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Satellite view of Rotherhithe

Start

The walk begins close to Surrey Quays shopping centre under Redriff Road Bridge. This large red lifting bridge was built in 1949 as a temporary measure to span nearby Deptford Creek. It was moved here 10 years later to replace the much older swing bridge.

Greenland Dock

It was later renamed Greenland Dock in recognition of the whaling trade during the 18th Century. Many ships sailed from London to Greenland hunting whales for blubber and whalebone. The blubber was rendered down to produce oil for lamps, to lubricate machinery and even for use in soap. The bones were used in umbrellas and corsets. Boilers, tanks and whaling fleets would have been the busy scene along the dock where you stand today. You will notice on the left side of the dock a pub named the Moby Dick, for obvious reasons. The whaling trade declined in the 19th century and gave way to timber and grain imports.

Deal Porters in Rotherhithe, 1930's

In 1806 the dock was sold to William Richie, a Greenwich timber merchant and founder of the Surrey Commercial Dock Company. Timber, or deal, dominated Greenland Dock for over 100 years with huge warehouses and timber ponds. The timber was imported from Scandinavian and Baltic countries and was unloaded by London's famous Deal Porters - athletic men who unloaded, carried and stacked the timber.