80-780: Lee Valley White Water Centre (previously known as Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre ) is a white-water slalom centre in the Middle Lea Valley , in the Borough of Broxbourne , Hertfordshire . It was constructed to host the canoe slalom events of the London 2012 Olympic Games. On 9 December 2010, the Princess Royal officially opened the venue which is owned by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and managed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) under its "Better" brand. The £31 million ($ 50 million US) project to construct
160-523: A distinctively bow-shaped, three-arched, bridge to be built over the River Lea ( The like of which had not been seen before ), at Bow, the first bridge over the lower Lea. The lower Lea was at that time a wide, tidal and unchannelled river, so the construction of the bridge allowed a far greater degree of social and economic integration between Essex on one side and Middlesex (including the City of London) on
240-676: A BMX freestyle park, cyclo-cross/cross-country course mountain bike course and an outdoor cycle speedway track. The facilities would be used by internationals as well as those learning to ride. It was estimated that the park would attract 88,000 users a year, replacing the Eastway Cycle Circuit. Eastway Cycle Circuit opened in 1975, it was the first purpose built road cycling venue in Britain. The facility closed in September 2006 to make way for London's VeloPark. The velodrome
320-594: A correspondent to the Gentleman's Magazine in 1823, in which he claimed to have heard from a woman who was a child in the reign of Charles II (r. 1660–1685) and had the lyrics: London Velopark Lee Valley VeloPark is a cycling centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London , England. It is owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority , and it
400-551: A major source of drinking water for London. An artificial waterway known as the New River , opened in 1613, abstracts clean water away from the upper stretch of the river near Hertford for drinking. The Lea's origin in the Chilterns contributes to the extreme hardness (high mineral content) of London tap water. The name of the River Lea was first recorded in the 9th century, although is believed to be much older. Spellings from
480-455: A purpose-built slalom course for the Olympic white-water canoe events (flatwater canoeing and kayaking events took place at Dorney Lake , Buckinghamshire , west of London). The main competition channel is an international- and Olympic-standard 300-metre canoe and kayak slalom course. It and the shorter warm-up course empty into the warm-up and cool-down lake. The white water is created by
560-748: A shipyard which straddled either side of the Lea at its confluence with the Thames. The 2012 Olympics was focused in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on the banks of the Lea, and its main Stadium, on an island between two branches of the river, is now home to West Ham United. The Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire is another sporting legacy of the games. Various versions of the nursery rhyme London Bridge Is Falling Down make reference to Bow Bridge. The oldest known version could be that recalled by
640-585: A special commendation at the 2011 Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards in recognition of the excellence of its design in meeting the needs of the sport, and the understated addition it makes to its parkland setting. The centre has also won or been shortlisted for the following awards: 2012 winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects East Spirit of Ingenuity Award; 2012 winner of Secured by Design Award; 2011 Essex Tourism Awards (shortlisted) Best Large Attraction and Best Tourism Experience. The site
720-554: A system of pumps which lift water into the two start pools. All of the water contained in the system is slightly chlorinated in order to retain water quality. During the Games, temporary seating was installed around the venue for 12,000 spectators. The 300-metre competition course has a drop of 5.5 metres (18 ft), for an average slope of 1.8% (18 m/km or 95 ft/mile) and a pump-powered streamflow of 13 cubic metres per second (460 cubic feet per second). The intermediate/warm-up course
800-453: Is 160 metres long with a drop of 1.6 metres and flow of 10.5 cubic metres per second. A 10,000-square-metre lake, filled with groundwater, supplies the water for the pumps. Lee Valley Regional Park Authority hope to bring in up to £45,000 per day from visitors to offset the energy cost of pumping the water. The course is sited within a new landscaped parkland setting, including path and bridge networks to enable spectators to have access and view
880-654: Is also used in geology, archaeology, etc. to refer to the Lea Valley . The term River Lea is Cockney rhyming slang for tea. The line of the Lea, and its major tributary, the Stort, has long been used as a political boundary. In the Iron Age the Lea and Stort valleys formed a hotly contested frontier zone between the Catuvellauni to the west and the eastern Trinovantes . The two rivers are assumed to have been
