Looking for a new part of London to move to, you could do a lot worse than Surrey Quays.
There are newly built homes, wildlife reserves, and pleasant marinas around the Thames. The dockyard was built in 1696. It was the first one to be built in the Rotherhithe peninsula. And one of the only freshwater lakes in Docklands is the Canada Water.
There were warehouses and pubs near the docks. However, the docks were almost destroyed in World War II. The docks were closed in the 1970s.
The redevelopment of the area began in the 1980s. The area now feels modern. In fact, you can enjoy beautiful cycle rides and walks in the area. You can, therefore, ride or walk along the nearby river and the Thames Clipper docking points.
Most of the Canary Wharf workers use boats to commute to this area. If you love kayaking, you can go to the watersports centre. In fact, a lot of people love this location since it is close to the city.
City workers love to go to the Canary Wharf and Bermondsey because of their attractions. In addition, a lot of people love to visit the historic Rotherhithe.
Fact File
The Mayflower, a Pilgrim ship, started its voyage from Rotherhithe to America in 1620. However, the maritime of the area is much older. The origin of the word Rotherhithe is Anglo Saxon. The word means ‘sailor haven’ or ‘landing place for cattle’.
The first under river tunnel is the Thames Tunnel, running from Rotherhithe to Wapping. It is, in fact, the first one in the world. It attracts visitors up to today. Isambard Kingdom Brunel conceived the tunnel. It was opened in 1843. The Overground network now uses it to shuttle commuters to Shoreditch.
This area is the birthplace of Alfred Hitchcock and Michael Caine.
Architecture and Property
Once the docks were damaged during wartime, the redevelopment of this area started in the 1980s. Once the waterways were filled in and warehouses were destroyed, this place became a great location for building modern properties.
Once the land was reclaimed, around 5,500 homes were built on the land. The homes range from smaller terraces with beautiful gardens, some looked like a warehouse, large apartment complexes, to mordent terraced housing.
If you want to own a small part of the heritage of the area, you can look for landmarks, such as St. Mary’s Church and Rotherhithe Village. There is a small number of 19th-century warehouse conversions in this area.
It is a conservation area, so a lot of people are looking for properties in this area. There was further development in this area in the noughties. Additionally, there is room for development in this place as any estate agents in SE16 will tell you.
Out and About
Eating
One of the best places to eat is the Yellow House bar and restaurant, which is near the Surrey Quays station. If you want to take tea or eat cake, however, you can go to the café at the Brunel Museum.
Next to the Tube, is the Canada Water Café. It serves lunch specials, hearty breakfasts, and flat whites during the day. It is open up to 11 pm and it is also a pizzeria.
There are great restaurants and cafes at Bermondsey, where you will find a food market. The food market is open on weekends.
Drinking
There is the Mayflower pub. It is a beautiful 17th century Thames side inn. It has a wooden deck, cosy upstairs restaurants, and a small bar. The wooden deck overlooks the river.
There is a blue plaque mark here. This is where the Pilgrim Fathers began their journey to the Americas.
One of the most popular destinations in this place is The Old Salty Quay.
If you want an uncommon cocktail experience, however, you can visit the Midnight Apothecary on the Brunel Museum’s roof garden. They use the ingredients from the roof garden to make their cocktails.
Shopping
There are several chain stores on the Surreys Quays Shopping Centre. You will get several choices on the markets around Greenwich and the independent shops and boutiques of Bermondsey. If you want to go shopping, you can just take a bus.
Heritage
If you love walking, you will love the Thames Path at Rotherhithe. It is not only beautiful. It also has historical interest. You can visit the Brunel Museum to learn more about the work and life of the architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Thames Tunnel.
Local Amenities
The $14M library and cultural centre is the latest landmark in Canada Water. Piers Gough designed it. The building looks like an inverted pyramid. The purpose of this design is for people to ascend from the ground floor cafe, which is busy, to the library above. The library is quiet.
The Surrey Quays Shopping Centre has a big Tesco Extra.
There is a popular Café and an Odeon cinema at Surrey Quays Leisure Park. And Hollywood Bowl has a ten pin bowling.
You can rent a costume at The Sands Film Studio. If you want to visit a library, you can visit the Rotherhithe Picture Library. The public is free to go to this library.
Both adults and kids can visit Surrey Docks Farm to see and interact with animals.
Green Spaces
Visitors can enjoy Southwark Park and the Thames Path’s beautiful stretches. This park offers several sporting facilities, such as gardens, a boating lake, an art gallery, and a café. Visitors can even enjoy the beautiful, green makeover of the ex-industrial land.
Russia Dock Woodland, which was reclaimed from the docks, flourishes on land. Visitors can enjoy the lovely views of Stave Hill Ecology Park, which is a 5-acre nature reserve.
Surrey Quays on the River
The pub, Mayflower pub, on the River Thames is the oldest pub. The Mayflower pub was opened in the 16th century. The name of this pub is the name of the ship that the Pilgrims chartered. The Pilgrims left for the Americas in 1620.
If you are more active, you can visit Surrey Docks Watersports Centre. It offers windsurfing, powerboating, sailing, kayaking, rowing, and even a gym.
Changing Times
There are changes and new developments in the area, such as Maple Quays. It has 900 flats.
British Land plans to invest £34M in the area. In addition, it plans to purchase the site of the Associated Newspapers printworks. They want to redevelop the site.
Transport
Tube
Visitors can use the tube on the Canada Water to travel to Canary Wharf and Stratford in one direction. Then, they can travel to Westminster and Bond Street in the other direction.
Overground
Canada Water, Rotherhithe, and Surrey Quays stations connect to the Overground network. It takes ten minutes to travel to Whitechapel from Surrey Quays using a train.
Bus
The routes of the local bus include 188 (to Russell Square), 47 (to Shoreditch), C10 (to Victoria), and 1 (to New Oxford Street).
Boat
The two Thames Clipper river taxi services leave from Hilton Docklands and Greenland Dock.
Cycling
There is a cycle route that follows the Jubilee Line to Blackfriars from Canada Water.
Getting Away
It takes 20 minutes to travel to the London City Airports by car. If you travel through the Jubilee Line and DLR, however, it can take just over 30 minutes.
Education
There are several primary schools in the area, including St John’s Roman Catholic Primary, Rotherhithe Primary, Albion Primary, and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary.
There are several secondary schools in the area, including Bacon’s College and Harris Academy, and St Michael’s Catholic College in Bermondsey. These secondary schools have a good reputation in the area.
The Cavendish School provides a balanced education for kids who cannot attend mainstream schools since they have been excluded.
