Blackwall Tunnel - 1897 - Blackwall Tunnel Approach, London, UK - Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious 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 These were superseded by more ambitious designs by Thomas Blashill, the LCC Architect, for two entrance gatehouses to accommodate the superintendent and caretaker of the tunnel.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

Year built or dedicated as indicated on the structure or plaque: 1897 Full Inscription (unless noted above): See the detailed description Website (if available): [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   11/07/2021 OrientGeo visited it