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#1732791049529960-680: Is derived). The River Lea flows through the old brewing and malting centre of Ware , and consequently transport by water was for many years a significant industry based there. Barley was transported into Ware, and malt out via the river, in particular to London. Bargemen born in Ware were given the "freedom of the River Thames" — avoiding the requirement of paying lock dues — as a result of their transport of fresh water and food to London during The Great Plague of 1665–66. A local legend says that dead bodies were brought out of London at that time via
1040-759: Is located just off the A121 road , with easy access from the A10 road , and junctions 25 and 26 of the M25 motorway . Rail access to the site is via Cheshunt and Waltham Cross railway stations on the West Anglia Main Line , with frequent services from Stratford , near the main Olympic site, and Liverpool Street . Theobalds Grove railway station , on the Lea Valley Lines , is nearby. Arriva Herts and Essex operates services 66,86,251 which pass close to
1120-525: Is much greater, and the communities on either side better integrated as a result. The source of the Lea is usually said to be at Well Head inside Waulud's Bank , a neolithic henge at Leagrave Common in Luton , Bedfordshire , although just downstream the river is joined by Houghton Brook , a stream that starts 2 miles (3 km) further west in Houghton Regis . After passing through Luton,
1200-659: Is the third 250 m (270 yd) covered track in Great Britain. In September 2008 plans for the VeloPark were revealed, which were chosen with help from Chris Hoy . However, by March 2007, the VeloPark was revealed to be only a third of its original size, rescaled from 34 to 10 hectares. The decrease in the size of the site led to users of the Eastway cycle circuit to protest to the Mayor of London. On 12 July 2007,
1280-602: The 2008 Olympic Games . Team manager of British Cycling, David Brailsford has stated that the new indoor National BMX Arena in Manchester and the undulating terrain of North West England , ideal for practising road race cycling, offer a distinct advantage over London. An agreement was struck in 2012 to bring track cycling to the London Velodrome post-2012 Olympics, with events such as Revolution series which have proved popular in Manchester. In September 2013
1360-536: The Anglo-Saxon period include Lig(e)an in 880 and Lygan in 895, and in the early medieval period it is usually Luye or Leye . It seems to be derived from a Celtic (brythonic) root lug -meaning 'bright or light' which is also the derivation of a name for a deity, so the meaning may be 'bright river' or 'river dedicated to the god Lugus '. A simpler derivation may well be the Brythonic word cognate with
1440-513: The Battle of Bow Bridge , the Royalists headed for Colchester and were besieged there . During WWI, parts of London on either side of the Lea were badly hit by German Army and Navy airship raids. It is believed the crews mistook the extensive reservoir chain for the Thames and released their bombs on what they took to be central London. The ecological, landscape and recreational importance of
1520-631: The Chiltern Hills , and flows southeast through Hertfordshire , along the Essex border and into Greater London , to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek . It is one of the largest rivers in London and the easternmost major tributary of the Thames. The river's significance as a major east–west barrier and boundary has tended to obscure its importance as north–south trade route. Below Hertford
1600-620: The Congreve Rocket Factory on the site of Stratford Langthorne Abbey . Improvements were made to the river from 1424, with tolls being levied to compensate the landowners, and in 1571, there were riots after the extension of the River was promoted in a private bill presented to the House of Commons . By 1577, the first lock was established at Waltham Abbey and the river began to be actively managed for navigation. The New River
1680-538: The Mayor of London and Transport for London would invest £3 million and £2.5 million respectively. The site was to be 34 hectares on the northern end of the proposed Olympic Park, next to the A12 . The park would include a velodrome seating 1,500, which could be increased to 6,000 if London's bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were successful. The site would also have an international competition BMX circuit,
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#17327910495291760-588: The Middle Lea . During the Middle Ages , Temple Mills , Abbey Mills , Old Ford and Bow were the sites of water mills (mainly in ecclesiastic ownership) that supplied flour to the bakers of Stratforde-atte-Bow, and hence bread to the City. It was the channels created for these mills that caused the Bow Back Rivers to be cut through the former Roman stone causeway at Stratford (from which the name
1840-502: The Olympic Delivery Authority selected the design team: Hopkins Architects , Expedition Engineering , BDSP, and Grant Associates, following an architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions . The Velopark was scheduled to be completed by the contractor, ISG , in 2011. In 2004, during London's Olympic and Paralympic bid, the estimated cost was £ 37 million, including £20 million for
