In the first century AD, the invading Romans established a settlement called Londinium on the River Thames.
They started building at the point furthest down river where they could construct a bridge.
Londinium became an important Roman trading centre and by the Middle Ages, London had become the capital of England.
By this time almost two-thirds of the country's trade went through the port.
Opportunities and services
London was the royal, administrative, judicial, commercial and cultural centre of Britain. It offered merchants opportunities and services that other British ports could not.
Maritime London timeline
c50 - Londinium founded by the Romans; cuts dug out of the river bank serve as quays
c900 - Ethelredshithe quay founded
1078 - Tower of London started as a symbol of Norman power
1337-1453 - London becomes a major shipbuilding and supply centre during the Hundred Years' War with France
A Roman amphora that was dredged from the River Thames in 1983. © NMM