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East India Dock Gate |
| Owned and built by the East India Company, the East
India Dock was opened in rural Poplar in 1804. The magnificent Dock Gate was the
entrance to the import and export dock and basin that made up the dock system. This
magnificent gate stood more than 70feet tall and was a prominent local landmark for more
than 150 years. The attic storey contained the East India Company's boardroom. The East India Dock had been constructed to meet the needs of the Company for an enclosed dock for their ships. To help pay for the Dock, the Company was granted a twenty-one year monopoly on all ships entering the Thames with cargo from China or the Far East. These ships had to unload their cargo in the East India Dock and store their goods in the Company’s warehouses. The East India Company’s principle warehouse was Cutler Street in the City of London. In the early nineteenth century, Commercial Road was constructed partially funded by the Company to transport goods from the East India Dock to the City of London. In 1838, after the monopoly ran out, the East India Dock Company ran into financial difficulties and decided to merge with the West India Dock Company to form the East and West India Dock Company. In 1912 the original Dock Gate and Dock Wall were dismantled to make way for the widening of the East India Dock Road. The area in front of the gate was a popular rallying point and a place for public oratory by trade unionists and politicians. In 1913-14 a new entrance was constructed by the PLA to the south of the old one, looking very much like the old one. During the Second World War, the Import Dock was dammed and pumped out. In the "dry" dock, sections of the Mulberry Harbour were constructed. When these sections were finished, the import dock was flooded once again and they were towed to Normandy. The second gateway was demolished in 1958 for the new northern approach road and the fine inscription celebrating the opening of the docks in 1804 were erected close by as a memorial to the gate. Still nearby, it has been resited since 1986. In 1967 the East India Dock closed and the warehouses and dock walls were demolished. In the 1980s and 1990s most of the docks were filled in. |
