Northern portal and parapet to the Blackwall Tunnel

The northern portal and parapet to the Blackwall Tunnel were built in 1897, likely designed by engineer Alexander R. Binnie. The structure is made of pinkish brown polished granite blocks.

The portal features a round-arched tunnel opening topped with a parapet that is separated by a roll moulding. The parapet, which faces Poplar High Street, has a sloped and rounded coping and square end-piers, each adorned with four semi-circular faces that have inscribed decoration. The arch itself includes moulded decoration. On the north side of the parapet, there is an incised inscription that reads: “THIS TUNNEL CONSTRUCTED BY THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL WAS OPENED BY/ HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES K.C. ON BEHALF OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA ON 22nd MAY 1897 IN THE 60th YEAR OF HER REIGN/ SIR ALEX R. BINNIE ENGINEER.”

The portal is connected to the south by the tunnel, which includes steps leading to a raised walkway on the west side of the carriageway. To the north, it is bordered by high retaining walls that were encased in concrete and faced with Portland stone in the 1950s, and topped with modern metal safety barriers. At the eastern end of the parapet, there are modern iron railings, while the western end connects to a low concrete wall that leads to a modern building across the tunnel carriageway, which houses a drop-down flood gate. The features marked with an asterisk are excluded from the listing.