River Lee - Chingford Mill

The River Lea, the Lea Diversion
The River Lea, and the Lea Diversion flow southwards. Another aqueduct diverges from the diversion going to Chingford Mill
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Interesting Lea side area which appears to be suburban in an old manorial area. There is a great deal of industry - much of it unique - going down to the North Circular.  Chingford Mill near the ancient crossing of the Lea has much of interest in particular with the history of local water supply.

Post to the north William Girling Reservoir
Post to the west Angel Road Industry
Post to the south Banbury Reservoir

Cork Tree Way
The road and the whole trading estate covers the area of the cork manufacturing works.
Cork Manufacturing Co Ltd. This was the last cork mill. The company bought Chingford Hall and Hall Farm in 1949 and demolished many of the buildings as well as the moat and gardens, but keeping the hall itself as company offices.  The factory processed cork which was imported direct from Portugal for final manufacture at the firm's remaining factory at Slough.  From 1922 the factory made cricket and hockey balls and later bath mats, gaskets, insulation fittings, etc.

Hall Lane
Chingford Hall. This belonged to the manor of Chingford St. Pauls which had belonged to the Dean and Chapter before 1066. In 1544 it went to the Crown and was privately owned. The manor house of Chingford St. Pauls was noted in the mid-13th as a hall with outbuildings, including a chapel and a granary enclosed with a moat.  In 1709 a new owner restored the building however in the 19th this was replaced by a small yellow brick building used as offices by the Cork Company.  The moat was extant until the Second World War.
Old Hall Tavern. Pub with its own golf society

Lea Valley Viaduct
Lea Valley Viaduct North Circular Road bridge over the Lee. Built 1927 by Sir Owen Williams and Maxwell Ayrton of reinforced concrete. 11,700 ft long, of many short spans. Demolished in the 1980s for road improvements.
Shadbolt's works veneering factory. Demolished 2008. Frederick Robert Shadbolt founded the firm in London in 1884, producing decorative inlays for furniture. In 1947 they  moved to Chingford where they developed architectural and building products and a stock of decorative veneers. They are now based in Braintree
Cooks Ferry roundabout – which now lies under the replacement of the viaduct. This ferry had been the crossing of the Lea which was replaced by a toll bridge
Cooks Ferry inn – a big music pub where many headline bands played. Demolished

Lower Hall Lane
Toll bridge.  Payment of tolls to the miller abolished 1877. Payment of tolls to the miller abolished 1877. 17th route over the Lea.  It once carried Chingford Hall Lane across the original millstream. The payment of tolls to the miller was abolished in 1877. Cast iron plate, MWB, c1905 with warning of load restriction.
Chingford Mill. A water mill was recorded here at Domesday. In the 18th it was a fulling mill, but also ground for flour and cutlery.
Chingford Mill Pumping Station.  Built by the East London Water Co on the River Lea Diversion. It is by W.B. Bryan of the East London Waterworks Company with a half-timbered gable, and a tower.  It is over a well in the chalk dating from 1895.  There was a horizontal quadruple-expansion steam engine by John Cochrane, which pumped drinking water from a borehole. This was scrapped 1948 along with the chimney. The red brick tower was built to allow for hygienic removal of pump rods. The original well remains covered in the forecourt.  It has been derelict for many years but has planning consent for housing.
Turbine House, low half- timbered building to pumping station built 1895 for East London Water Works. 1891, contained two 36 hp Girard turbines of different dates.  They had bought the existing water mill and built this over the mill race.
Chingford Mill Basin.  Contains water which has come from George V reservoir, through the Walthamstow chain of reservoirs to Lee Bridge
Lower Hall pumping station. 1951 functional
The Aqueduct passess under the lane through three brick arched culverts. It was built in the early 20th and diverges from the Lea south of Waltham Abbey

Marmion Approach
This road, and others in the area, was clearly named by someone with a devotion to Sir Walter Scott and his novels.

Waverley Avenue
Chingford Hall Park

York Road
Chase Lane Primary School

Sources
Pevsner London North
Walford Village London
Neale Chingford Water
Ray Chingford Past
Chingford in History
London's Water Supply. Met. Water Board
East London Water supply. info from Waltham Forest Libraries
GLIAS Water works list
Victoria County History
Field Place Names of  London
Old Hall Tavern web site
Shadbolt Co. web site
Chase Lane School web site

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