Cyprus is an area of

Beckton Beckton is a suburb in east London, England, located east of Charing Cross and part of the London Borough of Newham. Adjacent to the River Thames, the area consisted of unpopulated marshland known as the East Ham Levels in the parishes of Bark ...

in the Docklands area of the

London Borough of Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the s ...

. It is located west of Beckton proper and north of the eastern end of the Royal Albert Dock.

History

It is named after the Cyprus Estate, a

housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States a ...

built for workers at the Royal Albert Dock, which opened in 1881. The estate was named to commemorate the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

's acquisition of the island of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

in 1878. It was built on one of the few pieces of land not owned by the

Port of London Authority The Port of London Authority (PLA) is a self-funding public trust established on 31 March 1909 in accordance with the Port of London Act 1908 to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and its ...

, and hence was open to such development. In 1981 during the redevelopment of the London Docklands, Cyprus was the location of the first new private

housing development A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States ...

in the Docklands for many years, and the first sponsored by the

London Docklands Development Corporation The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was a quango agency set up by the UK Government in 1981 to regenerate the depressed Docklands area of east London. During its seventeen-year existence it was responsible for regenerating an a ...

. It was considered a success in generating a balanced community and prompted further housing developments throughout the docklands.LDDC Completion Booklets: Beckton
/ref>

Area today

The area remains mainly a residential one, with few local commercial services, aside from the presence of the

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

whose Docklands campus was opened in 1999 and is located on the quayside. There is also a

community centre Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...

and the Royal Docks Medical Centre.

Transport

The nearest Docklands Light Railway station is

. The station is directly outside the University campus.

References

Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Newham Beckton {{london-geo-stub

History

Area today

Transport

See also

References