The sluices at Three Mills Lock, with the lock structure to the right
Specifications
Locks
4
Status
Open
Navigation authority
Canal and River Trust
Geography
Connects to
Lee Navigation, River Lea, Bow Creek
Bow Back Rivers or Stratford Back Rivers is a complex of waterways between Bow and Stratford in east London, England, which connect the River Lea to the River Thames. Starting in the twelfth century, works were carried out to drain Stratford Marshes and several of the waterways were constructed to power watermills. Bow Creek provided the final outfall to the Thames, and the other channels were called Abbey Creek, Channelsea River, City Mill River, Prescott Channel, Pudding Mill River, Saint Thomas Creek, Three Mills Back River, Three Mills Wall River and Waterworks River.
The rivers have been subject to change over centuries, with Alfred the Great diverting the river in 896 to create a second channel, and Queen Matilda bridging both channels around 1110 by paying for the construction of Bow Bridge.
Because the river system was tidal as far as Hackney Wick, several of the mills were tide mills, including those at Abbey Mills and those at Three Mills, one of which survives. Construction of the New River in the seventeenth century to supply drinking water to London, with subsequent extraction by waterworks companies, led to a lowering of water levels, and the river was gradually canalised to maintain navigation. Significant changes occurred with the creation of the Lee Navigation in 1767, which resulted in the construction of the Hackney Cut and the Limehouse Cut, allowing barges to bypass most of the back rivers. A major reconstruction of the rivers took place in the 1930s, authorised by the River Lee (Flood Relief) Act, but by the 1960s, commercial usage of the waterways had largely ceased. Deteriorating infrastructure led to the rivers dwindling to little more than tidal creeks, and they were categorised in 1968 as having no economic or long-term future.
However, British Waterways decided that their full restoration was an important aim in 2002, and the construction of the main stadium for the 2012 Summer Olympics on an island formed by the rivers provided funding to construct a new lock and sluices which stabilised water levels throughout the Olympic site. It was hoped that significant amounts of materials for the construction of the Olympic facilities would be delivered by barge, but this did not happen. Improvements to the channels which form a central feature of the Olympic Park included the largest aquatic planting scheme ever carried out in Britain.
BowBackRivers or Stratford BackRivers is a complex of waterways between Bow and Stratford in east London, England, which connect the River Lea to the...
City Mill River is part of the BowBackRivers in London, England. It formerly fed City Mill, used for the production of chemicals in the late nineteenth...
meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of the largest rivers in London and the easternmost major tributary of the Thames. The river's significance...
Breakfast Ware Welcome Station United Kingdom portal Transport portal BowBackRivers Canals of Great Britain History of the British canal system Boyes,...
Arch was used in 1962 to improve the channel, which forms part of the BowBackRivers. Three Mills Lock is a lock in the channel to allow passage of freight...
Channelsea River is a tidal river in London, England, one of the BowBackRivers that flow into the Bow Creek part of the River Lea, which in turn flows...
A composite bow is a traditional bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together, a form of laminated bow. The horn is on the belly, facing the...
Three Mills Wall River Weir is a weir on the BowBackRivers, in Mill Meads in the London Borough of Newham, England, near to Three Mills. It was built...
Summer Olympics, there is promised access to the Olympic Park and BowBackRivers. Canals of the United Kingdom History of the British canal system Wikimedia...
coloured stele-like sculptures rising from the river. Rivers of the United Kingdom Rivers of London BowBackRivers – A Potted History Newham Story "Writing's...
The bridge was originally built as part of the 1930s upgrade to the BowBackRivers, and was an early example of the use of reinforced concrete to achieve...
Old River Lea (the natural channel), is joined by the River Lee Flood Relief Channel, and Dagenham Brook before connecting to the BowBackRivers, which...
the River Lea (which rejoins the Navigation below Old Ford Lock), the City Mill River, and the Old Pudding Mill River, parts of the BowBackRivers. Another...
The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles (arrows). Humans used bows and...
Beeston cut includes BowBackrivers Also known as the Torrington Canal included an inclined plane only part of this was built the river section from Bramwith...
on the Lea and Stort from 1424 onwards, leading to the River Lee Navigation and BowBackRivers. Initially used for transport of agricultural product from...
Barking Creek Beverley Brook BowBackRiversBow Creek Channelsea River City Mill River Dollis Brook Duke of Northumberland's River Folly Brook Hackney Brook...
Rivers are ordered alphabetically, by state. The same river may be found in more than one state as many rivers cross state borders. Although the Murray...
a number of subsidiary channels to form the semi-tidal BowBackRivers, discharging into Bow Creek. The natural channel forms the boundary between the...
Global Information