Isle of Dogs

The Isle of Dogs, formed by a huge meander of the River Thames in the east end of London, was once known as Stepney Marsh. Originally drained in the 13th century, it was not until 1802, with the opening of West India Docks, that large-scale industrial infrastructure was built on the reclaimed land. The East India Docks were constructed soon after, followed by Millwall Dock in 1868. At its peak the Isle was home to over twenty thousand inhabitants, mainly working in docks or in nearby Greenwich. Unable to handle the large containers used in modern shipping the docks gradually closed, and by 1980 they had all gone. Today the Isle of Dogs is predominantly known as the home of the Canary Wharf development. One Canada Square, once the tallest building in the UK until the arrival of the Shard, stands proudly at the centre of London’s second financial district.