The Limehouse Cut was built in the mid-18th century to create a short-cut between the River Lee and that part of the Thames through the City of London, avoiding the long southward loop of the Thames round the Isle of Dogs. It saved sailing barges coming down the Lee to trade to London from having to wait for the tide before beating round the long southward loop of the Thames around the Isle of Dogs. This photograph was taken in 1994 on our way from the Limehouse Festival to cruise round the Bow Back Rivers, then recently dredged later (2001) in severe need of dredging again. In the summer of 2002 the first stage of the fresh dredging took place.