The Isle Of Dogs (or City) Canal
The canal that went past where Canary Wharf now stands
The Isle of Dogs canal as it was popularly known, was the third canal to be built in London following the Limehouse Cut of 1770 and the Grand Junction's Paddington Arm of 1801. The City of London Corporation's West India Docks Act of 1799 permitted the construction of a canal across the Isle of Dogs, an area which is now dominated by the Canary Wharf scene. The canal was a means of avoiding the sometimes difficult stretch of river around the Isle of Dogs and was officially opened on 9th December 1805. The total cost was £168,813. The original title of City Canal was an odd choice since it wasnt located in the City of London, rather it was an annexe of sorts, which is why it was also known as the Isle of Dogs canal and it is described as such by Joseph Priestly in his vast tome on the country's canal system, for rightly as Priestly points out, the Act describes it as "the Canal across the lsle of Dogs..."
The canal's demise was a simple matter concerning the tides on the river. Despite its usefulness as a short cut the tides often determined that it was quicker to just sail around the Isle of Dogs peninsula itself. It was sold to the West India Dock Company in 1829 for £120,000. Between 1866 and 1870 it was rebuilt as the South West India Dock. Its now known as the South Dock and is the longest, and largest expanse of water, to the south of the Canary Wharf complex. The original eastern lock entrance was rebuilt in 1931. The western entrance is still visible with its original walls and lock recesses, and it serves as the Impounding Dock. This facilitates the means by which the water levels are maintained in the Canary Wharf area, and the pumping system is operated by British Waterways, who took over the management of the entire Isle of Dogs dock complex and entrance lock in 1997
The Isle of Dogs was little known to most people until the building of Brunel's famed SS Great Eastern took place here in the 1850's. Some very strange aspirations were assumed about the populace living on the Isle of Dogs: "the island is peopled by a peculiar amphibious race, who dwell in peculiar amphibious houses, built upon a curious foundation, neither fluid nor solid." This was probably excaberated by the fact that it was difficult to access the area because it meant crossing bridges which ever way one headed, and many of these bridges were frequently open to shipping and docks traffic. Modern day 'Docklands' has seen to it that a new roads network has been built and more notably, the Docklands Light Railway which opened in 1987 and which forms a major feature of the docks themselves, in several locations evoking memories of the Liverpool Overhead Railway
This guide looks at the present scene today in South Dock, going westwards from West India Dock Entrance Lock (sometimes known as Blackwall Lock) to Limehouse Lock on the other side. The extremeties offer the most canal related scenes, whereas the remainder of the route is redeveloped waterspace and high intensity office development that has little bearing on the actual history of the City or Isle of Dogs canal itself
The Blackwall reach entrance to South Dock (built upon the original Isle of Dogs Canal lock site) with its distinctive blue lift bridge and the modern British Waterways' lock keepers' control cabin. The Canary Wharf complex and some of the cranes left over from commercial dock working days can be seen. Special permission was obtained from BW for taking this picture
This is a view looking westwards along the large lock, showing the outer and inner sets of gates. The outer sets of gates are rarely used these days
The 'skyscrapers' (our little things compared to other cities of the world's megastructures!) can be seen clearly dominating the skyline. There's little reason to discuss the buildings themselves, other than to say that No 1 Canada Place, Canary Wharf (which is the tallest of the group at 800 feet) can be seen clearly with its pyramid summit, flanked by the Citi Corp and HSBC buildings
The sets of buildings on the left (south of Canary Wharf) are the newer structures at Heron Quays. It is these we will have a little bit of interest in, for these straddle the original Isle of Dogs canal route. When South Dock was built it was placed such that the original entrance locks to the canal were diagonally opposite at the top western and the bottome eastern corners of the dock
The Heron Quays development has encroached on the northern section of South Dock so that its width has been considerably reduced and the old canal alignment now runs through the most southermost of the Heron Quays skyscrapers. Its all a bit difficult to explain from this viewpoint, but it wil be elaborated on further in this feature
