London Museum Docklands

London Museum Docklands offers a deep dive into the city’s maritime past, housed in an atmospheric, Grade I listed 19th-century warehouse on the Isle of Dogs. This historic building, originally part of the West India Dock, was used to store valuable goods like sugar and rum, making it an evocative setting for a museum that explores the growth of London as a global trade hub. The museum boasts an impressive collection of maritime tools, ship models, and dockside machinery. Intricately crafted models of historical ships, from tea clippers to large merchant vessels, demonstrate the engineering and scale of vessels that would have once crowded these London docklands. The museum also hosts a collection of Roman artefacts - including coins, ceramics, and remains of early Thames wharf. These offer a fascinating glimpse into London’s early days as ’Londinium’, the port under Roman rule nearly two thousand years ago. The interactive Mudlarks family gallery, is an especially popular soft play area for families, that lets children explore the Thames’ archaeological history. Through its fascinating collections, the museum brings to life London’s rich and diverse docklands heritage. The museum’s London, Sugar & Slavery gallery stands out, presenting a powerful look at the transatlantic slave trade. Through personal accounts, ledgers, and artefacts, it addresses London’s complex role in this period, illustrating the economic gains the city made from Caribbean plantations. This fascinating exhibit also sheds light on the human cost behind the prosperity of the docks, and London’s long standing connections to the Caribbean and West Indian islands. A highlight for visitors is the Sailortown gallery. This is an atmospheric re-creation of a 19th-century dockside neighbourhood, with dark, winding alleys, curious shops, and pubs. Here, visitors can experience the daily life of dockworkers and sailors, as well as see, feel and hear the sounds of London’s maritime past.