Tower Dock facts for kids
Tower Dock is a small water area next to the famous Tower of London. It's on the west side, right by the Thames River. Most of the dock was filled in during the 1950s, so only a small part of it remains today.
Where is Tower Dock?
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Tower Dock is located right next to the western entrance of the Tower of London. Its position helped protect the Tower, making it harder for enemies to get close.
The dock was also part of the boundary for an area called the Tower Liberty. This was a special zone managed by the Tower. The idea was to keep the area around the fortress clear. This way, no buildings could hide attackers. Today, these old boundaries are still used by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. They form part of its border with the City of London.
How Tower Dock Started and Changed
The exact beginning of Tower Dock is a bit of a mystery. It might have been a natural part of the riverbank. This part was left when the docks on either side were built. The first part of Tower Wharf, to the east, was built into the river between 1276 and 1324.
It seems Tower Dock used to be much bigger. A report from 1623 said the dock was what was left of a moat. This moat went around a feature called the Bulwark. The Bulwark was built around 1480. It was the furthest part of the Tower's western gate system. We don't know if it was filled with water or dry. But it probably connected to the Tower's main moat. By 1623, the Bulwark was still there. However, most of its moat, except for Tower Dock, had been filled in.
In 1706, even more of the dock was filled in. This part was "between Thames Street and Tower Hill." It was filled with rubbish from the local area.
In the late 1950s, almost all of the dock was filled in and paved over. This happened when a building called Three Quays House was being built. That building has since been taken down and replaced.
A Famous Escape Attempt
In 1617, a famous explorer named Walter Raleigh tried to find a mythical city of gold, El Dorado. He also tried to take treasures from Spain's colonies in the Americas. His trip was not successful. The King of Spain was very angry. He demanded that Raleigh be arrested and punished.
Raleigh expected to be caught at any moment. So, his wife planned an escape. Raleigh put on a disguise. He went to Tower Dock where a boatman was waiting. The boat quietly moved into the Thames River. The plan was to take Raleigh downstream to Tilbury. A ship was waiting there to take him away.
But someone Raleigh trusted had told on him. Another boat was waiting for him in the river. Raleigh was arrested and sent back to prison in the Tower of London.
