Leamouth, Tower Hamlets

An isolated pair of peninsulas, formed by the meanderings of the River Lea (here called Bow Creek) as it reaches the Thames

An old lightship moored at Trinity Buoy Wharf

Although there are records of ships being unloaded here as early as 1297, there was little human activity besides some farming and fishing until the late 16th century, when a house was built, with an orchard and a moat. A second incarnation of the house became a pub early in the 18th century.

The creation of the East India Dock in 1806 made road access to Leamouth even more difficult but encouraged industrial devel­opment and the building of homes for workers. The northern peninsula, known as Goodluck Hope, became a centre for glass-​​making and then for galvanised iron manufacture, which continued until the 1960s. The close-​​knit (and allegedly inbred) resid­ential population was extin­guished by a slum clearance programme in the 1930s.

Until recently a vegetable oil refinery covered nearly all of Goodluck Hope. The site is the subject of major redevel­opment proposals, including a new bridge to Canning Town (probably for pedes­trians and cyclists only), but the scheme was stuck at the planning stage for some while, and its ultimate completion is now dependent on the state of the property market.

Leamouth’s most enduring employer was the Corporation of Trinity House, which occupied the tip of the eastern peninsula from 1803 to 1988. Trinity Buoy Wharf is now a centre for arts and community projects (some based in colourfully converted shipping containers, shown in the image below), while the restored chainstore, complete with lighthouse, hosts leisure events.

Postal district: E14
Website: Trinity Buoy Wharf