wing ▁paths ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁it . ▁This ▁work ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁included ▁a ▁new ▁cut ▁between ▁Old ▁Ford ▁and ▁Bow ▁Lock s , ▁which ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁Bow ▁River ▁and , ▁like ▁Bow ▁Creek , ▁is ▁not ▁subject ▁to ▁to ll s ▁for ▁those ▁using ▁it . ▁During ▁the ▁great ▁pl ague ▁of ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁b arg emen ▁on ▁the ▁river ▁continued ▁to ▁supply ▁food ▁to ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁London ▁and ▁were ▁granted ▁permission ▁to ▁navigate ▁the ▁Th ames ▁without ▁having ▁to ▁ask ▁a ▁Th ames ▁L ighter man ▁for ▁assistance , ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁ris ks ▁they ▁had ▁taken . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁for ▁navigation , ▁the ▁engineer ▁John ▁S me aton ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁survey ▁it ▁and ▁to ▁suggest ▁how ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁improved ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 5 . ▁He ▁produced ▁a ▁report ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 6 , ▁which ▁recommended ▁replacing ▁the ▁flash ▁lo cks ▁with ▁more ▁modern ▁p ound ▁lo cks , ▁and ▁more ▁significantly ▁for ▁Bow ▁Creek , ▁making ▁a ▁new ▁cut ▁from ▁Bow ▁tid al ▁gates ▁to ▁the ▁Th ames ▁at ▁L ime house . ▁Although ▁only ▁a ▁little ▁further ▁to ▁the ▁west , ▁access ▁at ▁L ime house ▁avoided ▁the ▁long ▁loop ▁around ▁the ▁Is le ▁of ▁D ogs ▁for ▁traffic ▁heading ▁towards ▁London . ▁The ▁cut ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁opened ▁on ▁ 2 ▁July ▁ 1 7 7 0 , ▁but ▁failure ▁of ▁a ▁side ▁wall ▁delayed ▁the ▁event