Details

Al Mubarakia property manages this grade I listed property in East London.

Built in 1812, Tobacco Dock was used primarily for storing imported tobacco as well as wine and spirits. The original structure was the equivalent size of 40 football pitches and the surviving structure is two-fifths of the original. The Grade 1 listed building still of a generous size at over 16,000 sqm.

The building was also home to Charles Jamrach’s Exotic Animal Emporium which had a roaring trade in many unusual animals and birds. The buildings close proximity to the Tower of London made it an ideal location for those wishing to purchase the customary gift of exotic animal for the royal family.

In 1857 Tobacco Dock was the location of an extraordinary rescue as a Bengal tiger escaped. A young boy, who had never before seen such a creature, reached out to stroke the cat. The tiger responded by grabbing the boy by his neck and carrying him off into Tobacco Dock. Jamrach gave chase and managed to fend off the tiger with his bare hands. The boy was incredibly rescued unharmed and there is a 7-foot-tall bronze statue commemorating the incident located by the Pennington Street entrance.

In the Eighties the structure was converted into a shopping centre at a cost of £70 million. The shopping centre was ahead of its time and unfortunately, its opening in 1989 coincided with a downturn in the economy and the centre closed two years after its opening. The ‘pirate ships’, Sea Lark and Three Sisters, which you can be seen moored on the Quayside area which are replica models built to house a museum to teach children about the history of the area.

Tobacco Dock sat empty for many years and English Heritage placed the Grade 1 Listed Building on their Heritage at Risk register in 2003 whilst a move to find viable uses for the building were sought.

Its most popular use after 2003 was filming and production. In 2012 Tobacco Dock became barracks for military personnel helping to provide security during the Olympics.

From 2012 to present date it is a thriving event and conference space which hosts over 150 events throughout the year. Tobacco Dock has changed use during the last 200 years however visitors are able to view the building’s original features whilst enjoying an extremely varied calendar of events.