A place of refuge

St. Katharine Docks got its name from the former hospital of St. Katharine's by the Tower, which was built on the same site in the 12th century. In 1825, an Act of Parliament designated the 23-acre (9.5 hectares) area for redevelopment, and construction began in May 1827. As part of the redevelopment, about 1,250 houses and the medieval hospital of St. Katharine were demolished, displacing around 11,300 inhabitants, mostly port workers living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. This project was led by engineer Thomas Telford and marked his only major project in London. To maximize quayside space, the docks were designed as two linked basins (East and West), both accessible via an entrance lock from the Thames.