Bow Back Rivers
Encyclopedia
The Bow Back Rivers are part of the River Lea in the London Borough of Newham
, east London, England
, and form a complex system of waterways. The River Lea was originally tidal as far as Hackney Wick
; man-made changes to the river had changed this dramatically in the 9th century, and in 1110 a bridge was put in place at Bow
. Over the ensuing centuries, the causeway that led to the bridge was cut by a number of man-made channels made to power water-driven tidal mills, such as those at Abbey Mills, and the still-surviving Three Mills
. Further improvements to the channels were carried out in 1930 under the River Lee (Flood Relief) Act.
Bow Creek
and the connecting waterways—Prescott Channel
, Channelsea River
, Abbey Creek
, Three Mills River, City Mill River
and Waterworks River
—are all tidal below the House Mill
. Above the mill, the water level is now controlled by the Three Mills Lock
. St Thomas Creek and the Old River Lee
are not tidal (being maintained at the same level as the Limehouse Cut
). The Navigation along these latter rivers has been maintained since 1424.
The Bow Back Rivers cross an area originally known as Stratford Marsh. An area of Lammas land, between Stratford-Langthorne and Stratford-at-Bow. Little remains from pre-history, but the name suggests that the two settlements lay at either end of a stone causeway across the marsh, with a ford crossing the River Lea at Bow that could be crossed at low tide. This was in use by the Roman era
, carrying the principal road to Colchester
. The upstream ford at Old Ford is of pre-Roman origin, and afforded an easier crossing. A further causeway existed between Homerton
and Leyton
; known as Wanstead Slip.
These crossings passed across a true marsh, either side of the natural Lea. This wide, fast flowing river was then tidal, as far as Hackney Wick
, and navigable, as far as Hertfordshire
. The first alteration to the natural river was made by Alfred the Great
, who drained the river at Leamouth
to strand a force of Danes. This lowered the tide head to Old Ford, and prevented large boats sailing the river until the 15th century.
In 1135, Stratford Langthorne Abbey
was founded. The Abbey continued the process of draining Stratford marsh begun in the Middle Ages
, and creating artificial channels to drive water and tide mills. A small river port developed at Stratford, mentioned in the 15th century, to serve the needs of Stratford Abbey and the mills at Stratford, and there is similar evidence in later centuries. The Abbey took on responsibility to maintain the marsh walls around Bow Creek
, to keep the tidal waters out. From 1613, extraction of water for the canals linking with the network, and the artificial New River
, supplying fresh water to the city from Hertfordshire
, has caused water levels to fall in the non-navigable channels, and much of the traditional water milling to cease. This began a process of canalisation of the water course from Hertford to Old Ford, to enable boats to use the river.
The East London Waterworks Company
began extraction for drinking water at Old Ford, Lea Bridge
and established a waterworks at Stratford in 1743. By 1821, there were specialized wharfs at Stratford for timber, chalk, stone, coal, and wheat, as well as some for general cargoes situated on the Channelsea and the other navigable branches of the Lea as well as on the main stream, with local mills and factories usually having their own wharfs. By 1821, the earliest proper dock named Stratford Dock, later Meggs Dock, had been built. It was about 80 yards (73 m) long and 50 yards (46 m) wide, lying south of the High Street near Bow Bridge
and approached from the Lea by a short channel. The dock may have been constructed by the Middlesex and Essex turnpike trust, which owned and occupied it in 1843 and 1854.
By 1920, the whole site had been filled in and was occupied by factories.
The Bow Back Rivers were much modified in the 1930s, as part of a flood control system. The prior arrangement had been to regulate the navigation with the Pond Lane Flood Gates
and a tidal lock at Marshgate Lane. The lock and flood gates were made redundant by a new lock in Carpenter's Road
– which gave access to Bow Creek and the Waterworks River – providing barge access to Temple Mills
. The low headroom of the Northern Outfall Sewer
aqueduct prevented access to the southern reaches of the system, and to allow access City Mill Lock was constructed – near Blaker Road. In 2006, this lock was restored by the developers of an adjacent housing development. The system had bi-directional gates, as this was within the tidal reach of the river.
Crossing the Back Rivers by a series of bridges is the Northern Outfall Sewer
. It and Abbey Mill Pumping Station were, both designed by Joseph Bazalgette
in the 1860s. Today, the route of the embankment that encloses the sewer from Bow
to Beckton
is followed by a public footpath, The Greenway.
