengers and cargo to the St. Lawrence River and the ancestors of many Canadians may have departed the Old World from this dock. During the Blitz 80 years ago oil drums were attached to bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe and with all the timber the docks turned into a firestorm. After the war there was prosperity for a short while then the docks went into decline, closing in 1970. Derelict for over 10 years, today there are lots of luxury developments, a bit of contrast to the whaling days. The dock does look across to an area of modern trading (and exploitation!?), the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf. #greenlanddock #surreydocks #arcticexperience #PTGA #polartourismguides #canadawater #battleofbritain #theblitz #londonblitz #russiadock #finlanddock #norwaydock #balticquay #southdock #whaling #greenlandwhalefishers #cunardline #cunard #cunardwalk #eastindiacompany #whalingship #swedishquay #brunswickquay #rotherhithe (at Greenland Dock) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXJyczj0tp/?igshid=11c1f4pjqd3bi
