St Katharine Docks East London

Sitting in the shadow of Tower Bridge, this once-booming part of London's Docklands was built in 1828 by engineer-extraordinaire Thomas Telford. To make way for it, 1250 'insanitary' houses were razed and 11,300 people made homeless. The dock was badly bombed during WWII and was finally abandoned altogether in 1968. Its current incarnation, as a marina for luxury yachts, surrounded by cafes, restaurants and twee shops, dates from the 1980s. It's the perfect starting point for a stroll along the Thames Path to Wapping and Limehouse.