, a canal lock, Three Mills Lock
has been constructed on the Prescott Channel
, with the effect that north of the lock – and the Three Mills Wall River Weir
– the Bow Back Rivers' water level will become constant. This will allow barges of up to 350 tonne to deliver material, and remove spoil from the site, reducing pressure on the local road network. Following the Olympics, it is hoped the waterways will continue to be used by both commercial and leisure craft.
The Olympics construction works have closed public access to many of the Bow Back Rivers, which are intended to form a major feature of the Olympic site. The Olympic Stadium
is being constructed on former industrial land between the Old River Lea (which rejoins the navigation below Old Ford Lock
), the City Mill River, and the Old Pudding Mill River. This stadium will form the centrepiece of the Olympics on an island site; with 200 metres to the east the Waterworks River, and on the eastern bank the Aquatics Centre
. Pedestrian bridges will cross the waterways to provide the principal access to the stadium, from Stratford International station
.
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, east London, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and form a complex system of waterways. The River Lea was originally tidal as far as Hackney Wick
Hackney Wick
Hackney Wick is an area straddling the boundary between the London Borough of Hackney and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. It is an inner-city development situated 5 miles northeast of Charing Cross...
; man-made changes to the river had changed this dramatically in the 9th century, and in 1110 a bridge was put in place at Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
. Over the ensuing centuries, the causeway that led to the bridge was cut by a number of man-made channels made to power water-driven tidal mills, such as those at Abbey Mills, and the still-surviving Three Mills
Three Mills
The Three Mills are former working mills on the River Lea in the East End of London, one of London’s oldest extant industrial centres. The largest and most powerful of the four remaining tidal mills is possibly the largest tidal mill in the world...
. Further improvements to the channels were carried out in 1930 under the River Lee (Flood Relief) Act.
Bow Creek
Bow Creek is a long tidal estuary of the River Lea and is part of the Bow Back Rivers. Below Bow Locks the creek forms the boundary between the London Boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, in east London....
and the connecting waterways—Prescott Channel
Prescott Channel
The Prescott Channel was built in 1930–35 as part of a flood relief scheme for the River Lee Navigation in the East End of London, and was named after Sir William Prescott, the then chairman of the Lee Conservancy Board...
, Channelsea River
Channelsea River
Channelsea River is a tidal river in London, one of the Bow Back Rivers that flow into the Bow Creek part of the River Lea, which in turn flows into the River Thames....
, Abbey Creek
Abbey Creek
Abbey Creek is a tidal river channel of the River Lea in London. It runs on the opposite side of Channelsea Island to the Channelsea River.- External links :* , London Borough of Newham, 14 December 2006*...
, Three Mills River, City Mill River
City Mill River
City Mill River is part of the Bow Back Rivers in London. The lock, City Mill Lock is currently disused but, in conjunction with new homes built alongside, work is underway to re-open it, with an official ceremony due in July 2010...
and Waterworks River
Waterworks River
Waterworks River is a tidal river in the London Borough of Newham, one of the Bow Back Rivers that flow into the Bow Creek part of the River Lea, which in turn flows into the River Thames....
—are all tidal below the House Mill
House Mill
The House Mill is a major Grade I listed building on the River Lea in Bromley by Bow, London. Although the Three Mills date back to the Domesday book, the present house mill was rebuilt in 1776 by Daniel Bisson. It was damaged by fire in 1802, and then rebuilt by Philip Metcalfe.It is one of only...
. Above the mill, the water level is now controlled by the Three Mills Lock
Three Mills Lock
Three Mills Lock, also known as the Prescott Lock is a lock on the Prescott Channel on the River Lea in London. The project was led by British Waterways and the lock officially opened on 5 June 2009....
. St Thomas Creek and the Old River Lee
River Lee Navigation
The Lee Navigation is a canalised river incorporating the River Lea . Its course runs from Hertford Castle Weir all the way to the River Thames at Bow Creek. The first lock of the navigation is Hertford Lock the last being Bow Locks....
are not tidal (being maintained at the same level as the Limehouse Cut
Limehouse Cut
The Limehouse Cut is a straight, broad canal in the East End of London, which linked the lower reaches of the River Lee Navigation to the River Thames...
). The Navigation along these latter rivers has been maintained since 1424.
