Guide to living in the Royal Docks

The Royal Docks sit at the very eastern fringes of London, comprising the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock.

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About the Royal Docks

The Royal Docks sit at the very eastern fringes of London, comprising the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock. This area is a unique blend of the old and new. What was once a derelict part of the city has been revitalised, and is at the centre of the solution for the housing of London’s future generations, with vast numbers of residential schemes planned and underway.

The Royal Docks is served by 12 stops on the DLR, in addition to the Emirates Air Line, a cable car service across the Thames to North Greenwich. The Royal Docks is also home to London City Airport. Although the airport is considerably quieter than London Heathrow or Gatwick, it offers dozens of daily flight connections to locations across Europe via many major carriers, including British Airways, Swiss, Air France, Flybe, Alitalia and Lufthansa, The airport is constantly growing its international network and New York’s JFK is amongst latest global destinations served.

Wapping & Limehouse

3 Wapping High Street, London, E1W 1LS

020 3504 7304

Properties in the Royal Docks

There are a limited number of period and standalone houses in and around the Royal Docks area. Instead, the area is home to numerous modern developments. Once the area was opened up for redevelopment opportunities in the early to mid-1990’s, developers began creating modern, twtwenty-first century housing, composed of blocks of flats, largely in the 8-10 storey range.

Given the area’s distance from Central London, rents and values here have historically been lower than the rest of East London. However, the rate of increase in values and rents are amongst the highest in London, as the area’s popularity continues to rise. The rise in the popularity of the Royal Docks in part stems from the rippling outward effect of rampant house price growth in Central London, but also the ongoing improvements to infrastructure, in addition to ever larger schemes, means the area is growing in popularity both amongst young professionals and sharers, but also amongst families.

Living in the Royal Docks

The presence of London’s ExCeL means that the area is a draw for visitors all year long due to the high number of trade shows and fairs that are organised here each year. These include the London Boat Show and the London Classic Car Show.

The area is home to a number of restaurants and cafes, although there are no traditional high streets. This is set to change with the development of London’s Floating Village, which will include a large number of floating restaurants and cafes beneath the Emirates Air Line. A floating ice rink has also been proposed.

At Royal Albert Dock, across the water from London City Airport, London’s new centre for Asian business is set to emerge. The £6 billion project will include 15,000 new homes and 8 million square feet of commercial space. The scheme is expected to generate 60,000 jobs when complete.