One Lap Of London

摘要

London owes its prosperity as the nation's commercial hub to its position on the banks of the River Thames. The capital's river became a highway from the sea that allowed London to develop as a city and an important trading centre. By medieval times, it was already a major port and handled 90 per cent of Britain's trade. By Victorian times it had become the largest port in the world. When the London Docks opened in 1805, they were built for sailing ships. However more and more barges were also coming into the docks from the newly built canals carrying raw materials and finished produce to and from the industrial midlands.