_ O R C H A R D _ P L A C E
The area of eastern Blackwall formerly known as Orchard House was for over 150 years one of the most isolated and least accessible parts of Poplar, London. The construction of the East India Docks in 1803–6 cut this area off from the rest of Poplar, and made it difficult of access by road. By the late 19th century the vicinity of Orchard Place (named after manor house - Orchard House) had become a deprived area and was inhabited by people who were living in overcrowded conditions. Remoteness of self-contained community led to number of stories about their lawlessness and rough lifestyle, their reputation were not helped by visitors who considered them some of the poorest and roughest in London. The community here was destroyed in the 1930s, when most of the houses were pulled down under slum clearance orders and their inhabitants moved elsewhere. Since the 1930s has been the home to various industries. At the moment all existing warehouses are being cleared (except creative and arts hub located in Trinity Buoy Wharf) to make way for new housing development called Orchard Wharf (to be completed in 2021), modern, sterile waterside place where Bow Creek meets the River Thames.
