By the late 18th century, London was the busiest port in the world. Ships often waited weeks to be unloaded and frequently fell victim to river pirates. To counter crime on the river, planning began for the first of London’s purpose-built docks – St Katharine Docks. They were scene of a disastrous fire in the Second World War, but have been reborn as a glamorous marina. This circular walk takes in Wapping and Shadwell, two districts whose story is closely bound up with the river and its trade, and where, despite gentrification, much of the flavour of the old docklands remains.