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58-640: The Swale is a tidal channel of the Thames estuary that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the rest of Kent . On its banks is a 6,509.4-hectare (16,085-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Sittingbourne to Whitstable in Kent. It is also a Ramsar internationally important wetland site and a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on

116-523: 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

174-440: A wetland originated by tidal processes along which water flows pumped by tidal influence. It includes a series of indentations within a wide spectrum of sizes (width, length, and depth) and with at least two levels of inundation. Subtypes are tidal rills, tidal grooves, tidal gullies, that normally do not contain water even during neap low tide, and tidal creeks and tidal channels, that have water permanently. A tidal course creates

232-551: 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

290-830: 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

348-515: A system for its ecosystem that circulates water, sediments, organic matter, nutrient, and pollutants. A tidal course is essential to the surrounding flora and fauna because they provide protection, nutrients, a place to reproduce, and a habitat for juvenile species before they go into the ocean. Whereas areas of coastline that experience high wave activity are usually characterized by beaches , areas sheltered from wave action may develop tidal wetland systems. In these areas, upland creeks drain towards

406-654: 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

464-680: 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

522-827: 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 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

580-525: 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,

638-584: Is no longer separate but the marshlands gradually encroaching delineate it. The channel needs constant dredging for busy recreational and light vessel use. The Swale is crossed at its western end by two bridges: the Kingsferry Bridge and the later Sheppey Crossing . The Swale forms both a National Nature Reserve and a Special Protection Area : the eel grass , Ray's knotgrass , white seakale , glassworts and golden samphire support rare and uncommon migrant butterflies and moths , including

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696-536: 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

754-791: The Anglosphere . This is the case in many countries in the Commonwealth , such as The Bahamas , as well as some parts of the United States (near the Chesapeake Bay , parts of New England , and southern Florida ). In the tidal section of the River Thames in London, the names of the rivers that flow into it all become Creeks for the lower section that is tidal; thus, for example, the River Lea becomes Bow Creek in its tidal section. In parts of southwest England and Wales ,

812-513: 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

870-620: 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

928-506: The Essex emerald , the ground lackey , the clouded yellow butterfly and rare hawk-moths . Since 1968, it has also been a Site of Special Scientific Interest . The Swale provides habitats for the following birds: 51°21′43″N 0°52′23″E  /  51.362°N 0.873°E  / 51.362; 0.873 Tidal channel A "creek" normally refers to a tidal water channel in British English and in other parts of

986-588: 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

1044-475: 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

1102-544: 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

1160-614: 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

1218-490: 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

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1276-509: The Strait of Dover had swept away so much swampy land, accentuated by sea levels being lower, even to beyond the end of the ice age, i.e. in the mid seventh millennium BC, the coasts of Essex and Kent stretched much further into the North Sea . Sheppey formed part of mainland Britain. The Swale was a valley opening eastwards. As sea-levels rose again, water occupied its whole length. It and

1334-534: 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

1392-496: 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

1450-531: The Conservation of Wild Birds . Parts of it are a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, National Nature Reserves , a Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a Local Nature Reserve . The name "Swale" is Old English in origin, and is believed to mean "swirling, rushing river", or "rushing water". At these times the Swale was a gully from what had been a sea channel in very warm periods. Namely before

1508-454: 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

1566-466: 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

1624-550: 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

1682-475: 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

1740-530: 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 ,

1798-442: 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

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1856-637: 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 ,

1914-497: 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

1972-639: 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

2030-583: 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

2088-531: 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

2146-452: 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

2204-418: The land level. Deforestation and other human-development-related processes can destabilize the banks of creeks and increase the amount of sediment in them. This slows the velocity of the water, which means that instead of cutting deeper channels, the water flows gently farther inland in shallow channels. Human development in tidal areas often results in diking , which changes the course of the tidal creeks and

2262-487: 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

2320-506: 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

2378-486: 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

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2436-480: 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

2494-540: 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

2552-468: 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

2610-466: 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

2668-494: 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

2726-626: 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

2784-483: 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

2842-447: 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

2900-439: The salinity of the tidal area into freshwater. Restoration of tidal wetlands begins with restoration of the creek systems, which determine the shape of the land, the nutrient and salinity levels, and the type of vegetation and animal communities in a wetland. There are thousands of examples of tidal creeks throughout the world. A few specific ones are: River Lea The River Lea ( / ˈ l iː / LEE )

2958-497: The shore, draining the high part of the coast. At some point they become tidal , technically estuarine . As they come closer to shore, they often become very sinuous, due to the flatness of the land. In addition to draining upland fresh water (in many instances) tidal creeks form by the ebb tide seaward flow and downward incision of the water as it flows from inland to the shore. At high tide and spring tide , large areas are covered with water. This huge volume of water retreats at

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3016-432: The sides of the creeks. Such tidal creeks will also be connected in networks: a multitude of smaller creeks called first-order creeks will feed into large ones, creating complex patterns of drainage. Especially in areas prone to compaction or subsidence - like peat wetlands - human use of tidal creek flow can lead to the expansion of the creeks. Natural subsidence is compounded by anthropogenic sediment compaction, lowering

3074-567: The start of the ebb tide in a surge. Later on during the ebb tide, water remains only in the creeks and the current is mainly a river (drainage) current and not tidal. Tidal creeks deposit sediment in a process called accretion , during the flood tide, which can maintain a flat plain by counteracting sea level rise or land subsidence . High tidal flow will maintain channels, while slower flow velocity can lead to closure of tidal creeks as they become clogged with sediment. Well-developed wetlands have sharp-banked tidal creeks, with vegetation stabilizing

3132-463: 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

3190-577: The term "pill" is used, and is found in placenames such as Huntspill . A narrow channel between islands in the Florida Keys is known there as a creek. On the India and Pakistan borders, the term also applies to the salt water inlets enclosed by mangroves . Creeks are found dispersed all along the Indian coast. A "tidal course" is the more general term for any elongated indentation or valley in

3248-699: The very mouth of the Medway divide the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland. When the Romans arrived in Britain, the Swale was much wider, with one part of the Isle of Sheppey — now called the Isle of Harty or Harty — a separate island. Two c.  1600 to 1900 public ferries crossed the Swale. One operated between Oare and Harty, and the other between Murston (near Sittingbourne) and Elmley (another former hamlet and essentially attached islet). Harty

3306-514: 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

3364-505: 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

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