The Docklands Renaissance

The Docklands Renaissance

But for the river, Roman Londinium, with its sea link to the rest of the world, would not have grown into a world power. Life was played out by the riverside, and palaces redolent of Venice -- such as Lambeth, Greenwich, Somerset House, Westminster, and Whitehall -- were built. Dock warehouses sprang up during the 18th century from the trade with the Indies for tea and coffee, spices, and silks (some now converted into museums and malls, such as Hay's and Butler's wharves).

Trade took a gradual downturn after World War II, leading to the docks' degeneration when larger vessels pushed trade farther downriver to Tilbury. It took a driverless railway and Britain's tallest building to start a renaissance. Now, what was once a desolate and dirty quarter is known as the Docklands, a peninsula of waterways with cutting-edge architecture, offices, water-based leisure and cultural activities, restaurants, and bars.

The best way to explore is on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), whose elevated track appears to skim over the water past the swanky glass buildings where the railway is reflected in the windows. On foot, however, the Thames Path has helpful plaques along the way, with nuggets of historical information.

The Museum in Docklands, on a quaint cobbled quayside, beside the tower of Canary Wharf, is worth a visit for its warehouse building alone. With uneven wood floors, beams, and pillars, the museum used to be a storehouse for coffee, tea, sugar, or rum from the West Indies -- hence the name West India Quay. The fascinating story of the old port and the river is told using films, together with interactive displays and reconstructions. Roaming visitor assistants are also on hand to help with further explanation and interesting anecdotes. No. 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere Rd., East End, E14. 0870/444-3857. www.molg.org.uk. £5; tickets valid for 1 yr. Daily 10-6; last admission 5:30. Tube: Canary Wharf; DLR: West India Quay.

In its time, the Ragged School Museum was the largest school in London and a place where impoverished children could escape their deprived homes to get free education and a good meal. The museum re-creates the children's experiences with a time-capsule classroom, dating from the 1880s. It's an eye-opener for adults, and a fun experience for kids who get the chance to work just like Victorian children did more than 100 years ago in one of the many organized workshops. 46-50 Copperfield Rd., East End, EC3. 020/8980-6405. www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk. Free. Wed. and Thurs. 10-5, 1st Sun. of month 2-5. Tube: Mile End; DLR: Limehouse.

If you have time to travel farther downstream to the old Royal Dockyard at Woolwich, you'll find, adjacent to it, a brilliant exhibition of the Royal Artillery, Firepower! (020/8855-7755 www.firepower.org.uk Woolwich Arsenal station). Complete with smoke and sound effects, it explores the role of the gunner in film, from the discovery of gunpowder to the Gulf War. Also on show are tanks and guns -- some complete with battle scars, and most with individual investigative touch-screen storyboards. Housed in the old regal buildings of the Royal Arsenal leading down to the river shore, there's a powerful sense of the Thames and its lingering effect on the capital's history.