The small district by Blackwall Stairs was known as Blackwall by at least the 14th century.[1] This presumably derives from the colour of the river wall, constructed in the Middle Ages. The area lay in a sheltered loop of the river next to Poplar's East Marsh, where the East India Docks were constructed at the beginning of the 19th century. The area has never had its own Anglican church so for services such as road maintenance organised by a vestry and poor relief it relied upon its ecclesiastical parish (of All Saints) Poplar. Blackwall was a significant ocean-going port in past centuries and was connected with important voyages. On 7 June 1576, financed by the Muscovy Company, Martin Frobisher set sail from Blackwall, seeking the North West Passage. Walter Raleigh had a house at Blackwall, and in the early years of the 17th century the port was the main departure point of the English colonization of North America and the West Indies launched by the London Company.
Blackwall station is on the Beckton branch of the DLR between Poplar and East India stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 2. The DLR station opened, with the Beckton Branch, on 28 March 1994. There was a previous station on the same site, called Poplar station, which was served by the London and Blackwall Railway from 6 July 1840 to 3 May 1926. Blackwall station on the London and Blackwall Railway was actually farther east. The station is close to the northern entrance for the Blacwall Tunnel (although why one would travel by DLR to the tunnel eludes me).
Connections: London Buses routes 15, 277, D6, D7 and D8 abd night route N550 serve the station.
