Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ha ...
, in east
London, England, in the
London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lon ...
and
Limehouse
Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through ...
, north of
Greenwich and
Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford D ...
, east of
Rotherhithe, west of
Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town is a district on the eastern side of the Isle of Dogs in London, England. This part of the former Metropolitan Borough of Poplar was redeveloped as part of the Port of London in the 1840s and 1850s by William Cubitt, Lord Mayor of L ...
, and has a long shoreline along London's
Tideway
The Tideway is a part of the River Thames in England which is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock. The Tideway comprises the upper Thames Estuary including the Pool of London.
Tidal activity
Depending on ...
, part of the
River Thames. It was part of the
County of Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbouri ...
and from 1889 the
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government ...
following the passing of the
Local Government Act 1888
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administra ...
, it later became part of
Greater London in 1965.
Millwall had a population of 23,084 in 2011 and includes
Island Gardens
Island Gardens is a public park located at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on the north bank of the River Thames. The park was formally opened on 3 August 1895 by local politician Will Crooks.
Th ...
,
The Quarterdeck and
The Space.
History
Millwall is a smaller area of land than an average
parish, as it was part of
Poplar until the 19th century when it became heavily industrialised, containing the workplaces and homes of a few thousand dockside and shipbuilding workers. Among its factories were the shipbuilding ironworks of
William Fairbairn
Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet of Ardwick (19 February 1789 – 18 August 1874) was a Scottish civil engineer, structural engineer and shipbuilder. In 1854 he succeeded George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson to become the third preside ...
, much of which survives as today's
Burrells Wharf
Burrells Wharf is a riverside residential estate, owned by its leaseholders, in London, England. It is situated in Docklands on the Isle of Dogs and the North bank of the River Thames (facing Deptford). The residential estate is one of 18 buildi ...
. It was in this era also that
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club () is a professional football club in Bermondsey, South East London, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name d ...
was founded, in 1885, as Millwall Rovers.
First nicknamed 'the
Dockers' before becoming 'the Lions', the team moved south of the river to
New Cross in 1910, however a set of amateur football pitches remain, adjoining
Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town is a district on the eastern side of the Isle of Dogs in London, England. This part of the former Metropolitan Borough of Poplar was redeveloped as part of the Port of London in the 1840s and 1850s by William Cubitt, Lord Mayor of L ...
alongside the City Farm that was added in the 20th century.
Originally known as ''Marshwall'', the area acquired its new name with its breakaway from its former
parish of Poplar. The replacement was due to the large number of
windmill
A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some p ...
s built on the river wall in the 19th century. Improvements led by the Lord Mayor
William Cubitt
Sir William Cubitt FRS (bapt. 9 October 1785 – 13 October 1861) was an eminent English civil engineer and millwright. Born in Norfolk, England, he was employed in many of the great engineering undertakings of his time. He invented a type o ...
in reinforcing the land solved the periodic flooding caused by major snow melt and
spring tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables can ...
s. Corn and wheat were brought along the
River Thames to be ground into flour there.
On 31 January 1858, the largest ship of that time, the
SS ''Great Eastern'', designed by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "one ...
, was launched from
Napier Yard, the
shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
leased by
Messrs J Scott Russell & Co. The 211 metre (692 ft) length was too wide for the river, and the ship had to be launched sideways. A section of the concrete and timber substructure from the launch site is now preserved on-site for public display at the modern Napier Avenue. Due to the technical difficulties of the launch, this was the last ship of such a size to be built on the island, though other builders such as
Yarrows and
Samuda Brothers
Samuda Brothers was an engineering and ship building firm at Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in London, founded by Jacob and Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda. The site is now occupied by Samuda Estate.
Samuda Brothers initially leased a premises o ...
continued building warships on the island for another 50 years.
In the 1860s the large
Millwall Dock
Millwall Dock is a dock at Millwall, London, England, located south of Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs.
History
The scheme was developed speculatively by a partnership of John Kelk and John Aird & Co.'The Millwall Docks: The docks', in ...
was built, extending from the Thames at Millwall into the centre of the Isle of Dogs. The spoil from the dock was left as the
Mudchute
Mudchute Park and Farm is a large urban park and farm in Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, just south of Canary Wharf. It is a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conse ...
.
During the 19th century, the area now called ''
Island Gardens
Island Gardens is a public park located at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on the north bank of the River Thames. The park was formally opened on 3 August 1895 by local politician Will Crooks.
Th ...
'' was referred to as ''
North Greenwich'', for the
North Greenwich railway station that was opened in 1872 to connect with the ferry that was the forerunner of the
Greenwich foot tunnel
The Greenwich Foot Tunnel crosses beneath the River Thames in East London, linking Greenwich (Royal Borough of Greenwich) on the south bank with Millwall (London Borough of Tower Hamlets) on the north. Approximately 4,000 people use the tunnel ...
. The
Greenwich peninsula, previously East Greenwich, is now also known by this epithet for the
North Greenwich tube station
North Greenwich is a London Underground station served by the Jubilee line. Despite its name, it is not in the local area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the River Thames; a completely different North Gree ...
.
Like other parts of the
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ha ...
