Interestingly enough, this largely straight canal before us is Limehouse Cut. It is more than just a waterway. Limehouse Cut is a piece of London’s history.
Limehouse Cut links the lower reaches of the Lee Navigation to the River Thames. It opened on September 17 1770. This makes Limehouse Cut the oldest canal in London.
Back then watermen had to await the tides. They also had to row around the Isle of Dogs. The Limehouse Cut provided a shortcut. It allowed passage from Bromley-by-Bow to the River Thames.
John Smeaton saw the need for this cut. He also wanted to replace flash locks with pound locks on the River Lea. Thomas Yeoman was appointed surveyor. His task was to find a route for Limehouse Cut. The chosen path avoided the curves of the River Lea at Bow Creek. It also eliminated the need to wait for the tide around the Isle of Dogs.
The construction was divided. Charles Dingley got the southern section. Jeremiah Ilsley got the northern part up to Bow Locks. However, building Limehouse Cut wasn’t without problems.
Sixty feet of brickwork failed. It fell into the canal. A bridge collapsed. This blocked Limehouse Cut. Despite these issues, traffic steadily increased.
Originally, Limehouse Cut was only wide enough for one barge. A passing place was added in May 1772. By March 1773, widening the entire cut became the plan. Jeremiah Ilsley received the contract in June 1776. The widened Limehouse Cut was operational by September 1 1777. The cost was £975.
In 1854, Bromley Lock was moved. It was rebuilt to accommodate larger barges. An 1888 report noted the lock was full of rubbish. It could not maintain water levels. The southern gates were later removed.
Britannia Lock was built in 1853 at the cut’s southwestern end. The gates faced either side of Commercial Road Bridge. They were oriented to raise boats traveling northeast.
From 1854, the Regent’s Canal took control of Limehouse Cut. They built a link to the Regent’s Canal Dock, now Limehouse Basin. A third set of gates was added to Britannia Lock. These faced the opposite way. They were meant to handle situations where the dock level was higher than the Limehouse Cut. This link was short-lived. It was filled in by May 1864.
Bow Locks were originally semi-tidal. High spring tides altered the level in Limehouse Cut. They were modified in 2000. A flood wall and extra flood gates were installed. Now, the lock can be used at all tides. This stabilized Limehouse Cut’s level.
By the 1960s, the lock connecting Limehouse Cut to the Thames needed replacement. A new link to the Regent’s Canal Dock was built. It opened on April 1 1968. The old lock was filled in.
Today, factories and warehouses line Limehouse Cut. Towpaths run beside the water. The Regent’s Canal, Hertford Union Canal, Lee Navigation, and Limehouse Cut form a loop. It is five and a half miles long. You can walk or cycle it.
An innovative floating towpath was opened in July 2003. It uses 60 floating pontoons. This creates a walkway under the Blackwall Tunnel approach road. Limehouse Cut can accommodate vessels 88 feet by 19 feet. Headroom is limited to 6 ft 9 inches. The original lock into the Thames has been replaced with a smaller one.
So, as you stand here today, you are witnessing a living testament to London’s industrial past. Limehouse Cut continues to serve as a reminder of the ingenuity and perseverance that shaped this great city.