Limehouse, London

Limehouse is the name of a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east, on the northern bank of the River Thames across from Rotherhithe.

Limehouse is said to have gotten its name from the lime kilns that were in the area in the 14th century. From the early days of its founding, the Limehouse area has a close association with the River Thames. As England became a major maritime power, Limehouse became a place for shipyards, where ships were build or repaired. It also has a rope making industry that supports the docks.

The role of Limehouse as a dockland went into decline in the 20th century, particularly after the Second World War. Its docks began to close in the late 1960s, and by the 1980s, the area was a derelict.

The Mission, formerly British Sailor's Society, now a luxury apartment block in Limehouse
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Limehouse_mission_1.jpg
Author: Fin Fahey


Redevelopment of the Limehouse area took place in the mid 1980s, spurred in part by the Canary Wharf project.

Places of Interest in Limehouse

How to reach Limehouse

Take the Docklands Light Railway to the Limehouse DLR Station or the Westferry DLR Station. There aren't any tube station of the London Underground in the immediate vicinity.

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