The River Lee Navigation in England Limehouse Cut to Ponders End.

Features of the 28 mile long River Lee Navigation which goes from London's East End near Limehouse Basin to Hertford.

As it's name suggest The River Lee Navigation is navigable for narrowboats and small craft from London's East End through to the centre of Hertford by the weirs at Hertford Town Mill Bridge. At Hackney there are several routes available for onward progress. The short Hertford Union Canal (see below) heads off right to meet up with the Regents Canal by Old Ford Road Bridge - from there following the Regents Canal towpath into West London gives a connection to the Paddington Canal Arm and then the Grand Union Canal or the River Thames at Kew. Carry on further south on the Lea and at Bow, where Abbey Creek joins, boats can take the Limehouse Cut down into Limehouse Basin and again connect with The Regents Canal or go on the few 100 metres to reach The Thames. Also at Bow The River Lee ceases to be fully navigable all the time as it becomes affected by the tides i.e. unuseable during low tides.
Apart from narrowboat and leisure boat access on the waterway, the banks and towpath of the River Lee Navigation are used extensively by walkers, cyclists and fishermen - the river's tow path is generally quite wide and well surfaced. There are 19 locks on the River Lee Navigation with double locks available at the river London end.
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The short Hertford Union Canal which is often now called Ducketts Canal, London.

This short canal was also known as the Sir George Duckett's Canal (who was responsible for it's construction in the 1830s) and as the Lea Union. The canal has just three locks, is around 2200 yards long and was intended to provide a commercial link from the Stort Navigation via the Lea Navigation to the Regents Canal. The Hertford Union Canal was not successfull commercially and closed and sealed in 1848 but subsequently re-opened by new owners in 1857.

Markfield Beam Engine House next to The River Lee, South Tottenham, London, England.

The Grade II listed Beam Engine and Engine House are open on two Sundays each month during the Spring and Summer and just one Sunday a month during Autumn and Winter - however they do hold steam days on some Bank Holidays. For up to date opening times take a look at their website.

From Walthamstow Marshes to Edmonton the River Lee Navigation is accompanied by built up areas and factories on it's left and quite a few small reservoirs on it's right. Just after Edmonton The Lee has on it's right huge embankments containing the massive King George's Reservoir and then the William Girling Reservoir. The reservoirs are fenced but there are gates from time to time which all seemed to be locked so presumably public access to these reservoirs is not normally allowed.