1920-475: The Prescott Channel to maintain water levels on the Lea, within the park at a depth of 2 metres (7 ft). This allowed access to the site by 350–tonne barges with the aim that at least half of the material required for construction could be delivered or removed by water. In January 2024, the River Lea burst its banks as Hackney Wick residents tell of 'knee-high' flood water. Millfields Park on
2000-544: The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park . In that park, and just to the south of it, the river's course splits, running almost entirely in man-made channels, the Bow Back Rivers . These channels were once much more numerous and originally created to power water mills including, at the southern end, the restored tidal mill called Three Mills . The area around the Bow Back Rivers subsequently became a thriving industrial zone. Around Bow Creek , major industry prevailed, including
2080-614: The River Lee Diversion . These reservoirs come to an end on the boundaries of the London Boroughs of Haringey and Hackney and form part of a broad undeveloped green space, a mile (800 m) wide in places, which extends deep into London. On Hackney's northern edge, the Lea shifts to a south-south-easterly direction, the reservoirs end, but the broad green corridor continues as the river passes through Walthamstow Marshes , Leyton Marshes , Hackney Marshes and
2160-490: The River Thames . The Lee Navigation was established by Acts of Parliament and only that spelling is used in this context. The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority also uses this spelling for leisure facilities. However, the spelling Lea is used for road names, locations and other infrastructure in the capital, such as Leamouth , Lea Bridge , the Lea Valley Walk and the Lea Valley lines (railway). This spelling
2240-534: The Thames Ironworks , Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks and West Ham Power Station . In the 1960s and 1970s, changing economic conditions led to a steep decline and deindustrialisation along this section of the Lea. The river was historically tidal as far north as Hackney Wick , but now the tide is held back by the Bow Locks between Bromley-by-Bow and West Ham. Although watercraft can follow the Lea down to
2320-496: The ecosystem , but also leads to de-oxygenation of the water. Dumping, litter and microplastics are a major problem on the Lea with much of this waste arriving in the river in sewage. In April 2021, Hackney Council wrote to the Environment Agency calling for action to address sewage discharge and pollution in the river. In November 2021, local volunteers stated they were removing 100kg of plastic pollution from
2400-530: The Eastway Cycle Circuit demolished to make way for it. The facilities built for the Olympics were constructed between 2009 and 2011. The first event in the Velopark was the London round of the 2011 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series. In February 2005, plans were announced for a £22 million VeloPark. Sport England would invest £10.5 million, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority £6 million and
2480-454: The Lea at Hackney, is the reputed site of a victory of Aescwine of Essex over Octa of Kent in 527, which allowed Aescwine to become the first King of Essex . However, the historicity of these events and the very existence of Aescwine are disputed. Somewhere between 878 and 890, the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum was drawn up that amongst other things used the course of the Lea to define
Lee Valley White Water Centre - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-674: The London Velopark BMX venue. The venue was used for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic track cycling competition was held in the Velodrome with the adjoining BMX track hosting the Olympic BMX competition. Team GB dominated the track cycling competition winning seven out of a possible ten gold medals plus one silver and one bronze. The GB Paralympic track cycling team won a total of 15 medals, comprising five golds, seven silver and three bronze. The Eastway Cycle Circuit
2640-466: The Lower Lea every month. Water extraction, for drinking water, farming and industry, has led to a reduction in river flow impacting wildlife and concentrating the pollutants present in the remaining river water. Projects such as that led by Thames21 installing reedbeds help to remove pollutants whilst oxygenating the water, as well as creating habitat for the likes of water voles and improving
2720-514: The Olympic Park. The velodrome is energy efficient—rooflights reduce the need for artificial lights, and natural ventilation reduces the need for air condition. Rain water is also collected, which reduces the amount of water used from the municipal water system. Designer Ron Webb , who designed the velodrome tracks for the Sydney and Athens Games, was in charge of the design and installation of