A view looking westwards along South Dock. If one were to draw a line down the centre of this picture so that it could be folded, the line would bisect the southernmost tower of the Heron Quays complex. It would clearly demonstrate how much the dock itself and orginal canal alignment has been encroached upon by the Heron Quays complex. The number of ships in the dock is quite rudimentary these days, but the go ahead has been given for the largest floating hotel to be berthed here, which means that this view will soon change considerably and the far end of the dock wont be so clearly seen
Portwey (after PORTsmouth and WEYmouth) was built on the Clyde in 1927 and is preserved as a working exhibit at South Dock. The blue lift bridge and the O2 (Millenium Dome) can just be seen in the background
This is a view looking east at the junction with the Milwall Dock. Both blue lift bridge and O2 can clearly be seen. The Isle of Dogs canal's route took up the top (north) half of the waterway here. It's width was doubled to form the South Dock. This scene is to change when the luxury floating hotel Aquiva tkes up permanent mooring here. Aquiva will have beds for more than 300 guests and be ready in time for 2012. Its bows will partially obstruct the entrance to the Milwall Dock although there will be space enough for vessels to get past Aquiva
This view looks from the Milwall Dock entrance westwards. The Isle of Dogs canal ran on the north side. The buildings comprising the Heron Quays development sit astride approximately the north half of the former canal alignment. But as mentioned before, the dock was built at a diagonal to the canal itself, so the further west one goes the more the Heron Quays complex encroaches the canal's former alignment
British Waterways name is stamped at many locations around Docklands, and these well maintained signs and lifebelts around Canary Wharf speak for themselves. Their counterparts on the canals themselves are not so well maintained, as as one can observe, despite many lifebelt posts on the intensively used section of canal between Little Venice and Camden there's not one lifebelt available on that stretch
A view looking back towards West India Dock entrance lock and bridge. The sinking yacht is called 'Love-Love' and is part of a series of commissions on and around the Thames during October 2008. Definitely one boat that wont be castigated for being either unlicensed or a continuous cruiser!
The extent to which the Heron Quays development encroaches South Quay becomes apparent in this picture. One can also deduct from this that most of the former alignment of the Isle of Dogs canal has now been built over. Actually part of the dock still exists underneath the buildings as they are stited on rafts located just above the water's surface
An older style Docklands train for Bank crossing South Dock, the front end being just about on the alignment of the old canal route. The new stock began operation just a few days after this was taken
A view looking east from Marsh Wall along the canal's alignment. In this view it is clear how much the development has encroached the original line of canal. The Docklands railway viaduct can be seen in the distance
Just a short walk west from Heron Quays Dockalnds Railway station is this bus stop, sited opposite the City Pride pub, and which marks the entrance to Limehouse lock. Its now covered in part by the new section of road that forms part of Marsh Wall. Behind the shelter is the Pumping station, which was built by the Port of London Authority in 1929 to manage the water levels in the docks complex. Limehouse lock was considered the least important of the two locks, as it only carried some barge traffic, so it was converted into an impounding dock
Far from the world of its scruffy, rather poorly maintained canals, is BW's prestigous existence at Canary Wharf. Here's a view of their pumping station (built in 1929 by the Port of London Authority) with the famous 800ft high Number One Canada Square building dominating the skyline
History reveals itself! The original Limehouse lock, in fact the oldest lock chamber in existence in this part of London! The 1805 lock chamber clearly seen, with Canary Wharf towering above. The lock was last used in the 1920's before becoming an impounding dock. This is a view looking towards the gate recesses so up as far as the roaring twenties one would have been looking straight into Limehouse lock, and not some awful concrete carbuncles strung across the lock chamber! The pumping house itself however is a quite splendidly built red brick structure with a purpose of work. Nevertheless history has not been quite so kind as one would have perhaps wished because Canary Wharf has been deprived of a direct door to door passenger ferry service to Central London that would have been a boon in terms of accessibility
Original gate recesses. The large white ducting appears to be to do with the collection of water for the dock areas, it could do with a bit of care!
