Trade at SKD - A global marketplace
Looking at how the docks were a centre for trade upon its opening, exploring the luxury products that used to arrive at SKD.
Trade 1. - Since its more recent redevelopment, St Katharine Docks has transformed into a hub for a new kind of trade. Once focused on physical commerce, it now emphasises digital growth. The site is home to numerous new and thriving businesses alongside maritime companies that continue to operate today.
Trade 2. - St Katherine's Dock was designed by Thomas Telford in collaboration with architect Philip Hardwick and opened after two and a half years of construction in 1828. The waters comprised a basin of one and a half acres, which led to two docks of four acres each. The surrounding warehouses were built directly on the waterfront to facilitate the storage of goods as soon as they were unloaded. Unfortunately, the dock entrance was narrow, which prevented larger ships from entering; however, the docks remained in use until the 1930s.
Trade 3. - Fine China - St. Katharine’s, with its convenient access to the City, achieved early success. The shop primarily offered Indian tea and wool from Australia, New Zealand, and the Falkland Islands, alongside a vast selection of luxurious and exotic goods sourced globally. These included ivory, china, ostrich feathers, spices, tortoiseshell, mother of pearl, oriental carpets, as well as raw materials for perfume production, carpets, guano (a fertiliser), and tallow (for soap making and cooking).
Trade 4. - World Trade Centre - The 1970s was an exciting time in the development of the docks with the construction of the St Katherine Docks World Trade Centre in 1971. The arrival of brutalism marked a significant shift in London's architectural landscape, followed by the Tower Hotel and a master plan to redevelop the site into an arts and residential space like the Barbican Centre. Fortunately, these plans were rejected to restore the original buildings where possible, leading to the diverse range of architectural styles and periods present at the docks to this day.
Trade 5. - St. Katharine Docks was a prime spot for introducing coffee to the UK, celebrated for its luxury goods. Lloyd’s of London, commonly referred to as Lloyd’s, operates as an insurance and reinsurance market under the governance of the Lloyd’s Act of 1871. Its origins trace back to Lloyd’s Coffee House, owned by Edward Lloyd, which was first mentioned in the London Gazette in 1688. This coffee house quickly gained recognition as the go-to venue for trustworthy shipping news and marine insurance.
Trade 6. - In the 19th century, most wool came from Australia and New Zealand, sourced from Spanish Merino sheep that were best suited to local conditions. It was unloaded at St. Katharine's Docks and then sold on the London market, but it also went elsewhere—mainly to British manufacturers in Yorkshire and Gloucestershire, along with onward exports to the Continent. Imports also arrived from South Africa, South America, the Falkland Islands, China, and the Middle East, including specialist products such as cashmere, camel's hair, goat's hair, mohair, and sheepskins.
Trade 7. - The City’s trade opened with the British East Indian Company, which had a monopoly over the importation of tea from China & India. As a result of the growing tea trade in the City, St Katharine Docks opened on 25th October 1828, with Butler’s Wharf following 65 years later in 1893 on the opposite side of the River Thames. At this time, St Katharine Docks was at the centre of Britain’s roaring commercial trade and, alongside Butler’s Wharf, was recognised as the main tea storage and processing centre in London.
Trade 8. - The docks represented a complex mix of local and global elements. Before enjoying a drink at the Bull's Head, labourers could spend their days unloading cargo from distant lands. St Katharine's was known for its 'luxury' items, primarily sourced from animals. Among ostrich feathers and tortoiseshells, ivory emerged as a highly sought-after product during the late nineteenth century.
There’s more to discover across the docks at the locations marked.
Proudly Supporting the foundation of St. Katharines
St Katharine Docks is a proud sponsor of the Royal Foundation of St Katharine’s which supports the local community. If you can, please consider donating via the link below.
St Katharine Docks is proud to sponsor the Royal Foundation of St Katharine, which was based on this site for over 600 years and now is a community charity, retreat house and meeting and event space five minutes away in Limehouse. It hosts over 1500 meetings a year, mainly for charities and not-for-profits. The Foundation supports local communities through initiatives like food banks, lunch clubs, gardening projects, and arts groups, promoting well-being and mental health.