Leamouth & Poplar is part of the Blackwall area, just before where the River Lea empties into the Thames. The area is divided by Aspen Way, the northern portion being dominated by large offices including Tower Hamlets Council’s main office and planning department. To the south, in-between the East India Dock Basin and Blackwall Yard, are a number of new high-rise apartment buildings. They are not as ‘luxurious’ as New Providence Wharf to the west, or the ones planned to the east on the Lea Peninsula, but still offer views of the Thames and can be accessed from East India DLR station.

Blackwall has a strong connection to trade and naval developments, being fundamentally a location defined by two rivers. The name is said to originate from an embankment built to prevent floods, and wharves were present in the area as early as the late-1600s, 200 years before the Isle of Dogs would be drained to allow for waterfront construction. As such the area is part of the ‘original’ docklands, with a strong maritime tradition. The first settlers of Virginia departed from Blackwall, as did Frobisher’s second voyage to find the North West Passage. Blackwall Yard The area also features a few parks, and the Prime Meridian Walk runs through the area. Remnants of the area’s dockyard past still remain, such as Cyprus Fisheries to the east of the neighbourhood. A defining feature for the area has been the Blackwall Tunnels, constructed in 1897 and 1960, connecting the area to North Greenwich and the O2. He was instrumental in the English colonisation efforts of North America and has been credited with popularising potatoes and tobacco in England. Raleigh was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, before she discovered his secret marriage to one of her maids of honour, which resulted in him being sentenced to imprisonment in the Tower of London. He was released twice to search for the fabled El Dorado, but on the second failure was executed on 29 October 1618.

There was an old timber-framed house in the area which during the 1800s became known as Raleigh’s House. Though any claim to association with Walter Raleigh is probably unsubstantiated, he was known to frequent the area, particularly when on naval business, and many of his letters are signed from the area. Walter Raleigh was a poet, soldier, courtier, spy and explorer amongst other things. encouraged many maritime-related industry sites, such as a rope ground, which was established from the 1600s to the early 1800s, producing rope for ships in the area.

The Mary Rose was refitted here in 1514, 31 years before it sank. It was a warship in the Tudor navy of King Henry VIII, fighting wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany before sinking while fighting a French invasion fleet. It was one of the largest ships in the English navy at the time. Being a point of departure for many travellers, there were a few inns in the area. The Globe Tavern was a particularly long-lived one, which first appeared in the mid-1600s, and grew from 9 to 12 cottages by the early-1700s. By the 1830s it was being used as a base for a horse-omnibus company. It finally closed down in the late-1870s to make way for a goods station.

The existence of the Blackwall Tunnels in the area makes traffic quite busy, however it provides an extremely useful connection to south London, as opposed to the Isle of Dogs further south, which has no river crossings for cars or pedestrians. Some residents are concerned that the construction of the Silvertown Tunnel crossing nearby will cause further congestion in the area.

Blackwall Reach is an ongoing development project aiming to regenerate a former council estate, providing 1575 new homes set over 20 acres. The project value totals £300 million and will provide access links to the Blackwall DLR station.