Rotherhithe is located in South East London, in the Borough of Southwark. The neighbourhood sits on the riverside as the Thames meanders north, before bending southwards around Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs. Bordering Bermondsey and Canada Water to the west and Surrey Quays and Deptford to the South, Rotherhither has a long port history dating back to Elizabethan times. Although now most of the docks have been converted to modern housing developments. Nonetheless, Rotherhithe’s maritime history still permeates its present climate.

The area’s Thameside proximity meant it became the first place in London where docks were created. Rotherhithe exchanged ownership from the aristocratic Lovel family, to monks in 1516, however only 22 years later it was taken by Henry VIII, and remained royal property until Charles I gifted it to Sir Allen Apsley. In the early 1900s Dr Alfred Salter and his wife Ada, were famous for bringing free medical care to the poor residents of Rotherhithe’s council estates. His thinking was revolutionary as Britain’s prized NHS was not even conceived at the time. The Brunel designed Rotherhithe Tunnel, originally built for horse drawn carriages, is still used as one of the city’s major arteries today. Upon its opening in 1908 it was said to be the “the largest subaqueous tunnel in existence”. The Brunel Museum is now located in an engine house of the tunnel he designed, offering visitors the opportunity to explore his life’s work as well as the tunnel’s shafts.

The Mayflower Pub dates back to 1620, when the Mayflower boat set sail for the United States of America. When sailors used to come back from the United States and stop in Rotherhithe they would buy a beer and a post stamp, with both traditions continuing today meaning The Mayflower is the only pub legally allowed to sell US & UK post stamps.

Rotherhithe’s loss of shipping industry during the 20th century, meant many of the docks with employed locals have been closed down. Like many of London’s other former docklands, residential development has begun to replace this iconic industrial landscape in recent decades.

The largest upcoming development in Rotherhithe are the plans for a new King’s College London Campus in the area. Already hosting over 30,000 students per year, King’s College first aims to build student accommodation capable of housing an additional 770 students in the area. This is set to be joined by a more ambitious second phase centering around Canada Water which will include high quality teaching and learning spaces as well as new sports facilities. The council is also supporting plans for the redevelopment of the Rotherhithe gasometer on Slater Road as many similar industrial sites have been transformed across London in recent years.