Lea Valley Walk Section 5 (Three Mills to Limehouse Basin)

Lea Valley Walk To reach the start from Bromley-by-Bow station (District Line): Turn Section 5 (Three Mills to Limehouse Basin) left out of the station and at once go under the underpass and come up to pavement level on the far side of the main road. Go right to walk north, then Version 3 : July 2011 turn right down Three Mill Lane. Directions: Having come up the towpath ramp onto Three Mill Lane, turn left to cross the canal, and then turn right down another towpath ramp. There was a mill here in Saxon times, in fact at one stage four mills were Start: Three Mills (TQ382828) here, driven by sea and river water which came up the Lea at high tide. The clock tower dates from about 1750. The mills produced flour until the mid Station: Bromley-by-Bow 1700’s, after which the owners became involved in the manufacture of gin, Finish: Limehouse Basin (TQ362807) calling themselves “millers and malt distillers”. The House Mill is open to visitors on Sunday afternoons in summer (admission fee). The former Station: Limehouse DLR Station Victorian bottling plant (at the far end of the cobbled street) is now a film studio, the first “Big Brother” set was alongside to the east. Distance: 2 miles (3.2 km) Join the towpath again, this time on the other side of the canal. Water is on both sides of the towpath. Go under the London-Southend railway bridge Introduction: Three Mills to Limehouse Basin became Section 5 of the Lea and pass the closed footbridge which crosses over the tidal River Lea to the Valley Walk in July 2011. gasworks. This final section includes attractive and historic Three Mills as well as the Limehouse Cut canal. The towpath goes close to Limehouse Church before Bromley-by-Bow gasworks is the site of a rocket factory founded in reaching Limehouse Basin and the end of the walk, joining up with the 1809. The Imperial Gas Company because building its gasworks here in Thames Path here. 1870. Gas production was run down in the early 1960s, leaving seven of the eight Victorian gas holders, which are now used for storing natural gas. There are cafes and a supermarket at Three Mills and pubs at Limehouse Basin. Keep forward to cross the white concrete Bow Lock footbridge, to reach the entrance to Limehouse Cut. Walkers wishing to follow the alternative route, which offers access to the mouth of the Lea, should do section 6 – the meridian alternative (however that route is mostly through streets and is not signed). Limehouse Cut is 1.5 miles long and took three years to dig before opening in 1770. It enabled navigation to reach the Thames by avoiding the tidal Bow Creek where the River Lea meets the Thames. The industrial buildings give way to housing, one example being the former Stanton rubber and plastics factory, which was replaced in 2005 by new flats called Abbotts Wharf, complete with new inlet dock. Pass the lock houses, and just before the gates, bear right on to the floating A famous photograph was taken here in 1981 of the SDP “gang of four” towpath. Go under the Blackwall Tunnel Approach. The canal runs in a launching the Limehouse Manifesto. A little further down river with the straight line in a southwest direction. It passes under the DLR and two road Thames is the Grapes pub, some 400 years old, which was the inspiration bridges to go round the tiny Abbotts Wharf dock. for the pub called “Six Jolly Fellowship Porters” in Dickens’ “Our Mutual Friend”. After that, the path runs under Burdett Road. The waterway narrows at Britannia Bridge, which carries Commercial Road (A13) along the north side To reach Limehouse Station (DLR): from the end of the walk turn right of the Limehouse area. Soon after the bridge, there are gates on the across the swing bridge at Narrow Street and go right into Horseferry left. These give access to St Anne’s passage – an optional diversion to visit Road. At the end go ahead up the slope to the Basin and turn left at Hurford St Anne’s Church. To reach the church, take the passage and then Newell Salvi Carr. At Branch Street go right to Commercial Road. Then turn left for Street. the station. The Limehouse area is named after the lime kilns that were near the Thames. Commercial Road was built in 1803 to link the West India Docks and the East India Docks with the City of London. This new toll road, as was, reduced the size of St Anne’s Churchyard. Soon after Britannia Bridge, the Limehouse Cut bends to the right, to pass under a footbridge and enter Limehouse Basin itself. Limehouse Basin opened in 1812, only to be enlarged eight years later. It was reduced however in 1985. First it was known as Regent’s Canal Dock as it was also the entrance to Regent’s Canal (which links in turn to the Grand Union Canal). At that time the Limehouse Cut joined the Thames in a different place. The dock was much used by barges carrying coal inland from ships coming up the Thames from Newcastle. It was only in 1864 that the Limehouse Cut was linked to Limehouse Basin. Keep the basin on the right-hand side. Here the towpath runs along the east side of the Basin to pass the final lock and reach gates at Narrow Street. Cross Narrow Street to see the Basin entrance. Limehouse Basin entrance is crossed at the swing bridge by Narrow Street. The pub here is the former Regent’s Canal dockmaster’s house, built in 1910. Take the Thames Path down river a little way to look for the original Limehouse Cut junction with the Thames, which was closed in Lea Valley Walk 1968. Section 5 (Three Mills to Limehouse Basin ) page 2 www.walklondon.org.uk .

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