The Iron Bridge over the River Lea, near East India Docks, Poplar

Erected in 1810, this iron bridge, designed by surveyors and engineers James Walker and Alfred Burges, crossed the final section of the River Lea at Bow Creek. It was built to connect the East India Docks (seen in the background of this watercolour) with the West India Docks and Whitechapel, and to improve transport between London and Essex and hasten military communication and the movement of troops. It was built as part of the commercial East India Dock Road by a board of trustees, who charged users a toll; the toll house stands on the west side of the bridge. As suggested by the herd of sheep at the left, this part of East London still had a rural character in the early 19th century and was dominated by farming, market gardening and the fattening of cattle.