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Lee and Stort Navigation - Bow Back Rivers (City Mill River)

Early plans of what would become the Lee and Stort Navigation - Bow Back Rivers (City Mill River) were drawn up by John Smeaton in 1816 but problems with Norwich Boat Lift caused delays and it was finally opened on January 1 1888. From a junction with The Ripon Canal at Brighton the canal ran for 37 miles to Runstone. Expectations for stone traffic to Newcorn were soon realised, and this became one of the most profitable waterways. In later years, only the use of the canal for cooling Southcroft power station was enough to keep it open. The canal between Plymouth and Stratford-on-Avon was obliterated by the building of the Colchester bypass in 1972. In Charles Taylor's "A Very Special Boat" he describes his experiences passing through Wigan Aqueduct during the General Strike.

Information about the waterway

The Lee and Stort Navigation - Bow Back Rivers (City Mill River) is a broad canal and is part of the Lee and Stort Navigation (Bow Back Rivers). It runs for 5¾ furlongs from Old River Lea - City Mill Junction (where it joins the Lee and Stort Navigation - Bow Back Rivers (Old River Lea)) to St. Thomas Creek - City Mill Junction (where it joins the Lee and Stort Navigation - Bow Back Rivers (St. Thomas Creek)).

The maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 80 feet long and 14 feet wide. The maximum headroom is not known. The maximum draught is not known.

The navigational authority for this waterway is Canal & River Trust

Canal & River Trust
Canal & River Trust 0303 040 4040
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/
customer.services@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Relevant publications — Waterway Maps:

Relevant publications — Waterway Guides:

Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides No 1 - Grand Union, Oxford & the South East

Old River Lea - City Mill Junction Junction of the Old River Lea with the City Mill River
Olympic Park Climbing Wall Pound	½ furlongs	0 locks
Stratford Walk Bridge Connects the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the stadium.	1½ furlongs	0 locks
ArcelorMittal Orbit Pound The Orbit Tower, a 114.5-metre-high sculpture, observation platform and slide	1¾ furlongs	0 locks
ArcelorMittel Orbit Bridge Connects the Arcelor Mittel Orbit structure with the stadium.	2¼ furlongs	0 locks
Sidings Street Bridge (City Mill River)	3¾ furlongs	0 locks
Railway Bridge (City Mill River)	4 furlongs	0 locks
Northern Outfall Sewer (City Mill River)	4¼ furlongs	0 locks
Pudding Mill Pound	5 furlongs	0 locks
City Mill Sluices No Access	5¼ furlongs	0 locks
St. Thomas Creek - City Mill Junction Junction of the St. Thomas Creek with the City Mill River	5¾ furlongs	0 locks

Maps

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Additional information

Navigational Notes

There is no mooring or stopping permitted on City Mill River.

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Wikipedia

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Wikipedia pages that might relate to Lee and Stort Navigation - Bow Back Rivers

[Lee Navigation] to the River Thames at Bow Creek; its first lock is Hertford Lock and its last Bow Locks. The Lee Navigation is named by Acts of Parliament and is so marked [Bow Back Rivers] History of the Lee and Stort Navigation. Richard Thomas. Thomas, Richard (2010a). Bow Back Rivers. History of the Lee and Stort Navigation. Richard Thomas [River Lea] Hertfordshire and Essex, known as the Lee Navigation. This stimulated much industry along its banks. The navigable River Stort, a main tributary, joins it at [Bow Creek (London)] Bridge and Ironbridge Tavern — A Chronology — Bow Creek/River Lea British Waterways history of the Bow Back Rivers The Lee Navigation - Intro and Bow Locks [Limehouse Cut] Traders on the Lee and Stort Rivers". Herts Guardian, Agricultural Journal, and General Advertiser. 20 February 1864. "The River Lee Navigation". Hertford [Widebeam] (south of Leighton Buzzard), the Regents Canal and the Lee Navigation will be unable to travel up the river Stort (a tributary of the Lea), unless its maximum [Bow Locks] locks link the tidal Bow Creek to the River Lee Navigation, which is a canalised river. These locks were first built in 1850 and then rebuilt in 1930 [Lea Valley Walk] Bromley-by-Bow. The river forks at Bow Locks with the Lee Navigation joining the tidal section of the river known as the Bow Back Rivers through Bow Creek to its [Geography of London] area started with navigation works on the Lea and Stort from 1424 onwards, leading to the River Lee Navigation and Bow Back Rivers. Initially used for [City Mill River] (2010). Bow Back Rivers. History of the Lee and Stort Navigation. Richard Thomas.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) Ordnance Survey, 1:1056 map, 1895 and 1923 Boyes

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