City Canal
The City Canal was a short time only channel in use, led by the Isle of Dogs in London's East End and two river sections of the River Thames, Blackwall Reach and the Limehouse Reach bound them together. Today he is completely remodeled and forms the southern of the West India Docks.
History
The West India Dock Act of 1799 allowed the City of London Corporation to build a canal from Limehouse Reach to Blackwall Reach on the Isle of Dogs. He should be an abbreviation for sailing ships offer that to the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs would have to drive to reach the upper sections of the river otherwise. In unfavorable winds this trip could take quite a long time. The canal was completed in 1805 ( officially opened on December 9, 1805) and included at its western end and the Breach Dockyard, a large dock for mast construction and woodwork around a straight pool. The channel including the necessary land cost £ 168,813.
But the access road to the channel depended on the tides and the passage last long. This meant that the canal was not a commercial success, as the owners did not pay enough fees. He soon became a financial burden and in 1829 for £ 120,000, sold to the West India Dock Company, the owner of the West India Docks.
The Company purchased the canal mainly so he did not fall into other hands. Suggestions for further docks south of the City Canal and the opening of the St. Katherine Docks in 1828 made the owners of the company aware of the danger emanated for their business from other Dockplänen. They built 1832-1833 another dock for woodwork south of the canal. This should be at the docks for the next 20 years, the last major construction work.
More than 30 years later ( 1866-1870 ) was the channel widened according to the plans of the civil engineer Sir John Hawkshaw, extends the driveways and renamed the entire complex in South West India Dock. Later he was called South Dock.
1926 the decision was made that the South Dock should be connected to the import and export dock of the West India Docks, and with the Milwall dock. The work - a new Ostschleuse for the South Dock and three passages to connect the Millwall Docks, the South Docks, the export docks and import docks - were divided into four construction phases and completed in 1931 at the final price of £ 1,311,981, which access to the docks significantly improved.
Today
The South Dock hosts regular medium-sized warships visiting London as it thanks to the 1926-1931 reconstruction work carried out is the farthest upstream location point at which these vessels may still apply. For vessels, there is now no turning on the Isle of Dogs - only the rebuilt eastern entrance to the docks is left.