<Tr> <Th> Location </Th> <Td> Greater London, Essex, Kent </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Website http://www.pla.co.uk </Td> </Tr> <P> The Port of London lies along the banks of the River Thames from the capital to the North Sea . Once the largest port in the world, it is currently the United Kingdom's second largest port, after Grimsby & Immingham . The port is governed by the Port of London Authority (PLA), a public trust established in 1908 whose responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames, but which neither owns or operate any facilities . </P> <P> The port can handle cruise liners, roll - on roll - off ferries, and cargo of all types . It is not located in one area but stretches along the tidal river, including Central London, with many individual wharfs, docks, terminals and facilities built incrementally over the centuries . As with many similar historic European ports, such as Antwerp and Rotterdam, the bulk of activities has steadily moved downstream towards the open sea, as ships have grown larger and other uses take up land closer to the city centre . </P>

Where would the manufactured goods go from london to be loaded on a ship