Description
Russia Dock was once was part of the Surrey Commercial Docks created in 1864 when the various companies owning Rotherhithe's C19th commercial docks amalgamated. Surrey Docks came to cover over 185 hectares, and was particularly important for imported timber. The Docks were finally closed in 1969; the linear wooded park was created by LB Southwark in 1980 from the former Russia Dock basin and part of the old canal wall and boat moorings are still visible. It contains a water feature that connects streams, a canal and lagoon, and two ponds. Numerous species of trees and shrubs were planted.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Surrey Commercial Docks |
|---|---|
| Site location | off Redriff Road |
| Postcode | SE16 |
| What3Words | ///amber.natively.risks |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Canada Water (Jubilee). London Overground: Surrey Quays, Rotherhithe then bus. Bus: 381, C10 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Following a gradual deterioration of the park, funding was awarded for improvements by LB Southwark in 2001 and a steering group of local residents and Council officers was set up to address the overgrown state of the park, and repair need for the bridges, security, lighting, water features and signage. Friends of Russia Dock Woodland was set up in 2003 and in 2009 the park was awarded the London Tree and Woodland Award.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ361796 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 9.762 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks; Russia Dock Woodland Steering Group. Friends of Russia Dock Woodland |
| Dates | 1980 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance I |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Ecology Site, Tier Two. Regeneration Area. Green Chain Walk |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Stave Hill is on a site which once was part of the Surrey Commercial Docks, which were created on former pasture and marshland in 1864 when Rotherhithe's C19th commercial docks were amalgamated and came to cover over 185 hectares. The Docks were closed in 1969, and Stave Hill is an artificial hill created from spoil when the docks were infilled in 1985/9. From the hill are fine views and at the summit is a bronze map by Michael Rizzello, 1986, commissioned by the London Docklands Development Corporation. The hill overlooks a nature reserve created by the Trust for Urban Ecology, which was planted with saplings in 1987. Trees include field maple, alder, ash, birch, aspen, cherry, rowan and oak and numerous shrubs plus a number of ponds.
Holy Trinity Church Rotherhithe was built between 1837-39 on land provided by the Surrey Commercial Dock Company, at that time quite isolated. It was designed by Sampson Kempthorne, but was destroyed in WWII when the docks were bombed on 7 September 1940, the first church to be destroyed in WWII. A new church was erected in 1957 designed by Thomas Ford, the foundation stone laid by the Bishop of Kingston upon Thames. The churchyard had opened in 1839 and was in use until 1858. In 1885 it was converted by the MPGA into a small public garden. It has a few gravestones by the entrance on Rotherhithe Street and a small WWI memorial obelisk dedicated to those who died in the parish.
Surrey Docks Farm started life as a goat farm in the 1970s, and was then established in 1975 on a 1.5 acre site of derelict dockland between the entrance to Greenland Dock and the River Thames. The early impetus was to raise livestock and produce food from what was regarded as wasteland. In June 1986 the farm was re-located to its present riverside location at South Wharf, a historic site that had seen use as a shipyard, timber wharf, River Ambulance Receiving Station, and a station for the Auxiliary Fire Service.
