Mick Hartley

Docklands from the Greenway, at Channelsea River:

And again, further down the Lea with Balfron Tower in front, from what will be part of the Fatwalk, but for the moment is just a path going nowhere by the Twelvetrees Indutrial Estate, East Ham:

Here the river, known as Bow Creek, is tidal. If you head up to the right you get to the new Three Mills Lock, part of British Waterways Olympics development, which is supposed to allow a greener transportation of materials to and from the Olympic site by water. Why they didn't just build a lock where the Lea joins the Thames at Canning Town I really don't know. Then this whole stretch of water would be navigable all the time, instead of just when the tide's high. And you still can't get near the new lock by bike or on foot: the old riverside path round from Three Mills to Channelsea (to the right on the top picture) is closed off and has been now for a few years. They said it'd just be for a short time…

For some pics of Bow Creek at low tide, plus the gasholders at Twelvetrees, see here.