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Blackwall in Middlesex County England History and GeographyBLACKWALL, a hamlet in the parish of STEPNEY, Tower division of the hundred of OSSULSTONE, county of MIDDLESEX, 2½ miles (E.) from London. The population is returned with Poplar. This place, which is situated near the influx of the river Lea into the Thames, consists chiefly of a few irregularly formed streets, which are paved, and lighted with gas; the houses, many of which are of wood, and of mean appearance, are inhabited chiefly by shipwrights, and persons employed in the docks: the inhabitants are supplied with water by the East London Water Company. This hamlet has long been noted for a very large private yard for ship-building, and a wet dock, formerly belonging to Mr. Perry, the former of which was purchased by Sir Robert Wigram, Bart., and is still applied to the same use; and the latter by the East India Company, for the formation of their docks, which were commenced in 1804, and completed in 1806. These docks are situated at the eastern extremity of the hamlet, and are surrounded by a lofty wall: the entrance from the shore is through a handsome gateway, surmounted by a square turret, supporting an octagonal dome, in front of which is a tablet, recording the date of their erection: they consist of an outer and an inner dock, both enclosed with walls, and communicating by locks and flood gates. The entrance from the river is by a basin, nearly three acres in extent, from which vessels sail directly into the docks: the inner, or import dock, which is 1400 feet in length, 560 feet in breadth, and of an average depth of 30 feet, occupies an area of eighteen acres, and on the arrival of the fleets, affords accommodation for sixteen ships to unload their cargoes, though, from the custom-house regulations, only twelve landing officers being appointed, no more than twelve vessels can be unloaded at the same time. The outer, or export dock, is 780 feet long and 520 feet wide, and of the same depth as the inner dock; it was enlarged in 1817 by an additional basin, prior to which its area was rather more than nine acres. Extensive ranges of warehouses have been erected within the walls: those on the north side are for saltpetre, on the south, for storing the cargoes imported in shipping belonging to the private trade; and on the east side of the import dock, for such goods as are not removed to the Company's warehouses in London. Sheds are also ranged round the docks, for the numerous vans employed in removing the merchandise to its several places of destination: these, of which seldom less than eighty are in constant use, are strong carriages built expressly for the purpose, and secured with bars and locks, with duplicate keys, one of which is kept at the docks, and the other at the Company's warehouses. At Blackwall reach, adjoining this hamlet, are the West India docks, similarly constructed, but upon a more extensive scale. These consist of two spacious docks parallel with each other, and of equal dimensions, being nearly half a mile in length, excavated in a direction crossing the isthmus of the Isle of Dogs, and having an entrance basin of large extent at each extremity, by which, vessels sailing in either direction may avoid the circuitous bend of the river. Between the docks are extensive ranges of warehouses, as also on the south side of the inner dock for the convenience of forwarding goods by land carriage, and on the north side of the outer dock, in front of which is a canal of three quarters of a mile in length, intersecting the Isle of Dogs, and forming a direct communication with the river at two points, between which the distance by sailing round the isle is nearly four miles and a half. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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