The Lea Navigation starts at Bow Locks and continues north to Hertford. The Limehouse cut carried barges on to the Thames at Limehouse, or they could go through the locks and into the tidal Bow Creek which is the lower reaches of the River Lea.
Stratford Marsh, between Stratford High Street and Hackney Wick, includes a number of streamsof the River Lea, known together as the Bow Back Rivers, as well as the Lea Navigation.
Most of these streams were once used to power mills, and some for water supply. There were various alterations to them including the building of several locks in the 1930s, partly for flood relief but also as a project to provide employment. The City Mill River was widened, embanked and made navigable, although there is little evidence that there was serious commercial traffic. Until they were closed for the Olympics they were occasionally used by leisure craft.
Much of the area was covered by small businesses with a few larger companies. There was a large area of railway sidings between the City Mill and Waterworks River and a few larger industrial buildings.
The rivers and their edges were rich with wildlife, often rather overgrown. There were areas of nature reserve near Old Ford Lock.
Running through the centre of the area is the elevated Northern Outfall Sewer, with a foot path along its top. Around 1990 this was improved and rebranded as the Greeway. Around the same time many of the other footpaths in the area were also cleared and large amounts of hardcore put down, along with new signposts, and volunteers spent a lot of time clearing the various waterways.
Pictures of the frontages of properties on Carpenters Road are shown in the Hackney Wick section of the site, while their backs on the Waterworks River are included here.
1980-92 Black & White index
1980s: colour
2000 on: colour
All photographs on this site are
© 1980-2010 Peter Marshall.
Pictures are available for commercial use - please email me, for terms.
Permission is normally granted for suitable non-commercial use without cost - please email the above address. I also welcome comments and questions about the work.
32v-14.jpg Woodyard at Stratford, 1982
32v-22.jpg Woodyard at Stratford, 1982
32v-11: Woodyard at Stratford, 1982
32v-12: Woodyard at Stratford, 1982
32v34: Stratford Marsh
32v35: Stratford Marsh
32v46: Stratford Marsh
869f-25 City Mill Lock
869f-26 City Mill Lock
36m55
90-9f-32m