2800-673: The Olympic and intermediate course. The venue is owned, funded and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority ; it will join the other London 2012 venues – the Velopark , Hockey Centre and Tennis centre at Eton Manor – that the Park Authority will also own, fund and manage in legacy. Two gate sets were used for the Olympic Games, one for the first two days (left) and another for the last three days (right). Each gate set had six upstream gates (red numbers), but gate #12 of
2880-655: The Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award at British Construction Industry Awards . The venue was used for the first time in competition during the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in February 2012. The velodrome was also used for the 2012 Paralympics . The outdoor BMX racing track was scheduled to have a spectator capacity of 6,000. Work began on its construction in March 2011. After
2960-550: The Thames, it is generally more practical to follow the Limehouse Cut (which meets the Lea at Bow Locks) down to Limehouse Basin , and use the Limehouse Basin Lock to join the Thames. The communities on the west side of the lower Lea include Hackney , Bow and Bromley-by-Bow . On the east side, they include southern parts of Walthamstow , then Leyton , Stratford and West Ham . The last few miles of
3040-585: The UCI announced that the Velodrome will host the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships . The London Development Agency (LDA) have funded a new permanent road cycle circuit and mountain bike course at the Redbridge Cycling Centre , costing £5m. The London Borough of Redbridge will be funding the facility up to the completion of the legacy London Velopark. Work is underway to identify an operator of Hog Hill beyond 2012. Since opening for
3120-475: The accessibility of the area and contributing to the ribbon development that made the character of the west side of the valley much more developed than the east. Just after Hertford, the river passes the medieval river port of Ware and the Hertfordshire bank soon becomes entirely developed. On the west bank the river passes Hoddesdon , Broxbourne and Cheshunt in Hertfordshire; then Enfield , Edmonton , Tottenham and Tottenham Marshes in north London. On
3200-530: The aesthetics of the man-made concrete sections of the canalised river. In their early days, Tottenham Hotspur played their games at Tottenham Marshes on the Middle Lea while Leyton Orient have had a number of home grounds in the Lower Lea Valley , with both having their current grounds within a mile of the river. West Ham United was established as the works team of the Thames Ironworks ,
3280-442: The area that year, ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games . The river is threatened by pollution, with sewage frequently discharged into the river as well as less common events causing major damage, such as an oil leak in 2018, or the toxic runoff from a warehouse fire in 2019. The sewage pollution, as well as that of fertiliser washed in from agricultural fields causes eutrophication , an excess of nutrients, which not only unbalances
Lee Valley White Water Centre - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-637: The border between the Danes and the English. In 894, a force of Danes sailed up the river to Hertford, and in about 895 they built a fortified camp, in the higher reaches of the Lea, about 20 miles (32.2 km) north of London. Alfred the Great saw an opportunity to defeat the Danes and dug a new channel to lower the level of the river, leaving the Danes stranded. In 1216, during the First Barons' War ,
3440-497: The boundaries of London's parliamentary constituencies, the Boundary Commission treats the Thames and Lea as London's major internal barriers. It will not allow a new or altered constituency that spans either river, viewing such a construct as artificial and not reflective of local communities or identities. They have compromised on this further south, on the lower Lea, where the quality and quantity of cross-river links
3520-639: The boundary between the core territory of the Kingdom of the East Saxons and its Middle Saxon Province . The whole of the Lea was subsequently used as the boundary between English-ruled territory to the west and the Danelaw , established in the late 9th century, to the east. From around the ninth or tenth century, and the establishment of counties in this part of England, the Lea-Stort line has formed
3600-521: The centre finished on schedule and was the first newly constructed Olympic venue to be completed. The Olympic canoe slalom competition was held from 29 July through 2 August 2012. The venue also hosted the 2015 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships . The venue is located at Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire , adjacent to the River Lee, the county border with Essex . The site is just outside
3680-429: The centre finished on schedule and was the first newly constructed Olympic venue to be completed. Lee Valley White Water Centre was the only brand new London 2012 venue available for public use before the Games. On 8 September 2012 it became the first London 2012 venue to reopen to the public. The centre is intended to provide canoeing and rafting activities for users of all abilities who will be able to take advantage of