, substantial redevelopment has been more or less ongoing since the 1980s, resulting in modern industrial and commercial buildings and hastily constructed contemporary housing beginning to predominate over the remaining early 20th century "two up, two down" semi-detached and terraced homes that housed the dock workers, often overcrowded with occupants. The loss of the docks, the
German campaign of bombings in the area, and the gradual disappearance of the manufacturing and distribution industries lead to a fall in population during the mid-20th century and ongoing problems for local workers who relied on shipping and manufacturing for employment.
The post-World War II period saw the area become a focus of regeneration programmes on the former industrial land in Millwall. Initially lead by
Poplar Borough Council
Poplar was a local government district in the metropolitan area of London, England. It was formed as a District (Metropolis), district of the Metropolis in 1855 and became a Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London, metropolitan borough in ...
(eventually absorbed into
Tower Hamlets) and
London County Council, regeneration efforts focused on council house building until the 1980s when 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 ...
was created and development shifted to private, even luxury, office and residential buildings. During this period the area's population increased significantly following the above-mentioned mid-century drop.
The area is home to a number of
council estates
Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...
including West Ferry Estate, Millwall Estate, Masthouse Terrace, Herperus Crescent Estate and Chapel House Street Estate. The
Barkantine Estate, commissioned by the
London County Council with the first section opened in 1968, dominates a swathe of the northern section of Millwall.
The name "Millwall" retains a negative image owing to associations with
football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, also known as soccer hooliganism, football rioting or soccer rioting, constitutes violence and other destructive behaviours perpetrated by spectators at association football events. Football hooliganism normally involves ...
, so many residents now refer to the area as simply "the Isle of Dogs" or "Docklands".
Sport
Millwall is most famous for its football club,
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club () is a professional football club in Bermondsey, South East London, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name d ...
, founded in 1885 as Millwall Rovers.
Nicknamed
The Dockers (now known as The Lions), the team moved south of the river to
New Cross in 1910.
Occupying four separate grounds on the
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ha ...
in the 25 years since its formation as a football club, they now play in
Bermondsey
Bermondsey () is a district in southeast London, part of the London Borough of Southwark, England, southeast of Charing Cross. To the west of Bermondsey lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe and Deptford, to the south Walworth and Peckham, ...
and retain the name Millwall despite not having played in the Millwall area for more than 100 years.
Millwall Rugby Club was formed in 1995. The first team plays in the
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Gr ...
Division 1 league and the seconds are in the Essex Merit Table (Division 2), while the thirds are playing in the Merit Table (Division 5), having won Division 6 last season. They now also have women's rugby - the Millwall Venus girls - and a youth section for boys and girls from eight years old.
The Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre is located at the far west end of the dock where the dock previously connected to the
River Thames. It was set up in 1989 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 ...
and the Sports Council at a cost of £1.2 million.
Politics
Millwall gained some notoriety when, in a
council by-election in 1993,
Derek Beackon
Derek William Beackon is a British far-right politician. He is currently a member of the British Democratic Party (BDP), and a former member of the British National Party (BNP) and National Front. In 1993, he became the BNP's first elected coun ...
won the
British National Party
The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK gover ...
's first council seat there. After a major anti-fascist campaign, the BNP lost the seat at the following full council election.
In September 2004, Tower Hamlets'
Respect
Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...
party fought its second council election in the borough, standing local activist Paul McGarr. In this previously 'solid'
Labour seat, Labour were pushed into third place, and the local
Conservative party took its first ever seat on Tower Hamlets council. In the
2006 local elections, the Conservatives took all three seats, defeating former MP
Alan Amos
Alan Thomas Amos (born 10 November 1952) is a British politician who sat as Conservative Member of Parliament for Hexham from 1987 to 1992. After a spell in the Labour Party, he currently sits as a Conservative member of Worcester City Council. ...
.
The Millwall ward was subsequently abolished in 2014, largely replaced by the new wards of Canary Wharf and Island Gardens. These retained the Conservative leanings of the old Millwall ward, and as of 2018 they each have one Conservative and one Labour councillor. These are the only two Conservative councillors on Tower Hamlets council.
Demographics
White British people comprise 31% of the population of the Millwall ward of the
London Borough of Tower Hamlets. This is followed by
Other White people (19.9%) and
Bangladeshis
Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when th ...
(14.6%).
45.1% of people living in Millwall were born in England, with a number of other countries represented including
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
(6.8%),
India (4.7%), and
China (4.3%).
The religious make up of Millwall is 32.1%
Christian, 22.0% No religion, 18.0%
Muslim, 4.9%
Hindu, 1.9%
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, 0.4%
Sikh, and 0.4%
Jewish.
The gender balance in Millwall is 53% male and 47% female.
Amenities
The historical
Island Gardens
Island Gardens is a public park located at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on the north bank of the River Thames. The park was formally opened on 3 August 1895 by local politician Will Crooks.
Th ...
, opened on 3 August 1895 by local politician
Will Crooks
William Crooks (6 April 1852 – 5 June 1921) was a noted trade unionist and politician from Poplar, London, and a member of the Fabian Society. He is particularly remembered for his campaigning work against poverty and inequality.
