Talk:Isle of Dogs

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[edit] Etymology

Does anyone know the etymology of the Isle of Dogs? - David Stewart 11:05 9 Jul 2003 (UTC)

This is indeed a vexed question! There are those that maintain that it got its name from the King's kennels, which, it is claimed, were handy for the royal palace at Greenwich. Unfortunately this explanation is belied by the fact that there never were any kennels on the Island. Others say that the flotsam washed up by the entrance to Poplar Gut became a regular source of food for local canines. Certainly the first reference is generally recognised as referring to the corner of the Island by Empire Wharf in a document referring to concerns that the Spanish Armada might sail up the Thames. The hope was they would be stopped before they got a chance to pillage Greenwich.

However the term I favour is that it refers to the number of dog tacks required to circumnavigate the Island. In days gone by, ships would stock up with victuals and other supplies in Deptford or Wapping before setting off on a long voyage. However sailing around the Island always proved difficult because no matter which quarter offered a fair wind, the ship would soon be sailing into the wind. Passengers would then journey to Blackwall to embark there after the boat had rounded the Island, and thus save themselves some time on board boat. Blackwall Stairs has been the kicking-off point of a number of expeditions, including that of the Virginia Invaders.

• There never was, nor is there, a Royal Palace at Greenwich.Lion King 20:43, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Wrong - Henry VIII had a palace there, the Palace of Placentia. -- ChrisO 10:13, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

You are correct ChrisO - my mistake!Lion King 15:25, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

• Can someone tell me what the "dog tacks" are that are mentioned in the second paragraph above?

An editor has just added complete b*ll*cks about the name. Since there is a Jacobean play entitled The Isle of Dogs, and the docks were not built until the 19th century, can we do something a bit more credible?

I had heard that it was named the Isle of Doges (a la Venice), for the number of watermen that lived there, but also that it was called the Isle of Dogs for the wild dogs that roamed the marshes - since I have no certainty about this, I'm not going to change it ... for the moment! The previous version was little better, as there was no point landing cargoes there (before the docks), as there was only one road across the marsh to the ancient ferry (at Ferry Lane). Kbthompson 14:54, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Batman Begins?

Can anybody verify the statements about Batman Begins? I know that some of it was filmed on Canary Wharf, but to the best of my knowledge Wayne Tower was the Chicago Board of Trade building.

[edit] In The Media pruning?

The In The Media section is turning into a huge mess of text with no real purpose. It's longer than the main article. Perhaps it could be pruned? --Dtcdthingy 03:30, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

Good idea. I was bold and shortened that section drastically. We don't need to know every single detail about each scene featuring the Isle of Dogs. This is an article about the island, not the film industry. There are so many other topics barely mentioned that are much more important (landmarks, housing, education, transport, economy, inhabitants). --84.227.51.123 20:52, 3 June 2006 (UTC)