Blackwall Tunnel Opening - Blackwall Tunnel Approach, London, UK - Grand Opening on Waymarking.com

There are two bores that form the Blackwall Tunnel. The original was built at the end of the 19th century and the new bore in the mid-20th century. The plaque is for the original 1897 tunnel and it was attached to a structure that straddled the road and was known as a gatehouse.

The British History website tells us:

Binnie's original plans included designs for a pair of simple Classical arches to mark the entrances to the open approach roads and indicate the maximum headroom in the tunnel. These were superseded by more ambitious designs by Thomas Blashill, the LCC Architect, for two entrance gatehouses to accommodate the superintendent and caretaker of the tunnel.

The north gatehouse was erected in 1896–7. Basically rectangular in plan, with octagonal turrets at each corner, it spanned the open approach road, with two bedrooms, a living-room, scullery, larder and w.c. on the floor above the archway. A third bedroom and a cistern room occupied part of the roof space above. The houses were built of light-brown sandstone with contrasting bands of red sandstone. Pearson & Son were the contractors, but appear to have sub-contracted the work to Dove Brothers. The facades were decorated with shields carrying the coats of arms of Middlesex, Kent, Essex and Surrey, and commemorative bronze plaques by Singer & Son of Frome. The gatehouses provided unusual Art Nouveau silhouettes amid the working-class housing of Poplar and the empty expanses and gas-storage tanks of Greenwich Marshes, and the proximity of the East India Dock Gateway on the north side no doubt inspired Blashill to compete with it in architectural terms.

In 1899 public toilets were provided by the LCC in a small building adjoining the north entrance gatehouse, in a suitably sympathetic style.

In 1958 the north entrance house and the toilets were demolished during work on the approaches for the new Blackwall Tunnel. The south gatehouse at Greenwich still stands.

The inscription on the opening plaque reads:

Blackwall Tunnel                 London County Council
Commenced 1892                    and opened in 1897
by His Royal Highness             the Prince of Wales
on behalf of
Her Majesty the Queen

List of names follows

With the demolition of the northern gatehouse the opening plaque was moved to its current position and a plaque, beneath the opening plaque advises:

The above plaque was removed from the original tunnel
entrance gateway which was demolished in 1959 to make
way for the new Northern Approach to Blackwall Tunnel

The BBC website has an article about Edward, Prince of Wales who was later to become Edward VII on the death of Queen Victoria:

Edward was king of Great Britain from 1901 to 1910, having been heir to Victoria for nearly 60 years.

Edward was born on 9 November 1841 in London, the eldest son of Victoria and her prince consort, Albert. He was subjected to a strict regime from an early age, as his parents were keen to ensure he was prepared to rule. He attended both Oxford and Cambridge and briefly joined the army. A liaison with an actress caused considerable scandal and Prince Albert visited his son to reprimand him. Albert died two weeks later and Victoria held her son partly responsible for the death of his father.

Victoria withdrew almost completely from public life, and Edward was allowed to represent her at state occasions, but given almost no chance to participate in affairs of state. He became a leader of London society, spending his time eating, drinking, gambling, shooting, watching racing and sailing. In 1863, he married Princess Alexandra of Denmark and they had six children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Edward also had a series of long-term mistresses, including the actress Lily Langtry.

In January 1901, Victoria died and Edward succeeded to the throne as Edward VII. He was crowned in August 1902. He threw himself into his new role with energy and his reign restored sparkle to a monarchy that been rather gloomy since his father's death 40 years earlier. Related to most European royalty (he was known as the 'Uncle of Europe'), he was able to assist in foreign policy negotiations and his well-received addresses during a state visit to Paris helped pave the way for the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale of 1904. Edward was also the first British monarch to visit Russia. In 1902, he founded the Order of Merit to reward those who distinguished themselves in science, art or literature.

In the last year of his life, Edward was involved in a constitutional crisis brought about by the refusal of the Conservative majority in the Lords to pass the Liberal budget of 1909. He died on 6 May 1910, before the situation could be resolved, and was succeeded by his son who became George V.