What stands before us is more than just a gate. It is The Hibbert Gate Sculpture. This replica marks the entrance to the West India Docks.
The Hibbert Gate Sculpture is a memorial to the docks. It also commemorates the history of this area. The original gate stood for over 130 years. It was a main entrance to the West India Quay.
This gate was not always here. The original Hibbert Gate was built in 1803. It was removed in 1932 to ease traffic. The Hibbert Gate Sculpture you see now was installed in 2000. It marked 200 years since the quay’s construction. Ken Livingstone unveiled it. He was the Mayor of London at the time.
Leo Stevenson created this replica. It sits at the western end of West India Quay in Docklands. The Canary Wharf Group commissioned it. The Hibbert Gate Sculpture is made of bronze and stone.
Look closely at the top of The Hibbert Gate Sculpture. You will see a ship. That is the Hibbert ship. It was a West Indiaman. The ship sailed between 1785 and 1813. It travelled to the West Indies. The Hibbert brought back sugar. It also carried rum, cotton, coffee, and tropical hardwoods.
The Hibbert was named after George Hibbert. He was the chairman of the docks. Hibbert was also linked to the slave trade. He owned slaves in the West Indies. The UK banned this trade in 1791. The Hibbert Gate Sculpture is a complex reminder of this past.
Notice the inscriptions on The Hibbert Gate Sculpture. One inscription marks the dock’s beginning. It states the West India Import Dock began on 12th July 1800. It opened for business on 1st September 1802. Another plaque mentions Ken Livingstone. He opened the replica gate on 12th July 2000. This marked the dock’s 200th anniversary. William Pitt the Younger founded the dock. He was Prime Minister of Great Britain.
The Hibbert plaque notes the ship traded from this dock. It sailed between 1785 and 1813. The ship went mainly to Jamaica. All drawings of the ship are now lost. Leo Stevenson made this model after extensive research. He used original photographs and records.
The Hibbert Gate Sculpture once served as the emblem for West India Docks. It even appeared in the Poplar Borough Council’s coat-of-arms.
The Hibbert Gate Sculpture stands as a testament to London’s maritime history. It also acknowledges a difficult past. As we leave The Hibbert Gate Sculpture reflect on the stories it holds.