Along the Hackney Canal towards Springfield
The River Lea leaves the navigation at this point. As one's boat enters Old Ford locks, technically they are on a canal. This was known sometimes as the Hackney canal (or Hackney Navigation Cut). From here to Hertford its 24 miles - 19 miles of which is actually by canal. We must remember that the Lee Navigation is a canal not a river, but sometimes it has stretches that do take on the appearance of a river, and these stretches are undoubtedly some of the most attractive. The Hackney cut is one of these. Despite its urban setting, there is a good bit of a country-like feel to the waterway, and the Hackney Cut is, in my view without a doubt the most pleasant of the canal sections south of Cheshunt. This is allthe more ironic when one realises that the Hackney Canal (or Hackney Navigation Cut) was one of the earlier artificial cuts built
Old Ford scenes. 1) The locks the left hand is manually operated and right electrically operated 2) The Big Breakfast house - now a private residence
Several of these former tipping wharves exist in the stretch above the locks
Ugly ugly ugly blue fence hiding the Olympics development!
Hertford Union Junction. The Hertford Union canal was built as a useful short cut between the Regents Canal and Lee Navigation
Olympics construction begins adjacent to the Lee Navigation at Hackney Wick
Views along the Hackney cut. 1) New housing near Hackney Wick 2) Eastway Bridge
Looking through the A12 bridgehole towards Lesneys.
The old Lesneys factory by Marshgate bridge at Homerton. I used to work here in the 1980's, when there was still some commercial traffic on the navigation. Our office was on the top floor and offered excellent views. The houses on the left are on the site of the Lesney factory annexe. The view (below) taken from my office window in January 1987 shows the former factory annexe on the opposite side of Marshgate bridge
Seen from my office window in January 1987: An unidentified BW Lee & Stort tug is towing a workboat through the ice. These tugs were named after reservoirs and are still used on the Lee and Stort, and occasionally the Regents canal. One has been recorded as working as far north as Leighton Buzzard, miles from its home ground
A prospect looking south towards the Lesneys factory and Marshgate bridge
Clapton Power station. The Hackney cut is straight as far as Lesneys. Northwards it takes on a much more river like appearance and winds its way gently towards Lea Bridge
Three views around Lea Bridge. 1) Pond Lane and BW boats. The bridge was once the site of the Pond Lane flood gates 2) The Lea Bridge weir 3) A general view of Lea Bridge.
The Anchor and Hope, a renowed riverside pub at Clapton. There used to be a network of river channels here, and in the Victorian heyday many rowboats could be made for hire from the boat houses along these secondary channels sited on the Clapton side.
The River Lea as it winds its way past Walthamstow Marshes
A view of the boats at Springfield. The marina is to the right and the park is on the left. The main course of the river was different when the Lee Navigation first opened in 1770. The navigation actually used a backwater of the River Lea up to the old Tottenham lock, where the different river channels merged again. Now this backwater is the main course of the River Lea through Springfield.
A view of the swans at Springfield. There seem to be more swans here than on the Thames. This stretch is undoubtedly one of the most popular stretches of the River Lea. Sadly its often also one of the most rubbish strewn stretches on the waterway, and the local conservation groups have regular clearnce programmes to try to keep this otherwise very pretty stretch of river clean. Its quite a struggle as the amount of rubbish can be overwhelming. The stories of rubbish (and weeds) on the waterway is what usually puts people off the idea of boating on the Lee Navigation
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Tottenham & Edmonton to Picketts Lock
London Canals
