River Lea Banbury Reservoir

River Lea
The River Lea and the Aqueduct flow southwards towards the Thames. They are joined by the River Ching from the east

Post to the north Chingford Mill
Post to the east Walthamstow Stadium
Post to the west  Wild Marsh

Just south of the North Circular road this enormous reservoir fits into a bend in the Lea as it flows southwards together with other channels. It is now used for sports as well as water supply although the huge Greaves Pumping Station appears semi-derelict.  The reservoir is surrounded by 20th century housing and facilities with several important industries, which once included Phillips records factory.


Banbury Reservoir
Built under East London Water Works Acts of 1897 and 1900. Taken over by Metropolitan Water Board when opened in 1903. Now used by Lea Valley Watersports Centre.  The River Ching joins the Lea inside the reservoir 

Banbury Road
Housing – early 21st housing built round the reservoir on what was Water Board land.

Burnside Avenue
Chingford Hall Primary School
Chingford Hall Children’s Centre
Paradox Community Centre
The Gardeners Arms. Closed 2010

Cabinet Way
Deacon Estate – Trading Estate.

Chingford Hall Estate
This consisted of three tower blocks.  Built in 1966 and since replaced with low rise housing.

Folly Lane 
Golf Driving Range
Waltham Forest Muslim Cemetery. Run by a trust, the first burials were in 1991
Folly Lane Community Woodland

Harbut Road
Greaves Pumping Station. Built by the East London Water company in 1903 to serve both the Banbury and Lockwood reservoirs. . It was named after Charles Greaves, engineer to the company 1851 - 75. Long, low red brick classical building which has three Tangye vertical reciprocating engines, and three Lancashire boilers. The steam plant replaced by electric pumps in the early 1970s when the chimney was also demolished. It is now used by Lea Valley Watersports Centre
Lee Valley Watersports Centre Local watersports club on the reservoir

North Circular Road
The earliest construction of the road was in 1927.  In the 1920s the Government began a programme of ‘arterial roads’ and the North Circular was planned to link the Leytonstone with Hangar Lane. It was also thought that building it would provide for the unemployed.   

Peacock Close
Travellers site

River Ching
Straightened when the reservoirs were built in the early 20th.  It was then allowed to flow into the River Lea north of the Banbury Reservoir.

River Lea
Salisbury Hall owned a fishery later known as the Blue House and Later still as Game's Water. The site was covered by the Banbury reservoir.

Shadbolt Avenue
Trading estate named after the veering works

The Aqueduct
The Aqueduct was built in the early 20th.  It was cut from Waltham Abbey and goes to the Greaves pumping station. It is three and half miles long, brick lined along its whole length and in semi circular section.  It continues on from the Greaves skirting the Banbury and Lockwood reservoirs to the west to reach others further south.

Trinity Way
Trading Estate

Walthamstow Avenue
Philips Records Ltd. factory opened in 1958. Modern pressing plants installed there
National Plastics Ltd., which made plastics building components opened a plant here in 1953.

Sources
Victoria County History Chingford
Pevsner and Cherry North London
Neale. Chingford Water
London's Water Supply. Met. Water Board
Lea and Stort Navigation web site
Pronze Chingford History
Smith & Carr Industrial Archaeology of Hertfordshire and the Lea Valley

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bromley by Bow

Post to the west (north west quarter) Mile End Post to the west (north east quarter) Post to the east Bromley by Bow Post to the north Old Ford Addington Road Addington Arms . Pub dating from the 1860s. It does not appear to be still there. Police stables . From 1938 twenty horses were located here. These stables were built in moderne style white concrete by police surveyor Gilbert Mackenzie Trench. There is a stable at the back as well as tack rooms and a chimney for the forge – there was a full time farrier. Above are two flats for married police officers. The white concrete wall is original.  Alfred Street 1-5 Inland Revenue Office . Sold off 1981. Has been used as a college an as offices Almshouses Way, This was once called Priscilla Street.  1 Drapers' Almshouses . These were built in 1706.  What remains is a brick group of four tenements with central raised and pedimented chapel. They were restored in 1982 but were originally part of a larger group...
Read more

South Norwood

Post to the south Woodside Post to the east Birkbeck Post to the north Anerley Albert Road This road is the earliest built here, first listed in 1855, and although the Croydon Canal was no longer in use it influenced the alignment of the road. From the junction with Portland Road looking the curve of the road reflects the line of the old canal which was to the north of the houses. It is named after Albert, the Prince Consort. 74-76 Stanleybury . Very large three-storey semis. Built for William Stanley, who moved to 74 in 1867. William Stanley’s works in South Norwood was complimented by his local philanthropy. His site is now a close of modern flats. Accidentally demolished. 67 small trading estate and MOT centre .  At one time this was home to a theatre transport specialist. St.Mark . This was the first church in the area and is the parish church by G. H. Lewis. The nave was built in 1852 and the church was extended in 1862 and in successive years until 1890. It is in Ke...
Read more

River Lea/Bow Creek Canning Town

River Lea/Bow Creek The Lea winds itself generally southwards towards the Thames TQ 39505 81448 Canning Town on the Essex bank of Lea/Bow Creek. This was, and is, a heavily industrialised area together with a very down market housing area with markets, shops, cinemas, pubs and many charitable and missionary organisations. In the 2000s public transport has been transformed and much housing renewed, and it is an area in a great deal of change. Post to the west Poplar Post to the south Leamouth   and Dome Post to the east Canning Town, Butchers Road Post to the north West Ham Station Appleby Road The road is named after a local ARP warden who was killed during the Blitz. A pre-war suburban ideal is demonstrated in this West Ham estate. Barking Road It was built by the Commercial Road Turnpike Trust from the East India Docks eastwards. Now the A124 it formed part of the original A13 before the building so the East Ham  and Barking Bypass in 1928. It was widened ...
Read more