Scene with planting, people and cable cars overhead

Regeneration news

Don’t miss a dose of dockside beauty

With water, nature and new planting, there’s plenty of good atmosphere to be enjoyed around Royal Victoria Dock.

Royal Victoria Dock is the perfect place to soak in some precious daylight, as the wide open space means there’s nowhere for the light to hide. Even when we can’t sit inside cafes and restaurants, there are still plenty of places to go dockside. Pick up a coffee to go, or make a little picnic on a bench overlooking the water.

Edge of a boat overlooking the dock Royal Docks-branded containers with plants

Crystal Building gardens

Renovated with new planting, the gardens are a serene spot to spend time.

Water's edge scene

The new coffeeshop at Expressway, Perky Blenders x Goodvibes, has only been open a few months but is already a centre of gravity. The renovated Crystal Building gardens right outside make a good spot to sit with a coffee to go – an instant favourite for people who’re out and about. You’ll spot small impromptu picnics, and families with kids enjoying a runaround on the grass.

It’s a view that has something new to spot every time.
Trees outside the Good Hotel Grasses and people picnicking
Reflection of a boat in the water

Lightship 93

This historic vessel is located on the south side of Royal Victoria Dock as you walk east from the Crystal Building end towards Silvertown Quays.

The development of the Royal Docks is a story that keeps unfolding. Looking up, faces are pressed against the glass as the Emirates Air Line cable cars glide overhead, with a view of the River Thames that has something new to spot every time. A walk along the dock’s edge, away from the bars and the activity and towards the derelict and fascinating Millennium Mills, is a reminder of how much there is to explore: Silvertown Quays will soon be transformed come, but for now it belongs to the birds and the imagination.

Sunset at Royal Victoria Dock and the cool air takes on a glow. Even at ground level this is a refreshing, wide open space, with a subtle scent of rosemary and lavender in the gardens. On the path by the dockside, you’ll spot people tottering out onto the pier in their wetsuits for a much-anticipated swim. ThankfullyLove Open Water hope to reopen next week. Out in the water, it might feel like you’re far from anything resembling a busy city, but there’s a constant soft hum in the distance to remind us that we’re in one of the most fascinating places in the city.

Father and son playing outside
Grassy area with people, seen from above