• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Culture / Buildings / The New City: Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about Canary Wharf

The New City: Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about Canary Wharf

Aug 27, 2015 By John Rabon

Canary_Wharf_Skyline_2,_London_UK_-_Oct_2012

A major financial center of London, it was once one of the busiest docks in the city. The docks’ usage saw a decline from the 1960s to the 1980s, at which time developers began converting the area to offices and retail. The first building constructed as part of the new development was One Canada Square, completed in 1991. Now a prominent feature of London, it sees more life from citizens and tourists than it ever has before. So what interesting facts can we discover about the busiest commercial locale in the Greater London area?

Number One

As mentioned above, One Canada Square was the first building to be finished in 1991. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the UK at 800 feet, a height that would not be overshadowed until the Shard was completed in 2012. It also enjoyed a much shorter run as the tallest building in Europe, until the Messeturm in Frankfurt was finished the same year.

Money, Dear Boy

The average salary of someone working in Canary Wharf is £100,000.

Opposition

Despite the decline in the docks, not everyone was in favor of the new development at the end of the 80s. Locals were concerned there would be no benefit to the local area and that buildings like One Canada Square would block television signals. Companies were also reluctant to relocate to such a remote area that lacked a tube station as well as shopping centers and restaurants. The recession of the early 90s didn’t help matters, but an international development consortium purchased the area and worked to revive it and by 1999, a Jubilee line extension out to the Millennium Dome ensured there would be an Underground stop, followed shortly by a shopping mall, restaurants, and tons of new employees to the area.

Numbers

Canary Wharf has roughly 14 million square feet of office and retail space. The area also employs approximately 105,000 workers. Of course, just because the docks see less use than they did doesn’t mean that the maritime industry is completely gone, 1,000 ships still pass through the docks each month.

What’s in a Name?

The name “Canary Wharf” actually comes from the No. 32 berth of the West Wood Quay of the Import Dock. This dock was constructed in 1936 primarily for the fruit trade from the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. At the request of Fruit Lines, Ltd., the company that used the dock, it was given this name.

Going Underground

The tube station constructed in 1999 is so large that you can lay One Canada Square inside it. It has at least 20 escalators and sees as many passengers as 50,000 daily and 40 million per year. With these figures, it is easily the second busiest station in London.

Replacing a Real Tree with a Fake

Well, maybe not a fake, but an interesting art installation went up in place of a real tree located in Canary Wharf. French artist Pierre Vivant’s Traffic Light Tree was installed in 1998 to replace a dying tree and features 75 different working traffic lights. It was located originally on a roundabout at the junction of Heron Quay, Marsh Wall, and Westferry Road but was relocated in 2013 to the Trafalgar War roundabout due to reconstruction. What’s more, the area has about 100 art events per year and features over 60 works of public art from 45 artists.

Teaming with Life

The redevelopment of Canary Wharf also brought with it a cleaning to the docks that has invited many aquatic species back to this part of the Thames. A mixture of fresh and saltwater fish inhabit the area, including flounder, plaice, bream, and rudd, as well as a number of aquatic birds that feed on them. The word is that there’s even a seal that hangs out on the North Docks.

Everyone Deserves a Quality Store

Canary Wharf is home to the largest Waitrose grocery store in the UK and sees 80,000 customers per week. The wine cellar on the first floor has 2,000 different wines from 20 countries, with prices that range from £3.99 to a £425 bottle of Chateau Latour.

Screening Your Summer

Canary Wharf Summer Screens are erected in the area ever year from June to August, showing everything from sporting events to live opera.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Buildings, Featured, Guides, History

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ben says

    Aug 27, 2015 at 2:42 pm

    Very interesting article.minwent there in the early 90’s before I left for NZ and it was a ghost town. Really good to see that’s it’s grown to what it now is and a good lesson for other dying wharfs in many cities around the world.

  2. Elizabeth West says

    Sep 1, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    The station really is immense. It’s a bustling area. I’d like to revisit it the next time I go. I only passed through it on my way to Greenwich Park.

  3. Aniket says

    Sep 2, 2015 at 11:56 pm

    Brilliant regeneration of the docs.. I stayed on Marsh Wall for a while and would love to go their again during my next visit..

  4. Sean Patrick Smith says

    Sep 10, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    “The average salary of someone working in Canary Wharf is £100,000.” Really? Tell that to the folks at Waitrose or Next. I think they will heartily disagree!

    • jonathan says

      Sep 10, 2015 at 5:42 pm

      Key word there is average.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • V&A set to open first major UK exhibition on Renaissance sculptor Donatello
  • Ten National Trust Properties in London
  • What’s On in London Events for February 2023
  • Only Fools And Horses musical to close in West End after four years
  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in