Hotels in Wapping

Given Wapping's proximity to the river, the area has a strong maritime character which lasted well into the 20th century. Formerly a narrow Saxon settlement hemmed in by the river to the south and the now-drained Wapping Marsh to the north, Wapping became inhabited by sailors, boat-builders and rope-makers. It was also the site of executions for all pirates and water-borne criminals, such as the notorious Captain Kidd, who gave his name to one of the many water-side pubs in the area. Another favourite is the ever-popular Prospect of Whitby pub, which is opposite the Wapping Project, a renovated hydraulic-power-station-cum-art-gallery-and-restaurant. In the 19th century, the Thames Tunnel was built at great expense, joining Wapping to Rotherhithe. The area was seriously damaged during the Blitz but the 80s redevelopment programme transformed the area's fortunes with many of Wapping's warehouses - left abandoned after the war - being turned into plush flats. Rupert Murdock's News International caused a stir in 1986 when it started the mass newspaper exodus from Fleet Street by taking its papers The Times and The Sun to a huge warehouse in north Wapping. More