3760-652: The centre would host the 2015 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships . A £6.3 million redevelopment project was completed in February 2014 leading to the creation of new visitor facilities and new offices and training base for the GB Canoe Slalom team. The main facility building is designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects. The canoe course is located within a wider parkland setting designed by U.S.-based landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates . White-water course specialists Whitewater Parks International, working with civil and structural engineers Cundall , are
3840-613: The creation of a 1:10 Froude scaled physical model that resulted in numerous changes to the initial white-water channel design. One of these changes was the conceptualization, design and implementation of the RapidBlocs Obstacle system. The RapidBlocs system allows course operators to reconfigure the placement of boulders, eddies, and rapids to meet design objectives. S2o and EPD were further responsible for course tuning and commissioning. Following nomination from Broxbourne Borough Council , Lee Valley White Water Centre won
3920-408: The designers of the white-water courses. Indigo Planning were the planning consultants and managed the preparation of the Environmental Statement. Stage D of the design process was completed by Morrison Construction The Team of S2o Design and Engineering and Engineering Paddler Designs completed the detail design of the white-water channel itself. The detail design of the white-water channel involved
4000-420: The eastern side the river passes Waltham Abbey on the largely rural Essex bank, and then Chingford and Walthamstow in east London. South of Hertford, the river is lined by lakes; to the north these are primarily flooded former gravel pits but in London they are reservoirs: the 13 reservoirs of the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain , fed by the branches of the river known as the River Lee Flood Relief Channel and
4080-500: The events. A new facility building houses reception, café, changing rooms, shop, offices, spectator viewing, equipment storage and water pump and filtration facilities. The venue was officially opened by the Princess Royal on 9 December 2010. It is owned by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and was originally managed by them as well, but since April 1, 2022, is now managed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) under its "Better" brand. The £31 million ($ 50 million US) project to construct
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#17327910495294160-431: The first set was a flush gate with the second pole directly downstream of the first. Paddlers entered gate #12 from the left wall side and exited into the main current. Gate #18 of the second set was a downstream flush gate, with entrance from the flow and exit into the eddy. A 90-degree right turn direct from #18 to #19 was faster than the 270-degree eddy spin used by many contenders. All the gates were double-pole. There
4240-459: The future Louis VIII of France besieged Hertford Castle for a month, leading to its surrender. He only held the castle for a relatively short time as he lost the war soon after. In 1648 during the second English Civil War a Royalist force crossed the Thames from Greenwich and hoped to cross Bow Bridge, over the Lea and into Essex. After inconclusive clashes with the Tower Hamlets Militia and other Parliamentarian forces, an engagement known as
4320-428: The games the seating was removed and the track reconfigured to accommodate all abilities. The first competition on the venue was the test event for the Olympic Games, a round of the 2011 UCI Supercross BMX World Cup series. The track for men is 470 metres long and features a berm jump, an S-bend transfer, a box jump and a rhythm section in the final straight. The women's course is 430 metres long featuring three jumps in
4400-400: The historic boundary between Essex to the east and Hertfordshire and Middlesex to the west. Within London the river is always used as a boundary between London Boroughs - which in turn inherit more ancient county and parish boundaries which also used the Lea as a boundary. Between 1889 and 1965, the lower Lea was the eastern boundary of the County of London with Essex . When reviewing
4480-434: The marshes known as Wanstead Slip (now in Leyton). The route then continued through Essex to Colchester . At this time, the Lea was a wider river, and the tidal estuary stretched as far as Hackney Wick . Evidence has been found of a late Roman settlement at Old Ford, dating from the 4th and 5th centuries. In 1110, Matilda , wife of Henry I , reputedly took a tumble at the ford, on her way to Barking Abbey and ordered
4560-447: The modern Welsh "Li" pronounced "Lea" which means a flow or a current. Much of the middle Lea were historically known as 'Mereditch', the first element deriving from the Old English ‘gemaera’, meaning boundary. This was due to that section of the river’s role as the dividing line between territories, for instance separating Middlesex and Essex. By the 20th century 'Mereditch' had evolved to 'Mare Dyke' and referred to just one channel of
