Historical Timeline

1880-1920

· New and expanding railway network

· Victoria and Albert Docks became London’s main docks, accommodating the largest iron and steam ships.

· Hundreds of thousands of cargoes of grain, tobacco, meat, fruit and vegetables were unloaded onto quayside and stored in giant refrigerated warehouses.

· New settlements; Hallsville, Canning Town and North Woolwich.

. Millenium Mills built in 1905 by William Vernon & sons.

· Housing expansion in areas later known as Custom House, Silvertown and West Silvertown.

. Millenium Mills was badly damaged by an explosion due to WWI in 1917.

1921

· Final dock constructed opened by King George V in 1921.

· Group of docks assigned the name “Royal”.

1926

· Poor living and working conditions for dock workers caused a strike called TUC on 3rd May 1926.

· Phenomenal losses of 750,000 frozen carcasses stored in the warehouses fridges, due to no electricity supply.

· Industrial disputes became a feature throughout the remainder of the Royal Docks operation.

1933-1945

. Millenium Mills rebuilt as a 10 storey art deco- concrete building in 1933.

. Royal Dock played a vital role when the mulberry harbours established the beach head for the Normandy landings were constructed in secret within the docks.

. Royal Docks went through a brief boom in trade post war.

1960-1981

. Royal Docks business fell into decline.

· Docklands Joint Committee was established, which published the London Docklands Strategic Plan in April 1976.

· Positive impact in Beckton, developing as a residential area, draining the marshes and putting in a foul drainage system.

· Closing to commercial traffic in 1981- the last vessel to be loaded left on the 7th of December 1981.

· The closure of the royals and other docks caused a massive rate of unemployment in London and social problems across East London.

1981+

· London Docklands Development Corporation was formed in 1981.

· Objectives for regeneration and finding new uses for the former docks of London.

· The birth of the DLR and Canary Wharf followed.

· London City Airport opened in 1987.

· ExCel exhibition centre opened, early 2000 a new phase opened.

· New campus was built on Royal Albert Dock and opened the new University of East London.

· Present day- thousands of visitors arrive into London’s Royal Docks by air, tube, DLR, boat and road.

· Residential, commercial and retail developments are springing up across the London’s Royal Docks.

· The University of East London thrives and ExCel offers London’s only international conference centre.

· Hotels, restaurants and bars have opened to service people who live, work and study there as well as its increasing numbers of visitors.

This timeline was used as a tool to educates us on the history of the site and its surroundings. We can learn from the mistakes of the past and gain inspiration from examples of good regeneration in the area. Being a communinty-led regeneration project whilst being able to create a new development which respects the site's heritage.