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.

St Anne's LimehouseSt Anne's Limehouse
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Anne_Limehouse.jpg
Author: Steve Cadman
photo licensing

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 LimehouseThe 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
photo licensing

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

Places of Interest in Limehouse


  1. Limehouse Basin
    Basin in the north of Mile End, providing navigable link between Regent's Canal and the River Thames.

  2. Regent's Canal
    Canal connecting the Limehouse Basin with the River Thames.

  3. St Anne's Limehouse
    A Hawksmoor Anglican Church consecrated in 1730.

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.

List of Places in London

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

Songs about Penang

About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.
Copyright © 2003-2024 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.