Custom House is an area in the London Borough of Newham, in East London, England. The area is named after the custom house of Royal Victoria Dock. Today the dock is used for recreation but, in the past, it dominated the industry and commerce of the area from 1855 until the 1940s before closing in 1980. The main economic building of the area is the ExCeL London Exhibition Centre and the district is connected to the City of London by the Docklands Light Railway. Offices, factories and storage premises close to the DLR route provide most of the areas employment land. Schools, a college, a care home, council offices and a parade of shops also support the local economy, which has parks to north and south-east.