River history River Lea

the river lea @ amwell, home of amwell magna fishery, fished izaak walton – author of compleat angler



the river below kings weir



rowing boats on river lea



bow creek (tidal) meets limehouse cut (canal) view of london s docklands



the river flows south tottenham lock. large housing development west, bream close, situated on small island in river, whilst in distance gospel oak barking line crosses river on high bridge.

in roman era, old ford, name suggests, ancient, downstream, crossing point of river lea. part of pre-roman route followed modern oxford street, old street, through bethnal green old ford , thence across causeway through marshes, known wanstead slip (now in leyton). route continued through essex colchester. @ time, lea wide, fast flowing river, , tidal estuary stretched far hackney wick. evidence of late roman settlement @ old ford, dating 4th , 5th centuries, has been found.

somewhere between 878 , 890 treaty of alfred , guthrum drawn amongst other things used course of lea define border between danes , english. in 894, force of danes sailed river hertford, , in 895 built fortified camp, in higher reaches of lea, 20 miles (32.2 km) north of london. alfred great saw opportunity defeat danes , ordered lower reaches of lea drained, @ leamouth. left danes boats stranded, increased flow of river , caused tidal head move downriver old ford.

in 1110, matilda, wife of henry i, reputedly took tumble @ ford, on way barking abbey , ordered distinctively bow-shaped, three-arched, bridge built on river lea (the of had not been seen before), @ bow. during middle ages, temple mills, abbey mills, old ford , bow sites of water mills (mainly in ecclesiastic ownership) supplied flour bakers of stratforde-atte-bow, , hence bread city. channels created these mills caused bow rivers cut through former roman stone causeway @ stratford (from name derived).

improvements made river 1424, tolls being levied compensate landowners, , in 1571, there riots after extension of river promoted in private bill presented house of commons. 1577, first lock established @ waltham abbey , river began actively managed navigation.

the new river constructed in 1613 take clean water london, lea , catchment areas in hertfordshire , bypass polluting industries had developed in lea s downstream reaches. artificial channel further reduced flow natural river , 1767 locks installed below hertford castle weir on canalised part of lea, lee navigation further locks , canalisation taking place during succeeding centuries. in 1766, work began on limehouse cut connect river, @ bromley-by-bow, thames @ limehouse basin.

the river lea flows through old brewing , malting centre of ware, , consequently transport water many years significant industry based there. barley transported ware, , malt out via river, in particular london. bargemen born in ware given freedom of river thames — avoiding requirement of paying lock dues — result of transport of fresh water , food london during great plague of 1665–66. local legend says dead bodies brought out of london @ time via river burying in ware, there no evidence this.

the waterworks river, part of tidal bow rivers, has been widened 8 metres (26 ft) , canalised assist construction of olympic park 2012 summer olympics. in 2009, 3 mills lock installed on prescott channel maintain water levels on lea, within park @ depth of 2 metres (7 ft). allowed access 350–tonnes barges ensure @ least 50% of material required construction delivered, or removed, water. (these figures under review. stipulated governing body has re appraised these figures)