Housed in a 200-year-old former storage warehouse, the London Museum Docklands (FKA the Museum of London Docklands) tells the story of the Thames port and the people from all over the world who settled there. Thousands of objects and pictures – many rescued during the 1970s and 1980s when containerisation and competition forced London’s port to move downstream – trace the area’s history, from the arrival of the Romans to the rise of Canary Wharf.
Historic photographs and printed material from the Port of London Authority Archive show the vast scale of the docks at the turn of the twentieth century and workshop reconstructions illustrate the many traditional port trades, now mostly lost.
Booked for 40-minute slots at a fee of £3, the recently revamped Mudlarks Gallery for accompanied under-8s features an impressive themed soft play area.
To discover the rich history of one of London’s most fascinating districts.
Keep an eye out for Metropolitan Fire Brigade footage and captured Nazi footage which documents the impact of the Blitz on the area and oral testimonies that explore the port’s role in secret wartime projects.
Daily 10am-5pm. Peak times at weekends and over school holidays.
Free entry. Some exhibitions may be ticketed.
My favourite trips to the Museum of London Docklands have coincided with some of their brilliant guided walks. Led by museum staff, they take in a whole range of themes from the impact of WWII on the area and walks unpacking its queer history to tours unearthing the real world of ‘Call the Midwife’. You can find a programme of the upcoming walks on their website.
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Fancy a taste of Santa’s grottos of the past? Head to the London Museum Docklands where you and the kids can step into a metaphorical time machine and experience what little ones in the Victorian era would have witnessed when they went to meet Father Christmas. Even the gifts given out will be in keeping with times gone by and will be made from ‘traditional materials with minimal plastic’. Find more Santa’s Grottos in London.
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