History
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, carrying the principal road to Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
. The upstream ford at Old Ford is of pre-Roman origin, and afforded an easier crossing. A further causeway existed between Homerton
Homerton
Homerton is a place in the London Borough of Hackney. It is bordered to the west by Hackney Central, to the north by Lower Clapton, in the east by Hackney Wick, Leyton and by South Hackney to the south.-Origins:...
and Leyton
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
; known as Wanstead Slip.
These crossings passed across a true marsh, either side of the natural Lea. This wide, fast flowing river was then tidal, as far as Hackney Wick
Hackney Wick
Hackney Wick is an area straddling the boundary between the London Borough of Hackney and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. It is an inner-city development situated 5 miles northeast of Charing Cross...
, and navigable, as far as Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The first alteration to the natural river was made by Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
, who drained the river at Leamouth
Leamouth
Leamouth is the area to the west of the mouth of the River Lea at the River Thames at . The northern part of the area lies within a meander of the Lea; the southern part is bounded in the west by the former East India Docks, on two sides by the Lea and by the River Thames to the south...
to strand a force of Danes. This lowered the tide head to Old Ford, and prevented large boats sailing the river until the 15th century.
In 1135, Stratford Langthorne Abbey
Stratford Langthorne Abbey
Stratford Langthorne Abbey, or the Abbey of St Mary's, Stratford Langthorne was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1135 at Stratford Langthorne — then Essex but now Stratford in the London Borough of Newham...
was founded. The Abbey continued the process of draining Stratford marsh begun in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, and creating artificial channels to drive water and tide mills. A small river port developed at Stratford, mentioned in the 15th century, to serve the needs of Stratford Abbey and the mills at Stratford, and there is similar evidence in later centuries. The Abbey took on responsibility to maintain the marsh walls around Bow Creek
Bow Creek
Bow Creek is a long tidal estuary of the River Lea and is part of the Bow Back Rivers. Below Bow Locks the creek forms the boundary between the London Boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, in east London....
, to keep the tidal waters out. From 1613, extraction of water for the canals linking with the network, and the artificial New River
New River (England)
The New River is an artificial waterway in England, opened in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water taken from the River Lea and from Amwell Springs , and other springs and wells along its course....
, supplying fresh water to the city from Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, has caused water levels to fall in the non-navigable channels, and much of the traditional water milling to cease. This began a process of canalisation of the water course from Hertford to Old Ford, to enable boats to use the river.
The East London Waterworks Company
East London Waterworks Company
The East London Waterworks Company was one of eight private water companies in London absorbed by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1904.The company was founded by Act of Parliament in 1806, and in 1845 the limits of supply were described as "all those portions of the Metropolis, and its suburbs,...
began extraction for drinking water at Old Ford, Lea Bridge
Lea Bridge
Lea Bridge is a district of the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated to the northeast of the borough and bounded by Upper Clapton to the north, Lower Clapton to the south, and the River Lee Navigation to the east...
and established a waterworks at Stratford in 1743. By 1821, there were specialized wharfs at Stratford for timber, chalk, stone, coal, and wheat, as well as some for general cargoes situated on the Channelsea and the other navigable branches of the Lea as well as on the main stream, with local mills and factories usually having their own wharfs. By 1821, the earliest proper dock named Stratford Dock, later Meggs Dock, had been built. It was about 80 yards (73 m) long and 50 yards (46 m) wide, lying south of the High Street near Bow Bridge
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
and approached from the Lea by a short channel. The dock may have been constructed by the Middlesex and Essex turnpike trust, which owned and occupied it in 1843 and 1854.
By 1920, the whole site had been filled in and was occupied by factories.
The Bow Back Rivers were much modified in the 1930s, as part of a flood control system. The prior arrangement had been to regulate the navigation with the Pond Lane Flood Gates
Pond Lane Flood Gates
Pond Lane Flood Gates is redundant lock on the River Lee Navigation in the London Borough of Hackney, at Lea Bridge Road.- History :The flood gates were built as part of a scheme to control the navigation in the Bow Back Rivers and to protect the area above this point against flooding from the...
and a tidal lock at Marshgate Lane. The lock and flood gates were made redundant by a new lock in Carpenter's Road
Carpenter's Road Lock
Carpenter's Road Lock is a rising radial lock in the London Borough of Newham, near Marshgate Lane in Stratford. This tidal lock was installed c. 1931, to allow navigation of the Bow Back Rivers between the Waterworks River and Old River Lea, as part of extensive flood prevention works...
