London 1982

Peter MARSHALL


Coldharbour, Poplar, Tower Hamlets. 1982
30j-14: house,

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Probably the main thing that has changed in Coldharbour since I made the picture in 1982 is the price of the properties. This short street contains half a dozen listed properties and is a part of the Coldharbour Conservation Area designated in 1975. The conservation area includes the two entrances to the docks north and south of here, and a few nearby properties and is the sole remainder of the old hamlet of Blackwall. It was originally the main path around the edge of the island on top of the medieval river wall, but only this isolated section remains cut off when the dock entrances were built, and made redundant in 1817 when the road now called Preston's Road was built. There were two dock entrances and docks for customs purposes, one being for exports and the other for imports, leading to the West India Export and Import Docks, which opened in 1806 and 1802 respectively.
 
One of the wharves here, Crown Wharf, close to the end of the houses here had been replaced by private housing in 1971, and a block of flats added further down the street out of view shortly before I took this picture.
 
What we see in Coldharbour is really the backs of the buildings, which front the river. Most of the buildings along the street date from 1820-50. At the far end is The Gun Public House, A Fullers gastro-pub, which claims to date back to the early 18th century but the oldest exterior parts date from 1875 and has been considerably done up since 1982. It has an upstairs room where Lord Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton are said to have met for "their secret assignations."