Canal towpath overlooking Three Mills Wall River

The Lower Lea Valley is the southern end of the

Lea Valley The Lea Valley (also spelt Lee Valley), the valley of the River Lea, has been used as a transport corridor, a source of sand and gravel, an industrial area, a water supply for London, and a recreational area. The London 2012 Summer Olympics wer ...

which surrounds the

River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in the East of England and Greater London. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Cr ...

in eastern

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

. It is part of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area and was the location of the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

Geography

The Lower Lea Valley can be described as the part to the south of the long chain of reservoirs which end with the

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

and

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

Warwick Reservoirs. The Lea changes course at this point, changing from a SSW to a SSE direction for the last before its confluence with the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

at Leamouth and

Canning Town Canning Town is a town in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, north of the Royal Victoria Dock. Its urbanisation was largely due to the creation of the dock. The area was part of the ancient parish and County Borough of West Ham, ...

. The north-west of the area is in the

London Borough of Hackney The London Borough of Hackney ( ) is a London boroughs, London borough in Inner London, England. The historical and administrative heart of Hackney is Mare Street, which lies north-east of Charing Cross. The borough is named after Hackney, Lond ...

, the south-east is in the

London Borough of Newham The London Borough of Newham () is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by ...

, the south-west is in the

London Borough of Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London boroughs, borough in London, England. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames and immediately east of the City of London, the borough spans much of the traditional East End of London and ...

, and the north-east is in the

London Borough of Waltham Forest The London Borough of Waltham Forest () is an Outer London, outer London boroughs, London borough formed in 1965 from the merger of the municipal boroughs of Municipal Borough of Leyton, Leyton, Municipal Borough of Walthamstow, Walthamstow an ...

Parkland

The Lower Lea includes Hackney Marshes and the Lea River Park, a collection of six parks which connect

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a sporting complex and public park in Stratford, Hackney Wick, Leyton and Bow, in east London. It was purpose-built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, situated adjacent to the Stratford City devel ...

to the

Royal Docks Royal Docks is an area in the London Borough of Newham in the London Docklands in East London, England. The area is named after three docks – the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock. They are more corre ...

and the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

; linked by the Leaway. Three Mills Lane view across the water

The redevelopment of the Lea River Park opens up of new space creating walkways and cycle paths. The project completes the 26-mile long Lee Valley Regional Park which connects Ware in Hertfordshire to the River Thames. Cody Dock Rolling Bridge side panorama

It takes an hour to walk the entire Lea River Park with the opportunity to stop off and learn about some of the area's rich history, including: * Dane's Yard – the first phase of Vastint's Sugar House Island project. Dane's Yard is a Conservation Area sensitively being refurbished into a business hub for creative industries. The Sugar House, a Victorian warehouse on site, is one of the development's buildings being refurbished. * Three Mills – a beautiful and historic area which is home to the world's biggest tide mill (which was listed in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

). The mills were originally used to grind grain for flour (Stratford bakers were renowned and mentioned by

Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He ...

). Later the mills ground grain to make gin, and a large distillery was set up on Three Mills Island. Owned at the time by Nicholson, it fuelled the

Gin Craze The Gin Craze was a period in the first half of the 18th century when the consumption of gin increased rapidly in Great Britain, especially in London. Daniel Defoe commented: "the Distillers have found out a way to hit the palate of the Poor, by ...

in London. The distillery is now

3 Mills Studios 3 Mills Studios is a centre for film, television and theatre production near Stratford, London, Stratford in East London. The site of a former distillery in Three Mills became a dedicated centre for television and film production work with the ...

, an independent film studio, home of ''MasterChef'' and many British-made films. * Bow Ecology Park – a thriving wildlife sanctuary with newts, water scorpions and flocks of wading birds. * Trinity Buoy Wharf – home to London's only lighthouse. * Cody Dock – with Rolling Bridge – a formerly derelict dock which is being transformed into a thriving creative community space. * The banks of the Lea at the Bow Brewery where India Pale Ale was first brewed.

Redevelopment areas

Responsibility for the redevelopment of most of the area was under the remit of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation until 2012. The area around the Olympic site is now under the control of the

London Legacy Development Corporation The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is an organisation established in 2012, replacing the Olympic Park Legacy Company and the planning powers of the Olympic Delivery Authority. It was formed as a mayoral development corporation un ...

. Part of the area is an

enterprise zone An urban enterprise zone is an area in which policies to encourage economic growth and development are implemented. Urban enterprise zone policies generally offer tax concessions, infrastructure incentives, and reduced regulations to attract invest ...

including Silvertown Quays, Royal Albert Dock and Royal Albert Basin. Current areas identified for redevelopment are: * Bromley-by-Bow, led by

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...

, Tower Hamlets * Canning Town and Custom House, Newham * Chobham Manor, Newham * East Village, the former Olympic village, Newham * East Wick, Hackney * Marshgate Wharf, Newham * Pudding Mill, Newham *

Silvertown Quays Silvertown Quays is a redevelopment scheme of of former warehouse, warehousing in the East London district of Silvertown. It is situated in the London Borough of Newham on the northside of the River Thames, the southside of the Royal Victoria Do ...

, Newham * Stratford City, led by Westfield, Newham * Sugar House Island, led by Vastint, Newham * Sweetwater, Tower Hamlets * Bromley-by-Bow gasholders, led by St William

In popular culture

The 2005 documentary ''What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day?'' focuses on the history and landscape of the Lower Lea Valley. The film was made by Paul Kelly in conjunction with British pop group Saint Etienne.Saints of the screen
Retrieved 26 November 2011

References

External links

London Planning Dept. - Lower Lea Valley Master PlanDetails: on the London Development Agency websiteblitzandblight.com / Lower Lea ValleyBBC: Lower Lea & Thames GatewayMap of the Lea River Park
{{authority control Geography of London Areas of London Redevelopment projects in London Geography of the London Borough of Newham Geography of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Thames Gateway River Lea London sub-regions