Rotherhithe in the 1980s

Following the closure of the Surrey Docks in the 1970s, the docks were largely filled in to allow redevelopment, with the exception of Greenland Dock, South Dock and Surrey Dock, each of which remain today.

But most of the docks were filled in, the buildings levelled, and the area left clear for redevelopment, which came, for the most part, in the shape of low-density housing, plus some rather wasteful shed-style industrial and retail parks.

Between the closure of the docks in the 1970s and the large-scale development which took place from the late 1980s, the small residential areas of Rotherhithe found themselves surrounded by a large area of vacant land, as can be seen in these aerial photos taken in 1983.

In this image, the Rotherhithe Tunnel roundabout is under construction at the bottom of the picture, with Rotherhithe village to the left a small island between the Thames and the large vacant area of the docks, not yet developed and opened up to the public.

A similar view from Google from 2007:

Further into the peninsula, the some new housing is in place around the new Salter Road, but much of the interior is awaiting development:

By 2007, the area has been built up, with Stave Hill clearly visible: