The Old River Lea is the former natural channel of the River Lea below 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...

, in the London Borough of Hackney

London Borough of Hackney

The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....

. The Old River forms a large meander from the Middlesex Filter Beds Weir

Middlesex Filter Beds Weir

The Middlesex Filter Beds Weir, or Lea Bridge Road Weir, marks the start of the Hackney Cut, an artificial channel of the River Lee Navigation built in 1770, in the London Borough of Hackney...

 to rejoin the main channel of the River Lee Navigation

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....

 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...

, just west of the 2012 Olympic stadium.

The natural channel is joined by the River Lee Flood Relief Channel

River Lee Flood Relief Channel

The River Lee Flood Relief Channel is located in the Lea Valley and flows between Ware, Hertfordshire and Stratford, east London. Work started on the channel in 1947 following major flooding and was fully operational by 1976...

, and Dagenham Brook

Dagenham Brook

Dagenham Brook is located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest and is a minor River Lea tributary.- Course :The brook flows from the River Lee Flood Relief Channel close to the North Access Road to cross a mainly urban area and to merge with the Old River Lea close to New Spitalfields Market,...

 and a number of subsidiary channels form the semi-tidal Bow Back Rivers

Bow Back Rivers

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...

, discharging into 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....

.

The natural channel forms the boundary between the London Boroughs of Hackney and Waltham Forest

London Borough of Waltham Forest

The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...

; and forms the eastern boundary of Hackney Marshes

Hackney Marshes

Hackney Marshes is an area of grassland on the western bank of the River Lea in the London Borough of Hackney. It was incorporated into the Lee Valley Park in 1967...

.

See also

• List of rivers in England
• List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
• Locks and Weirs on the River Lee
  Locks and Weirs on the River Lee (England)
  This article contains a complete list of locks and weirs on the River Lea/River Lee Navigation.-Locks and Weirs:* Hertford Weir* Hertford Lock* Ware Weir* Ware Lock* Hardmead Lock* Stanstead Lock* Feildes Weir* Feildes Weir Lock* Dobbs Weir Lock...
  
  
• Lea Valley Walk
  Lea Valley Walk
  The Lea Valley Walk is a long-distance path located between Leagrave, the source of the River Lea near Luton, and the Thames, at Limehouse Basin, Limehouse, east London. From its source much of the walk is rural. At Hertford the path follows the towpath of the River Lee Navigation, and it becomes...
  
  
• Lower Lea Valley
  Lower Lea Valley
  The Lower Lea Valley is the southern end of the Lea Valley, surrounding the River Lea , which runs along the boundary of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on its western bank and the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest and Newham on its eastern bank, into the River Thames. The river forms the...
  
  

External links