Lee Valley Park
Encyclopedia
Lee Valley Regional Park is a 10000 acres (40.5 km²) 26 miles (42 km) long linear park, much of it green spaces, running through the northeast of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

 and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

 from the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 to Ware in Hertfordshire, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 through areas such as Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....

, Tottenham
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...

, Enfield
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...

, Stratford
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...

, Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...

, Walthamstow
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...

, Cheshunt
Cheshunt
Cheshunt is a town in Hertfordshire, England with a population of around 52,000 according to the United Kingdom's 2001 Census. It is a dormitory town and part of the Greater London Urban Area and London commuter belt served by Cheshunt railway station...

, Broxbourne
Broxbourne
Broxbourne is a commuter town in the Broxbourne borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England with a population of 13,298 in 2001.It is located 17.1 miles north north-east of Charing Cross in London and about a mile north of Wormley and south of Hoddesdon...

 and Hoddesdon
Hoddesdon
Hoddesdon is a town in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated in the Lea Valley. The town grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. It is located southeast of Hertford, north of Waltham Cross and southwest of Bishop's Stortford. At its height during the 18th...

.

The park follows the course of the River Lea (Lee) along the Lea Valley
Lea Valley
The Lea Valley, the valley of the River Lea, has been used as a transport corridor, a source of sand and gravel, an industrial area, a water supply for London, and a recreational area...

 from Ware in Hertfordshire through Essex, North London and past Olympic Park to East India Dock Basin on the River Thames. The park is managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority is a statutory body that is responsible for managing and developing the long, Lee Valley Regional Park. The park was established by Parliament in 1967. The headquarters of the authority are based at Myddleton House, Bulls Cross in the London Borough of Enfield,...

 and is made up of a diverse mix of countryside areas, urban green spaces, heritage sites, country parks, nature reserves and lakes and riverside trails, as well as leading sports centres covering an area of over 10000 acres (40 km²). It is crossed by a number of roads and railways. There are a number of major reservoirs within it, and multiple water courses, both to carry the river flow, and also to provide navigation waterways and flood relief channels.

London 2012 Olympic Games

Much of the southern half of the park will be developed to form the Olympic Park
Olympic Park, London
The Olympic Park in London is a new sporting complex currently under construction, adjacent to the Stratford City development in Stratford, Bow, Leyton & Homerton in East London for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics....

 for the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...

 and the 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...

. The park will be extended through the Olympic Park down to the River Thames, adding two miles (3 km) of open space. Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will own 35 per cent of Olympic Park and will fund, manage and own four venues following the London 2012 Games – the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire, the London Velopark
London Velopark
The London Velopark is a cycling centre which was built in Leyton in east London, United Kingdom. It will serve as one of the 'Big Five' permanent Olympic and Paralympic venues for the 2012 Games. The Velopark is situated at the northern end of London's Olympic Park...

 and the hockey and tennis centres located in the Olympic Park
Olympic Park, London
The Olympic Park in London is a new sporting complex currently under construction, adjacent to the Stratford City development in Stratford, Bow, Leyton & Homerton in East London for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics....

. The park is working with a range of partners including the Olympic Delivery Authority
Olympic Delivery Authority
The Olympic Delivery Authority is the statutory corporation responsible for ensuring delivery of venues, infrastructure and legacy for the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in London...

, London Development Agency
London Development Agency
The London Development Agency is the Regional Development Agency for Greater London, England. It is a functional body of the Greater London Authority...

 and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government, with directors appointed by the Secretary of State, including some democratically elected councillors...

 to deliver a major linear park at the heart of a new urban district in the Lower Lea Valley
Lower Lea Valley
The Lower Lea Valley is the southern end of the Lea Valley, surrounding the River Lea , which runs along the boundary of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on its western bank and the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest and Newham on its eastern bank, into the River Thames. The river forms the...

. These venues will join the existing centres the Regional Park currently owns including Lee Valley Athletics Centre
Lee Valley Athletics Centre
The Lee Valley Athletics Centre is located at the Lee Valley Leisure Complex formerly known as Picketts Lock in Edmonton, London Borough of Enfield, which cost £15m to build was officially opened on January 16, 2007 by Minister for the Olympics, Tessa Jowell....

, Lee Valley Riding Centre and Lee Valley Ice Centre
Lee Valley Ice Centre
The Lee Valley Ice Centre is situated in the Lee Valley Regional Park in London, England. Figure Skating, ice hockeyand public skating sessions are all available at Lee Valley Ice Centre.- Ice hockey :...

.

Notable parts of the park include: Temple Mills
Temple Mills
Temple Mills is a northerly part of Stratford, south of Leyton, located within the London borough of Newham in east LondonToday, Temple Mills is surrounded at present by former railway tracks and works belonging to the Great Eastern Railway...

, Hackney Marshes
Hackney Marshes
Hackney Marshes is an area of grassland on the western bank of the River Lea in the London Borough of Hackney. It was incorporated into the Lee Valley Park in 1967...

, Walthamstow Marshes
Walthamstow Marshes
Walthamstow Marshes, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI. It was once an area of lammas land — strips of meadow used for growing crops and grazing cattle....

, Tottenham Marshes
Tottenham Marshes
The Tottenham Marshes are located at Tottenham in the London Borough of Haringey. The marshes cover over and became part of the Lee Valley Park in 1972. The marsh is made up of three main areas; Clendish Marsh, Wild Marsh West and Wild Marsh East...

, River Lee Country Park
River Lee Country Park
The River Lee Country Park is located in the Lee Valley Park and is managed by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. Covering acres on either side of the River Lee Navigation between Waltham Abbey and Broxbourne...

, Bow Creek Ecology Park
Bow Creek Ecology Park
Bow Creek Ecology Park is a small open space in Newham in London, run by Lee Valley Park.It is a small park running alongside and underneath the Docklands Light Railway near Canning Town Station....

 and Lee Valley Reservoir Chain
Lee Valley Reservoir Chain
The Lee Valley Reservoir Chain is located in the Lee Valley, and comprises 13 reservoirs that supply drinking water to London.- Reservoirs :The following waters are located in the London Borough of Enfield and are known collectively as the Chingford Reservoirs, which are a Site of Special...

.

External links

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