In this article Susie Townsend explores one of her favourite museums, the Museum of London Docklands, and explains why it has a real value and interest far beyond the locality. As well as covering the benefits of a visit, she also provides ideas for teaching activities across the primary age range.

The Museum of London Docklands is sister to the Museum of London but with a very different appeal. It was No. 1 Warehouse, West Indies Quay, built in 1802 to take in goods from all over the world: sugar, rum, horn, spices, coffee were just some of the products that passed through its doors. So the building itself is an integral part of the history of the area – from the loop-hole doors, through which the goods were winched, to the big beams set high in the ceilings. At its very core is trade, the Thames and the communities that grew up around the river, and these three themes resonate through the exhibits that are now housed within...