Shared description
Royal Victoria Dock
The Royal Victoria Dock opened in 1855 it was the first of the Royal Docks and the first London dock to be designed specifically to accommodate large steam ships. It was also the first to use hydraulic power to operate its machinery and the first to be connected to the national railway network.
The Royal Victoria Dock consisted of a main dock and a basin to the west, providing an entrance to the Thames on the western side of the complex.
The dock was an immediate commercial success, as it could easily accommodate all but the very largest steamships. It was badly damaged by German bombing in World War II but experienced a resurgence in trade following the war. However, from the 1960s onwards, the Royal Victoria experienced a steady decline as the shipping industry adopted containerization, which effectively moved traffic downstream to Tilbury. It finally closed to commercial traffic along with the other Royal Docks in 1980.
Since the 1980s the area around the dock has been redeveloped, including the ExCel Centre.
The Royal Victoria Dock consisted of a main dock and a basin to the west, providing an entrance to the Thames on the western side of the complex.
The dock was an immediate commercial success, as it could easily accommodate all but the very largest steamships. It was badly damaged by German bombing in World War II but experienced a resurgence in trade following the war. However, from the 1960s onwards, the Royal Victoria experienced a steady decline as the shipping industry adopted containerization, which effectively moved traffic downstream to Tilbury. It finally closed to commercial traffic along with the other Royal Docks in 1980.
Since the 1980s the area around the dock has been redeveloped, including the ExCel Centre.
by N Chadwick
Created: Sun, 24 Jul 2011, Updated: Tue, 26 Jan 2016
448 images use this description. Preview sample shown below:
2025
2021
2020
2020
2020
2020
2018
2017
2017
2017
2016
2016
2016
2016
2015
2015
2015
2014
2014
2014
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
... and 423 more images.
Shared descriptions
This shared description
The 'Shared Description' text on this page is © copyright 2011 N Chadwick.
Shared descriptions are specifically licensed so that contributors can reuse them on their own images, without restriction.
About shared descriptions
These Shared Descriptions are common to multiple images.
For example, you can create a generic description for an object shown in a photo, and reuse the description on all photos of the object. All descriptions are public and shared between contributors, i.e. you can reuse a description created by others, just as they can use yours.
Explore images
Log in to view extended navigation and 'Explore' links.Other shared descriptions
Descriptions nearby
- Prince Regent DLR Station
- Pontoon Dock DLR Station
- Royal Albert DLR Station
- Elvis Evolution at the ExCel London
- Millennium Mills
- ExCeL London
- Custom House for ExCeL Station
- Sunborn Yacht Hotel
- West Silvertown DLR Station
- Thames Cable Car (Emirates)
- Royal Victoria DLR Station
- City Hall (formerly The Crystal)
- Royal Docks
- London City Airport
- University of East London (UEL), Docklands Campus
- Thames Barrier
- Keir Hardie Recreation Ground
- Beckton District Park
- Angerstein Wharf
- Church of St Luke (former), Canning Town
- Woolwich Foot Tunnel
- Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park
- The Royal Dockyards, Woolwich
- Greenwich Millennium Village
Related descriptions
- Royal Victoria DLR Station
By N Chadwick. Used on 22 images
- Thames Cable Car (Emirates)
By Rob Farrow. Used on 13 images
- ExCeL London
By Oast House Archive. Used on 97 images
- Royal Docks
By Oast House Archive. Used on 134 images
- Sunborn Yacht Hotel
By N Chadwick. Used on 53 images
- City Hall (formerly The Crystal)
By N Chadwick. Used on 42 images
- Royal Albert DLR Station
By N Chadwick. Used on 8 images
The above selections are automatic and approximate, it might not always select closely matching descriptions
