Millwall & Cubitt are situated on the Isle of Dogs, a piece of land bounded to the east, west, and south by a meander on the River Thames. Cubitt Town lies on the eastern side to the Island Gardens area in the south and follows Westferry Road to the west. The area is primarily residential, although there are a few stores along Manchester Road (which along with Westferry Road make up the main road connection on the island). The housing stock is primarily council flat residences, though newer developments have arisen recently. The green space of the area is dominated by Mudchute Park and Millwall Park (connected to each other), although there is also a smaller garden to the south (Island Gardens) and north (St. John’s Park). Notably Mudchute Park contains a farm where kids can go meet a range of different animals and parents can enjoy brunch. The area is served by three DLR stations – Crossharbour, Mudchute, and Island Gardens, and is well-serviced by frequent bus routes which ply the main road curving around the island.

Cubitt Town was not developed until the mid-nineteenth century, when William Cubitt laid out the main streets in the 1840s-50s. Gradual draining and improvements in the area would pave the way for housing and other developments to form in the area. The industrial portions of the area tended to face the docks and the river, and the housing further inland. Later the area would fall into obscurity due to the closure of many of the docks. Before the DLR and redevelopment came in the mid- 80s, the area was poorly served by public amenities. In fact, in 1970, the residents of the Isle of Dogs declared independence from the UK, with the new Republic’s headquarters being the council flat of a man called Ted Johns in Skeggs House (which still exists today). The ‘country’ lasted for two weeks, having made its point to the local and London councils.

Ted Johns, the man who helped the Isle of Dogs declare independence in 1970, lived in Cubitt Town in a council flat called Skeggs House. When foreign media approached him, they treated him as if he were the head of state of a proper nation. Johns took the opportunity not to bask in his newfound fame, but rather to expose the island’s isolation and lack of amenities. His actions would later spark off other creative protests, such as one where goats and other animals were released in County Hall. Johns would go on to galvanise the grassroots in the area until the late 1990s, later retiring to a quiet life away from local politics until his death in 2004.

A Victorian church existed to the west of the area, on Westferry Road, being used up to 1972, when the congregation moved. The building was used for testing crane components before becoming vacant. Today it is a vibrant performing arts and community centre, run by St. Paul’s Arts Trust. The architecture is unique, being called a pastiche of the Pisa Cathedral. To the east, Mudchute Farm is an urban farm, open year-round free of charge for family and community events, or just to see the animals.

The lack of river connections across the River Thames makes the area slightly inconvenient for cars, but residents say that public transport links to the rest of London are relatively easy. A peninsula Victorian foot tunnel links the peninsula to Greenwich in the south while maintaining the area’s low traffic ‘island’ character. Residents also praised the facilities in the area, particularly the Asda, which is 24 hours six days a week and is readily accessible from Crossharbour DLR station.

The Silvertown Tunnel is expected to open in 2025 despite concerns from local residents and environmentalists that the new river crossing will bring more traffic to the area. Proposals for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf would circumvent these concerns but are still in early development.