Inner City Waters
capital’s canals and rivers are arguably more popular than any time in history.” The three and a bit miles of
rivers in the Park were once used by local industries but the drop in canal freight after the Second World War, together with a buildup of silt, saw them decline until they were largely closed in the 1960s. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games offered the opportunity to unlock the true commercial and leisure potential of the Bow Back Rivers. Now the waterways will be once again open to boaters and other people who want to get on the water and enjoy the Capital’s newest cruising route. Paul Brickell, London Legacy
Development Corporation, said: “The waterways of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park have a fantastic industrial heritage. We have worked hard for many years to open up the waterways so more people can use them, and are proud to welcome leisure boats into the Park to complement the commercial activity we have already introduced. “We’ve got lots coming up
this summer, as we celebrate the restoration of Carpenters Road Lock and look forward to hosting our first East London Waterways Festival at the end of the August. See you there!”
This summer the Loop of
waterways around the London Stadium, which includes the Old River Lea, City Mill River and St Thomas Creek, will open to public navigation for cruising
without the need for prior booking.
Closures will occur from
time to time as part of the security requirements for high profile events in the Park. Boaters will be notified in advance of any closures via the Trust’s stoppage notifications and notices on site. The Trust is also planning
to create a 100metre stretch of short stay visitor moorings on a currently unmoorable length of towpath on the Lee Navigation near the Hertford Union Canal. As boaters may be journeying from far afield to visit the Park some of the new moorings will be prebookable to guarantee travellers a place to pull up. Boaters will be able to reserve a spot at the prebookable moorings for up to seven days at a cost of £10 per night with the other spots free for up to two days stay. These moorings will be available by the end of the year. There will be no mooring within the Park itself. Jon Guest adds: “Boaters
from across the country have been looking forward to cruising
these rejuvenated waterways and we want to make the experience as smooth and pleasant for them as possible. The new visitor moorings will be a valuable addition to a busy area and will ensure boaters have somewhere to end, and start, their journeys.” From autumn Waterworks
River and Three Mills Wall River, which runs adjacent to the loop, will be opened to navigation via the soon to be completed Carpenters Road Lock. The Lock is being restored as part of a £1.8million project, part funded by the Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund and London Legacy Development Corporation. A booking system will be trialled over the summer with full launch after the East London Waterways Festival on Monday 28 August. For more information about
the waterways in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, including a video of Jon Guest, London waterway manager at Canal & River Trust, explaining the restoration, visit
https://tinyurl.com/y9lgoto4.
September 2017 / F&A 27
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