St Katharine Docks

★ 4.7 (7,119)Free

St Katharine Docks opened in 1828 on the site of a medieval hospital and became one of the busiest docks of Victorian London before falling out of use and being redeveloped as a yacht marina in the 1970s. Today its cobbled quaysides are lined with restored warehouses turned into restaurants and pubs, with expensive yachts and houseboats moored where cargo ships once unloaded. It sits just a few minutes' walk from Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, making it an easy, quieter add-on to that stretch of the river. The Dickens Inn, a converted warehouse pub, is one of its more recognisable buildings.

✨ Reasons to go

1The docks were built in 1828 on the site of the medieval St Katharine's Hospital, founded in 1148
2It was among the busiest cargo docks of Victorian London before closing and being redeveloped as a yacht marina in the 1970s
3The Dickens Inn is a converted 18th-century warehouse repurposed as a pub

💡 Good to know

1Combine with a visit to the Tower of London or Tower Bridge nearby
2walk the quaysides in the late afternoon light
3have a drink at the Dickens Inn or one of the waterside pubs.

⏱️ Typical visit

45 min

🕰️ Best time

morning, lunchtime or afternoon

🚶 Walking intensity

Moderate walking

📍

Address

50 St Katharine's Way, London E1W 1LA, UKGoogle Apple

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Booking

Walk-in

What people say

"A place of history St. Katharine Docks in London being named after the medieval hospital of St. Katharine’s by the Tower, which had stood on the site since 1148... From hospital to docks and now a well known marina... Food, architecture, historic vessels & luxury yachts... And The Gloriana, queen Elizabeth the second luxury barge is a moored here... Mexican, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Cantonese cuisine to be found here... A British burger restaurant, a french brasserie and the Dickens Inn with a superb garden... 5 minutes walk from Tower bridge and Tower of London. It's a must see place"

— George Luputiu

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