Area Guide - Buying Properties in Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, located just east of Bermondsey and close to Canary Wharf’s contemporary landscape, Rotherhithe is famous for its evolving former docks. It boasts of a rich maritime past, once housed colossal docks that handled timber and goods from Canada, Scandinavia, and the Baltic until the shipping industry adopted the container system for cargo transportation, and in the 1970s the docks could not accommodate the size of the vessels that were required.

Since then, the landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation. In the 1980s, the London Docklands Development Corporation initiated the redevelopment, giving rise to a thriving residential area. Today, this district boasts modern high-rise apartments, 1980s houses, and older blocks of flats.

The largest development site in London is the £2 billion project in Canada Water. Encompassing the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, Surrey Quays Leisure Park, and SE16 Printworks, this venture aims to deliver over 3,500 homes, offices, shops, restaurants, a three-acre park, a leisure centre, and a new Kings College London campus. Plans also include London’s pedestrian and cycle bridge connecting Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf.

Rotherhithe's history dates back to 1105, marked by centuries of docks and shipyards. The Pilgrim Fathers’ Mayflower ship left Rotherhithe for America in 1620.

The Thames Tunnel, constructed by Brunel in 1843, remains in use, with its engine house now serving as a museum.

TDuring the Blitz in September 1940, Surrey Docks suffered significant damage from the Luftwaffe bombing. The Scandinavian influence is evident through Norwegian and Finnish churches, and during the Second World War, Rotherhithe housed the Norwegian Government in exile.