This section of the River Lee (or Lea, the spelling varies depending on the document studied), betrays it’s commercial past by the factories, industrial units, high banks and
general run-down appearance, but it is steeped in history and industrial archaeology and
there is much improvement taking place with dredging, new building, clearing derelict land and general tidying up of the environment.

Leaving Bow Locks behind, the towpath is on the right hand side on what is actually a man-made embankment separating the river from the navigation. Beyond the railway bridge is Three Mills Island. Here are the last remaining tide-mills on the river, a modern Film Studio, and access to Tesco’s over the bridge and to the left. The river draws away to the right, by the walls that have recently been decorated with colourful murals. Just out of sight to the right is the site of the ‘Big Brother House’ featured on Television in 2001 and the Victorian Abbey Mills pumping station.

There are mooring bollards by Three Mills Lane bridge and a visit to the complex is highly recommended. More information in guide books, leaflets and on the Internet.

Beyond the moorings the towpath is now on the left, and on the right is a weir on an un-navigable channel feeding water into the complex of waterways known as the Bow Back Rivers. Ahead is the long dark Bow Road Fly-Over bridge, and the towpath ends so make sure the crew are on the boat before entering the darkness. The waterway bears to the right under the bridge and immediately on the right the towpath returns, and rises over the navigable entrance to the Back Rivers, known as St Thomas’s Creek. The whole complex is dealt with on a separate page, but a few notes are pertinent here.

Not all the Back Rivers (now referred to as the BBR) are navigable by boats any larger than a canoe, and in one place at least, not even a canoe. Others are fine even in a full sized narrowboat. St Thomas’s Creek is OK, but sooner or later the craft will require turning or even backing out. Take local advice, and heed it. Conditions change, and even though dredging may have been carried out, an overgrowth of weed can render a channel impassable. (Floating Pennywort)

The BBR are currently best explored on foot. There are several excellent free brochures available that contain a mine of information and very detailed maps. The illustrations

show just three that are available from the London Canal Museum and the waterways offices at Little Venice & Norwood Top Lock.

Beyond St Thomas’s Creek thetowing path continues on the right hand bank and passes under several railway bridges, including the DLR extension to Stratford. Just before Old Ford (River Lee, as opposed to Old Ford on the Regents Canal) is reached there is a very unusual

bridge. From a distance it appears to carry a road, but it is in fact made up of two giant pipes that carry the Northern Outfall Sewer. The top forms part of the Greenway traffic-free walk mentioned in the brochures above.

The waterway widens into a virtual basin at the foot of the Old Ford Locks, and the channel off to the right under the footbridge is the course of the Old River Lee and forms the northern entrance to the BBR.

This pair of locks are operated electro-mechanically from a console on the island between the locks. The versatile BW key is required to operate the console. The right hand lock is the active chamber, and unless it is empty and the gates already open, land the crew WITH THE KEY at the pontoon to the right of the chamber. If the lock is full (against you), tie up to the pontoon, as the flow from the lower paddles can be quite fierce

At the locks are water taps, toilets, sewage disposal and refuse bins. If there is no other traffic about it is probably easiest to stay in the lock to fill water tanks, but of course you must not obstruct other users. If you have a long hose, move out and moor outside the Big Breakfast House (TV Studio). For overnight stays it is better to move along the towpath a little as this area gets quite noisy from before 7am (Monday - Friday). The main TV studios are behind the hedge. Look out for the big fox who trots down the offside bank most evenings, just before dark.