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Tramcar #654 outside the Dock House PH East India Dock Road |
| The Dock House Tavern stood at no.293 East India Dock
Road, at the eastern corner with Ann Street (later Oceana Close). This building
replaced an earlier tavern which had stood on the eastern corner of East India Dock Road
and Brunswick Road in 1818. It was greatly extended in 1879-80 to take in no.295, making
it a big but rather drab-looking establishment. It was owned by the brewers Reid & Company (later to become Watney, Combe & Reid in 1898) who reconstructed the building between 1927 and 1935. The building, along with the Industrial Day School next door and many others were cleared by the London County Council between 1958 and 1960 to make way for a new Northern Approach for the Blackwall Tunnel. This was a popular alighting point for workmen heading to and from the East India Dock opposite. The Tram in the postcard was one of 150 built by Hurst Nelson & Co of Motherwell and was certified fit for service and recieved it's first licence on 30/3/1907, no doubt entering service almost immediately. Using the standard LCC conduit system (ie picking up the current from a slot between the tracks rather than from overhead wires) the newly electrified lines were first opened up for service on 15/12/1906 and eventually extended to join up with the track of the West Ham Corporation on 20/12/1912. Passengers could then travel all the way from Barking to Aldgate without having to change cars.
Information on the Tram and the wonderful Postcard has been kindly provided by the London County Council Tramways Trust reg. charity #298606 |
