South Dock, Rotherhithe facts for kids

South Dock is a cool place in Rotherhithe, London, England. It's one of only two docks left from the old Surrey Commercial Docks. Workers built South Dock between 1807 and 1811. It sits just south of the bigger Greenland Dock. A channel called Greenland Cut connects them. South Dock also has a special gate, called a lock, that lets boats go in and out from the River Thames. At first, it was called the East Country Dock. But in 1850, a company bought it and made it bigger, so they renamed it South Dock. Big ships used to bring in wood (timber) and food (grain) here.

South Dock During World War II

During World War II, South Dock faced a tough time. German planes, called the Luftwaffe, dropped many bombs on the area. This caused a lot of damage to the dock. Because of the damage to Greenland Dock, South Dock became the only way for ships to leave that area.

In 1944, all the ships were moved out of South Dock. The water was drained away. Workers then used the empty dock to build large concrete parts. These parts were for the Mulberry Harbours. These special harbours were used on D-Day to help bring supplies to soldiers. After the war ended, South Dock was fixed up. The buildings around it were also rebuilt.

Changes After the War

The docks in Surrey started to get busy again after the war. But this didn't last very long. In the 1960s, a new way of shipping started. It was called containerization. This meant goods were packed into huge metal boxes called containers. New container ships were built to carry these boxes.

These new ships were much too big for the old London docks. Most of the river trade moved to bigger, more modern ports. Places like Tilbury became very important. The Surrey Docks finally closed in December 1970. In 1977, the London Borough of Southwark bought the land.

South Dock's New Life

South Dock Housing and marina

Many of the old Surrey Docks were filled in. They were turned into places for homes, shops, or small factories. But South Dock was lucky and didn't get filled in. The old warehouses were taken down. New apartment buildings were built in their place. The dock itself was cleaned up and made new.

A group called the London Docklands Development Corporation helped pay for new homes. They built some very cool buildings, like Baltic Quay. In 1994, South Dock opened again. It became London's biggest marina. A marina is a place where small boats can dock. South Dock can hold over 200 boats. Today, you'll mostly see yachts and houseboats docked there.

Places Nearby

• Canada Water
• Greenland Dock
• Russia Dock Woodland
• Surrey Quays
• Globe pond
• Centre Dock
• Norway Dock