4640-428: The northern boundary of Greater London and 9 miles (14 km) north-west of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford , east London. It is in the heart of River Lee Country Park which is part of the 10,000-acre (40 km), 26-mile (42 km) long Lee Valley Park . The venue opened in late 2010 offering canoeing and rafting activities to the public ahead of the London 2012 Summer Olympics . The venue has
4720-486: The occasional seal . Some boat trippers reported observing on 5 August 2005 a Canada goose being pulled underwater very quickly. The London Wildlife Trust suggested that this was most likely caused by a pike . In 2011, Mike Wells claimed that he saw a "goose go vertically down" in the river. Again a pike or mink was suggested as most likely. Vice Magazine suggested that Wells' story may have been invented to publicise authorities' attempts to evict houseboats from
4800-468: The opening straight and a tunnel before like the men's including a rhythm section in the final straight. It has been called one of the most challenging BMX tracks to date. The track also features an 8-metre high starting ramp and was designed by the UCI with the aim of pushing the boundaries of the sport. 14,000 cubic metres (494,405 cu ft) of soil was used to build the track. After the Supercross world cup event, Shanaze Reade called for changes to
4880-419: The other than had been possible before. Lea Bridge , the second bridge over the lower Lea was built after 1757, to replace the pre-existing ferry. It connected Clapton to the west, and Leyton and Walthamstow to the east. The Iron Bridge carrying the Barking Road over the river to Canning Town was built in 1810. There are significantly more crossings over the more central Lower Lea , than there are over
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#17327910495294960-413: The public in March 2014, Lee Valley VeloPark has staged a number of major international events. The first that took place in the venue was the grand finale of the Revolution series in February 2014. This was followed by the opening round of the 2014–15 Revolution Series in October 2014 and in December 2014, the UCI Track Cycling World Cup took place at Lee Valley VeloPark. In February 2015, round five of
5040-437: The river and its surrounding areas change significantly. Around Hertford, the Lea is joined by a number of major tributaries: the Mimram , Beane , Rib , Ash , and then the Stort . This extra volume of water has created a broad flood plain with sometimes steep hills on either side. The river passes through this valley in several channels, which are a result of both human intervention and natural causes. The increased flow made
5120-404: The river and its surrounding land has been recognised through inclusion in a number of parks and by several planning policy designations. Much of the river lies within the Lee Valley Park . Some of the land surrounding the river has been designated as Metropolitan Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land in order to prevent further urbanisation. The river contains fish and other wildlife such as
5200-415: The river are known as Bow Creek and the river meets the Thames between Blackwall (on the west side) and Canning Town (on the east). In the Roman era , Old Ford , as the name suggests, was the most downstream crossing point of the River Lea. This was part of a pre-Roman route that followed the modern Oxford Street , Old Street , through Bethnal Green to Old Ford and then across a causeway through
5280-494: The river between Chingford and Enfield . The channel was replaced by parts of the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain in the mid 20th century. The River Lea is the major component in a number of place-names, including Leagrave , the suburb of Luton where the source of the river is located, and of Luton and Leyton : both mean "farmstead on the River Lea" . The spelling Lea predominates west (upstream) of Hertford , but both spellings ( Lea and Lee ) are used from Hertford to
5360-459: The river for burying in Ware, but there is no evidence for this. The extensive level of waterborne trade led the historian John Stow , writing in 1603, to describe the Lea as “this pleasant and useful river”. The riverside has hosted a number of major armaments manufacturers, such as the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills , the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock (which is now a housing development known as Enfield Island Village ) and
5440-420: The river has since medieval times had alterations made to make it more navigable for boats between the Thames and eastern Hertfordshire and Essex , known as the Lee Navigation . This stimulated much industry along its banks. The navigable River Stort , the main tributary, joins it at Hoddesdon . While the lower Lea remains somewhat polluted, its upper stretch and tributaries, classified as chalk streams , are
