River Lea
The River Lee or River Lea (both spellings are in general use) is a river in England. It originates at Luton in the chalk beds of the northeast Chiltern Hills and flows generally east and then south to London where it joins the River Thames. Once an important commercial waterway, certain sections were canalised as part of the River Lea Navigation. Another artificial channel, the New River was constructed to take clean water to London from the Lee and its catchment areas and bypass the polluting industries that had developed in its downstream reaches.
It rises just west of Luton, and flows through or by -
After it enters Greater London, it is sent via a series of Reservoirs
- King George's Reservoir, Brimsdown
- William Girling Reservoir, Edmonton
- Banbury Reservoir, Tottenham
- Lockwood Reservoir
- High Maynard Reservoir
- Low Maynard Reservoir
- then a series of 5 numbered reservoirs
- then Warwick Reservoir
- Upper Clapton
- Hackney Wick (where it causes Hackney Marsh)
- Stratford
- Bromley-by-Bow
- Canning Town
- Leamouth where it meets the River Thames