Dock Life Renewed

Forty years ago, London’s Docklands had become 6,000 acres of forgotten wasteland after over a century as the busiest port in the world. Now these once-derelict docks are again filled with ships and boats, forming homes and businesses for an extraordinary range of people. Whether millionaires visiting on their superyachts, country house executives needing a London base, young tech workers wanting a cheaper place to live, jobbing craftsmen keeping ancient marine trades alive or homeless people finding refuge, these are varied and dynamic communities. Highly acclaimed London photographer Niki Gorick focuses on St Katharine Docks, the Surrey Docks and the Isle of Dogs to illustrate the rich mix of personalities and activities in these converted commercial docks. They enjoy central London locations but as floating communities with their own nautical customs and rules, they are a world apart from their land-based neighbours. These images reveal the amazingly diverse modern-day life within these urban marinas.