Early life
...
, is located almost in front of the former
Greenwich Hospital, the
Cutty Sark
''Cutty Sark'' is a British clipper ship. Built on the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven, Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, she was one of the last Clipper, tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest, c ...
,
National Maritime Museum and
Greenwich Park.
Landmarks
The Ferry House is a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...
on Ferry Street has existed since the
Tudor period (1485-1603). The present building dates from 1822, and was used as a
drinking establishment
A drinking establishment is a business whose primary function is the serving of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. Some establishments may also serve food, or have entertainment, but their main purpose is to serve alcoholic bev ...
by ferry passengers to and from Greenwich until the opening of the
Greenwich foot tunnel
The Greenwich Foot Tunnel crosses beneath the River Thames in East London, linking Greenwich (Royal Borough of Greenwich) on the south bank with Millwall (London Borough of Tower Hamlets) on the north. Approximately 4,000 people use the tunnel ...
in 1902.
The Ship Inn pub was built in 1835, it is thought by two houses merge into a public house, it has been a pub all its history and is next to
Burrells Wharf
Burrells Wharf is a riverside residential estate, owned by its leaseholders, in London, England. It is situated in Docklands on the Isle of Dogs and the North bank of the River Thames (facing Deptford). The residential estate is one of 18 buildi ...
, where during his time there
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "one ...
may have frequented The Ship. Today it is run by a local, independently run business.
The decision to proceed with the large
Barkantine Estate housing estate development was made in March 1965, with first block being opened in 1968,
and originally consisted of 634 dwellings.
It included a pedestrianized shopping
promenade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
called The Quarterdeck, and a pub called the Tooke Arms, relocated and rebuilt at the same time.
The Space is located inside a former Presbyterian church that was built in 1859 for the Scottish Presbyterian congregation who had migrated to the Isle of Dogs to work in the shipyards, which was designed by
Thomas Knightley.
Industry
A large site on the north side of
Millwall Dock
Millwall Dock is a dock at Millwall, London, England, located south of Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs.
History
The scheme was developed speculatively by a partnership of John Kelk and John Aird & Co.'The Millwall Docks: The docks', in ...
Outer Dock was occupied by the West Ferry Printing Works, the largest newspaper print works in Western Europe.
''Times Online''
15 February 2004, ''Desmond's double whammy'', says "Westferry is the biggest printing works in western Europe."
Education
Transport
South Quay, Crossharbour. Mudchute
Mudchute Park and Farm is a large urban park and farm in Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, just south of Canary Wharf. It is a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conse ...
and Island Gardens
Island Gardens is a public park located at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on the north bank of the River Thames. The park was formally opened on 3 August 1895 by local politician Will Crooks.
Th ...
on the Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated light metro system serving the redeveloped Docklands area of London, England and provides a direct connection between London's two major financial districts, Canary Wharf and the City of Londo ...
, and Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lon ...
on the London Underground with the Jubilee line
The Jubilee line is a London Underground line that runs between in east London and in the suburban north-west, via the Docklands, South Bank and West End. Opened in 1979, it is the newest line on the Underground network, although some secti ...
serving the nearby Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lon ...
estate.
Routes 135, 277
__NOTOC__
Year 277 ( CCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Paulinus (or, less frequently, year 1030 ''A ...
, D7, D8, N550 all operate within the area.
The nearest pier is Masthouse Terrace Pier
Masthouse Terrace Pier is a pier on the River Thames on the Isle of Dogs in London, England. It is located at the end of Napier Avenue, off Westferry Road, at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs, and provides river bus services managed by Lond ...
for London River Services
London River Services Limited is a division of Transport for London (TfL), which manages passenger transport—leisure-oriented tourist services and commuter services—on the River Thames in London. It does not own or operate any boats itself ...
.
Millwall is connected to the National Road Network by the north-south Westferry Road A1206.
On the north bank of the River Thames is the National Trail
National Trails are long distance footpaths and bridleways in England and Wales. They are administered by Natural England, a statutory agency of the UK government, and Natural Resources Wales (successor body to the Countryside Council for W ...
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996.
Th ...
for both cyclists and walkers, and the National Cycle Route 1
The cycle-path is located in the United Kingdom.
Route
Dover to Canterbury
Dover , Deal , Sandwich , Canterbury
Links with National Cycle Route 2, Regional route 16, and Regional route 17 in Dover. Leaves Dover passing Dover Castle. ...
on the National Cycle Network, running from Dover to Shetland.
See also
Millwall Rugby Football Club
*Millwall brick
A "Millwall brick" is an improvised weapon made of a manipulated newspaper, used as a small club. It was named after supporters of Millwall F.C., who have a reputation for football hooliganism. The Millwall brick was allegedly used as a stealth w ...
*1996 Docklands bombing
The London Docklands bombing (also known as the South Quay bombing or erroneously referred to as the Canary Wharf bombing) occurred on 9 February 1996, when the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated a powerful truck bomb in South Q ...
References
{{LB Tower Hamlets
Areas of London
Port of London
Districts of London on the River Thames
Places formerly in Middlesex