– which gave access to Bow Creek and the Waterworks River – providing barge access to Temple Mills
Temple Mills
Temple Mills is a northerly part of Stratford, south of Leyton, located within the London borough of Newham in east LondonToday, Temple Mills is surrounded at present by former railway tracks and works belonging to the Great Eastern Railway...
. The low headroom of the Northern Outfall Sewer
Northern Outfall Sewer
The Northern Outfall Sewer is a major gravity sewer which runs from Wick Lane in Hackney to Beckton Sewage Works in east London ; most of it was designed by Joseph Bazalgette after an outbreak of cholera in 1853 and "The Big Stink" of 1858.Prior to this work, central London's drains were built...
aqueduct prevented access to the southern reaches of the system, and to allow access City Mill Lock was constructed – near Blaker Road. In 2006, this lock was restored by the developers of an adjacent housing development. The system had bi-directional gates, as this was within the tidal reach of the river.
Crossing the Back Rivers by a series of bridges is the Northern Outfall Sewer
Northern Outfall Sewer
The Northern Outfall Sewer is a major gravity sewer which runs from Wick Lane in Hackney to Beckton Sewage Works in east London ; most of it was designed by Joseph Bazalgette after an outbreak of cholera in 1853 and "The Big Stink" of 1858.Prior to this work, central London's drains were built...
. It and Abbey Mill Pumping Station were, both designed by Joseph Bazalgette
Joseph Bazalgette
Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, CB was an English civil engineer of the 19th century. As chief engineer of London's Metropolitan Board of Works his major achievement was the creation of a sewer network for central London which was instrumental in relieving the city from cholera epidemics, while...
in the 1860s. Today, the route of the embankment that encloses the sewer from Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
to Beckton
Beckton
Beckton is part of the London Borough of Newham, England, located east of Charing Cross.Its boundaries are the A13 trunk road to the north, Barking Creek to the east, the Royal Docks to the south, and Prince Regent Lane to the west. The area around Prince Regent Lane is also known as Custom House...
is followed by a public footpath, The Greenway.
2012
As part of the preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, a canal lock, Three Mills Lock
Three Mills Lock
Three Mills Lock, also known as the Prescott Lock is a lock on the Prescott Channel on the River Lea in London. The project was led by British Waterways and the lock officially opened on 5 June 2009....
has been constructed on the Prescott Channel
Prescott Channel
The Prescott Channel was built in 1930–35 as part of a flood relief scheme for the River Lee Navigation in the East End of London, and was named after Sir William Prescott, the then chairman of the Lee Conservancy Board...
, with the effect that north of the lock – and the Three Mills Wall River Weir
Three Mills Wall River Weir
Three Mills Wall River Weir is a weir on the River Lea, in the London Borough of Newham, near to Three Mills.The weir has been constructed across the Three Mills Wall River by British Waterways to control the levels in the Bow Back Rivers and make then navigable for barges during the Olympic Park,...
– the Bow Back Rivers' water level will become constant. This will allow barges of up to 350 tonne to deliver material, and remove spoil from the site, reducing pressure on the local road network. Following the Olympics, it is hoped the waterways will continue to be used by both commercial and leisure craft.
The Olympics construction works have closed public access to many of the Bow Back Rivers, which are intended to form a major feature of the Olympic site. The Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (London)
The London Olympic Stadium will be the centrepiece of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium is located at Marshgate Lane in Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley and has capacity for the Games of approximately 80,000 making it temporarily the third largest stadium in Britain behind...
is being constructed on former industrial land between the Old River Lea (which rejoins the navigation below Old Ford Lock
Old Ford Lock
Old Ford Lock is a paired lock and weir on the River Lee Navigation, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, England. It is at Bow on the east side of London...
), the City Mill River, and the Old Pudding Mill River. This stadium will form the centrepiece of the Olympics on an island site; with 200 metres to the east the Waterworks River, and on the eastern bank the Aquatics Centre
Aquatics Centre (London)
The London Aquatics Centre is an indoor facility with two 50 metre swimming pools and a 25 metre diving pool, which will be one of the main venues of the London 2012 Summer Olympics and the London 2012 Summer Paralympics.-Design:...
. Pedestrian bridges will cross the waterways to provide the principal access to the stadium, from Stratford International station
Stratford International station
Stratford International station is a main line railway and Docklands Light Railway station located in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham in northeast London, United Kingdom...
.