The Grand Surrey Canal

The old route from the Thames to Plough Way was taken over by the large Surrey Docks complex. The docks themselves have been redundant since the 1970's and are mostly filled in

The former canal route through the Surrey Docks (1)

The original route of the Grand Surrey from the Thames to the Greenland Dock was obliterated as the expansion of the Surrey Commercial Docks progressed. However, it roughly went via what were known as the Stave Dock and Russia Dock. Today only part of the Russia Dock remains. The original canal lock was situated part way down the site of the Russia Dock, and when Greenland Dock was built, the lock was moved to the south of this. Boats entering the Grand Surrey could take the Stave and Russia Dock route from the Thames, although alternatively a route via the Albion and Canada Docks could be taken. Then again boats might enter via a number of other docks, or even by the shortest route which was directly into Greenland Dock and thence the canal. However, much of the canal trade was transferred from ships in the various docks into lighters for the journey down the canal to one of its many wharves. Rarely did the canal lighters make a direct run from the Thames into the Grand Surrey itself. Here we look at the newer alignment via the Albion dock


The second entrance built at Rotherhithe into the Surrey Commercial Docks system. This led into a basin that in turn split into the Island and Albion dock branches. The original lock, now disappeared, led straight into Stave dock. Island dock provided a secondary route into Stave dock


The lock and bascule bridge (now fixed)


From the lock one could enter the former Island dock (its entrance can be seen straight ahead)


Straight out of the lock led to the Albion dock, whose entrance can be seen here


Whilst the Albion dock has largely disappeared, in its place is this delightful canal. It looks temptingly navigable but its quite shallow. Its known as the Albion Channel

The following images are a sequence going from north to south, the lifting bridge being at the entrance to Canada Dock. Canada dock led straight into Greenland dock

For a representation of what the original GS route looked like, click to see two images from a low relief model at the site of Stave Dock. These show the route when Russia Dock was smaller and Greenland Dock had not yet been built. There is also a map. The images are very large files

THE ROUTE:
Buildings / Surrey Docks 1 / Surrey Docks 2 / Surrey Docks 3 / To Old Kent Road / Canal Junctions / Canal Names / Bridges / Wharves / Peckham / Camberwell

Around Little Venice & Paddington: History and transport systems / Canute's 'Canal': The mythological waterway that wasnt / Croydon Canal: London's shortest-lived waterway, closing completely by 1837 / Cumberland Arm: A branch off the Regents Canal from Camden to Euston / Grand Surrey: The canal with an ambition to reach Portsmouth! / Grosvenor Canal: The Grosvenor linked Victoria to the Thames / Kensington Canal: The canal that became a railway and an underground route / London's Canal Tunnels: There are three canal tunnels in London / Paddington Arm: The Grand Junction/Grand Union from Bulls Bridge to London / Pudding Mill River: Requiem for London's lost waterway / Regents Canal: This runs between Little Venice, Camden Town & Limehouse / Romford Canal: The penultimate, yet unfinished, canal to be built in London / Ruislip Feeder: The former waterway that fed the canal / Westbourne River: The old waterway from Kilburn to the Thames / Woolwich's secret waterway: The Royal Arsenal Canal

Attractions near the London canals: Abbey Road / Bayswater / Crockers Folly / Derry and Toms / Edgware Road / Marylebone Goods / Nash Villas / Spitfire Works / St Pancras

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