5520-447: The river navigable from Hertford, a situation improved by the creation of the Lee Navigation , a deep canal which begins at Hertford Castle Weir . The Stort, the most important tributary of the Lea, joins a short distance from Hertford at Feildes Weir , and is itself navigable as far upstream as Bishops Stortford . The Hertford East railway line passes along the west side of the Lea's flood plain, from Hertford to Tottenham, improving
5600-403: The succeeding centuries. In 1766, work also began on the Limehouse Cut to connect the river, at Bromley-by-Bow , with the Thames at Limehouse Basin . The Waterworks River , a part of the tidal Bow Back Rivers , has been widened by 8 metres (26 ft) and canalised to assist with construction of the Olympic Park for the 2012 Summer Olympics . In 2009, Three Mills Lock was installed on
5680-413: The track. She stated that the track was "on the limit" if the wind changed. Sarah Walker echoed Reade's calls stating that the track could "get ugly" on a windy day. In preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics, in 2010 the Dutch National Olympic Committee commissioned a replica of the planned BMX track at their National Sports Centre Papendal . It came into use in March 2011, ahead of the hand over of
5760-457: The track. The 250-metre track was made with 56 km (35 miles) of Siberian Pine and 350,000 nails. The velodrome was officially opened by many successful British athletes including Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton . It is informally known as "The Pringle " due to its distinctive shape. It was shortlisted for the 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize . and won the 2011 Structural Awards Supreme Award for Structural Engineering. In 2011, it also won
5840-463: The velodrome. In 2009, at the time work began on the construction of the velodrome, the estimated cost of that facility alone was £105 million. Work on the velodrome was completed in February 2011, and was the first Olympic Park venue to be completed. The roof is designed to reflect the geometry of cycling as well as being lightweight and efficient reflecting a bike. There is also a 360-degree concourse level with windows allowing people views of
5920-772: The venue. Other bus routes run by Transport for London and Intalink stop at the nearby bus station in Waltham Cross town centre. The Lee Navigation towpath forms part of the Lee Valley Walk and the National Cycle Route 1 is adjacent to the venue. Full video of Olympic competition River Lea#Middle Lea The River Lea ( / ˈ l iː / LEE ) is in the East of England and Greater London . It originates in Bedfordshire , in
6000-514: The young river passes through the Luton Hoo estate and, six miles from its source, enters Hertfordshire . The river then flows east-south-east through Harpenden , Wheathampstead – once capital of the Catuvellauni tribe – through the narrow green gap between the new towns of Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City , and on to the county town of Hertford . At Hertford the shallow river turns briefly north before turning to head due south, and here
6080-581: Was announced that the road race course will be rerouted to allow more space and parkland after suggestions from Sport England and British Cycling . The course will now cross the River Lee and parkland linking up with other cycle routes in London. British Cycling will remain based at the Olympic-standard Manchester Velodrome which has been a catalyst for the success of British Cycling in recent years, most notably at
6160-505: Was constructed in 1613 to take clean water to London, from the Lea and its catchment areas in Hertfordshire and bypass the polluting industries that had developed in the Lea's downstream reaches. The artificial channel further reduced the flow to the natural river and by 1767 locks were installed below Hertford Castle Weir on the canalised part of the Lea, now the Lee Navigation with further locks and canalisation taking place during
6240-532: Was demolished for the VeloPark before being merged with the new park. It was announced that along with the VeloPark there would be three new cycle circuits created around London. In early February 2007 the plans for the VeloPark were revised with no mountain bike course. By mid-February it was announced that Hog Hill would be the temporary relocation of the Eastway Cycle Centre. The promised cycle speedway track will not be built. In August 2011 it
6320-474: Was no use of single-pole gates. Olympic Results. The venue opened again to the public after the Games as part of the Olympic Legacy Works. Spectator seating was removed and the venue returned to providing a leisure attraction for canoeing and white-water rafting and a competition venue for elite events, to be managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority . In April 2011 it was confirmed that
6400-420: Was opened to the public in March 2014. The facility was one of the permanent venues for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Lee Valley VeloPark is at the northern end of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It has an indoor velodrome and a BMX racing track, which have been used for the Games, as well as a one-mile (1.6 km) road course and 5 miles (8 km) of mountain bike trails . The park replaces
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