| Established | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Location | West India Docks, London E14, England, United Kingdom |
| Director | Jack Lohman |
| Public transit access | West India Quay Canary Wharf London Bus routes: 135, 277, D3, D7 Canary Wharf Pier |
| Website | http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands |
The Museum of London Docklands (formerly known as Museum in Docklands) is a museum on the Isle of Dogs, east London that tells the history of London's River Thames and Docklands. The museum is part of the Museum of London Group which is jointly funded by the City of London Corporation and the Greater London Authority.
The museum opened in 2003 in a group of grade I listed early 19th century Georgian "low" sugar warehouses built in 1802[1] on the side of West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs, a short walk from the Canary Wharf development.[2]
The nucleus of the collection is the museum and archives of the Port of London Authority. These became part of the port and river collections of the Museum of London in 1976, but largely remained in storage until the new museum was opened.
The museum uses the latest presentational techniques including videos presented by Tony Robinson, known for his involvement with Time Team. There is a large collection of historical artefacts, models, and pictures. It is a substantial museum with 12 galleries and a children's gallery (Mudlarks),[2] arranged over two of its floors. Visitors are directed through the displays in chronological order. The periods covered range from the first port of London in Roman times to the closure of the central London docks in the 1970s and the subsequent transformation of the area with new commercial and residential developments.
Museum of London Docklands includes a lecture theatre and meeting rooms and there are often talks and events connected with the docks. Several dock workers who worked on the docks in the sixties take part in these events, including one from the Pentonville Five. There is also a reading room and the Sainsburys Study Centre where the public are welcome to consult the archives; a restaurant and shop.
Entry to the Museum is now free.[3]
Contents |
| Floor 3 | Floor 2 | Floor 1 Access from floor 2 only |
Ground floor | Basement floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilberforce Theatre Quayside Room Function Suite Thames Highway AD 43-1600 Trade Expansion 1600-1800 Legal Quay 1790s London Sugar & Slavery 1600 onwards |
City and River 1800-1840 Sailortown 1840-1850 First Port of Empire 1840-1880 Warehouse of the World 1880-1939 Docklands at War 1938-1945 New Port, New City 1945 onwards |
Thames Gallery 1930-1940 Sainsbury Study Centre |
Entrance Mudlarks For the Under 12s Special Exhibitions 1802 Café 1802 Bar Lounge & Dining |
Schools and Coach Parties Entrance Lee Boo Room Refectory and Weekend Picnic Room Jack Petchey Classroom Lansbury Classroom Pocahontas Classroom |
The museum recommends visitors to start their visit from floor 3
| Service | Station/Stop | Lines/Routes served | Distance from Museum of London Docklands |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Buses | Westferry Station | 135, 277, D3, D7 | |
| London Underground | Canary Wharf | 0.5 mile walk[4] | |
| Docklands Light Railway | West India Quay | 2 minute/400 mteres walk[5] | |
| London River Services | Canary Wharf Pier | Commuter Service Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Service |
0.3 mile walk[6] |
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