Bow Back Rivers

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The Bow Back Rivers are part of the River Lee in the London Borough of Newham, East London, and form a complex system of waterways. The River Lee was originally tidal as far as Hackney Wick, man-made changes to the River had changed this dramatically in the 9th century, and in 1110 a bridge was put in place at Bow. Over the ensuing centuries, the causeway that lead to the bridge was cut by a number of man-made channels made to power water driven tidal mills, such as those at Abbey Mills, and the still surviving Three Mills. Further improvements to the channels were carried out in 1930 by the River Lee (Flood Relief) Act.

City Mill River, Bow Back Rivers (2004)

Steps going down to the tow path, used in the past by horses

Bow Creek, and the connecting waterways, Prescott Channel, Channelsea River, Abbey Creek, Three Mills River, City Mill River and Waterworks River are all tidal. St Thomas Creek and the Old River Lee are not (being maintained at the same level as the Limehouse Cut). The Navigation along these latter rivers has been maintained since 1424.

A small river port developed at Stratford, mentioned in the 15th century, to serve the needs of Stratford Abbey and the mills at Stratford, and there is similar evidence in later centuries. From 1613, extraction of water for the canals linking with the network, and the artificial New River, supplying fresh water to the city from Hertfordshire, has caused water levels to fall in the non-navigable channels, and traditional water milling to cease. By 1821 there were specialized wharfs at Stratford for timber, chalk, stone, coal, and wheat, as well as some for general cargoes situated on the Channelsea and the other navigable branches of the Lea as well as on the main stream, with local mills and factories usually having their own wharfs. By 1821 the earliest proper dock named Stratford Dock, later Meggs Dock, had been built. It was about 80 yards (73 m) long and 50 yards (46 m) wide, lying south of the High Street near Bow Bridge and approached from the Lea by a short channel. The dock may have been constructed by the Middlesex and Essex turnpike trust, which owned and occupied it in 1843 and 1854. By 1920, the whole site had been filled in and was occupied by factories.^[1]

As part of the preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics, a canal lock has been constructed on the Prescott Channel, with the effect that north of the lock the Bow Back Rivers' water level will become constant. This will allow barges to deliver material, and remove spoil from the site, reducing pressure on the local road network. Following the Olympics, it is hoped the waterways will continue to be used by both commercial and leisure craft.^[2]

Also in the area and crossing the Back Rivers by a series of bridges is the Northern Outfall Sewer. It and Abbey Mill Pumping Station were, both designed by Joseph Bazalgette in the 1860s.^[3] Today, the route of the embankment that encloses the sewer from Bow to Beckton is followed by a public footpath, The Greenway.^[4]