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A Heritage Walkfrom Three Mills Island, Bromley-by-Bow

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This is one of several walkingand cycling guides coveringLee Valley Regional Park.We have lots of places tovisit within the 26 mile longRegional Park and lookforward to welcoming yousoon.

Contact uswww.leevalleypark.org.ukTelephone: 08456 770 600

Lee Valley Regional ParkMyddelton HouseBulls CrossEnfieldMiddlesex EN2 9HG

By trainNorth London Line toWEST HAM 15 minutes walkto Three MillsEnquiries: 020 7222 1234

Docklands Light Railway(DLR) toBOW CHURCH 10 minuteswalk to Three MillsEnquiries: 020 7222 1234

By undergroundDistrict line (Metropolitanduring peak hours)to BROMLEY-BY-BOW5 minutes walkto Three Mills,or to WEST HAM15 minutes walkto Three MillsEnquiries: 020 7222 1234

www.tfl.gov.uk

By busD8, 108, 25, 425, 276(Stratford High Street)488 (Bromley-by-Bow/Tesco)Enquiries: 020 7222 1234

By carDirections to: Three Mills,Tesco car park (free)

A11 from the City orStratford Leave A11at junction with A102(Blackwall Tunnel NorthernApproach)

A102 from Hackneyor Blackwall Tunnel/A13 Leave A102 at junctionwith A11. Take roundaboutunder Bow Flyover andhead south as if joiningA102 (Blackwall TunnelNorthern Approach), buttake second left (HancockRoad) towards Tesco

Picture credits (pages): HackneyArchives (14 top and bottom);Local Studies Library at StratfordLibrary (IFC, 2, 4 bottom, 9, 10, 16);Gas Museum (7 bottom);Thames Water (11 left and right);Louise Joly (12 top); 3 Mills Studios(6 top left); Tania Field ([FC] 1, 3, 4,5, 6 top right and bottom, 7 top, 8,11 bottom, 12 middle and bottom,13, 15, 16 top left and right)

Research, text, illustrationsand maps: Tania Field

© Lee Valley Regional ParkAuthority 2009

How to get there

The power of the LeaThe River Lea has served man since theMiddle Bronze Age, Caesar overthrew anEnglish stronghold in the mists of it, Saxonshad barges on it, and King Alfred strandedthe Danes up it.

A Cistercian abbey at StratfordLangthorne was built beside the ChannelseaRiver in 1135 by William de Montfitchet,the most influential manorial lord in ‘Hame’.He endowed the foundation with ‘two millsnext to the causeway’. One may havebeen the Abbey Mill. By the 15th centurythis foundation had grown so wealthy andinfluential that it owned all of present-dayNewham and had properties elsewhere inEssex, including the River Lea basin. TheAbbey was dissolved in 1538 by Henry VIIIand most of the buildings were destroyed.

Above: The great gate of Stratford LangthorneAbbey as it appeared in 1774

In 1424 the Lea was the first river in thecountry to have an Act issued to improve itsnavigable state, highlighting its importanceas a major trading route. The Act formedcommissions composed of local landownerswho arranged river improvements and raisedmoney by tolls.

Records show that in 1832, a total of214,542 tons of goods were carried on theNavigation. One-third of that total was coal,a quarter was malt, and other large cargoesincluded wheat, flour and gunpowder, anobvious link with Three Mills.

About Lee ValleyRegional Park AuthorityLee ValleyRegional Parkis a unique mixof sport andleisure facilities,heritage sites,gardens, naturereserves andriverside trails.Stretching over10,000 acres,the RegionalPark winds itsway 26 milesalong the banksof the River Leefrom Ware inHertfordshire, down through Essex, NorthLondon, past the Olympic Park to East IndiaDock Basin on the River Thames.

We’re easy to reach by cycle, car, bus, trainor on foot. So whether you want to walk orice skate, visit our farms or historic gardens,or if you’re on holiday or just out for the day,we hope that you enjoy the many differentsites, facilities and experiences that theRegional Park has to offer. Bring your friendsand family and come and explore, discoverand enjoy your Regional Park.

EventsThere’s something for everyone in ourregular events programme. Whether you’relooking to take the family out for the day orto learn more about your local history andwildlife or watch top sporting action, we’dlove to see you at one of our many events.

For further information, maps and directionsor to find out about events please contactour Information Service on 08456 770 600.www.leevalleypark.org.uk

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Abbey GardensA community garden that willescape development due tothe archaeological finds of theremains of the precinct of theCistercian Abbey of St. MaryStratford Langthorne, thoughtto be its gatehouse.

Yardley Box Factory

Bow Porcelain

Old Ford Nature Area

Peanuts! Peanuts!Close to Old Ford lockthe old Percy Daltonpeanut factory in DaceRoad used to give a roastedaroma across the area.The peanut factory moved toHaverhill, Suffolk in 2005.

First Murder onRailways!On the morning of 9 July 1864a Mr Thomas Biggs of Clactonwas travelling from FenchurchStreet to Hackney Wick whenhe was viciously assaulted.A motive of the attack was thetheft of his gold pocketwatch.He was found dying on therailway tracks and carried to anearby pub in Cadogan Terrace,The Mitford Castle, now theTop O’ The Morning. He diedlater. In the attack the assailantstole Mr Biggs’ hat, replacing itwith his own. He was identifiedand captured by leaving a vitalclue… The murderer’s namewas embroidered inside his hat!Franz Muller was sentenced todeath by hanging at Newgate,50,000 people attended theexecution.

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A waterway revolution in East LondonThis guide will help you unravel the historical secrets ofthe Lower Lee Valley through an exploration of the footpathsin the area. Imagine the Great Stink of London, spot theYardley Lady and visit the House Mill.

The Lee Valley lies between the ancientcounties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire onthe west and Essex on the east. Three Millsis in Stratford, West Ham, now part of theLondon Borough of Newham. The Mills aresometimes referred to as being at Bromley-by-Bow. This guide focuses on Stratford.

A map at the back of this guiderecommends a walking route, a good startingpoint is Three Mills Island.

The House Mill is East London’s onlysurviving tidal mill and the world’s largest.It’s one of the original ‘Three Mills’, is openregularly throughout the year for guided tours,and at other times for special interest groups.It’s well worth a visit. There are high qualityconference rooms in the Miller’s Housewhich can be hired for meetings at any time.Telephone: 020 8980 4626,or email: [email protected],or visit www.housemill.org.uk

The River Lea Tidal Mill Trustowns and is responsible forthe running, restoration anddevelopment of both theheritage House Mill and the

contemporary Miller’s House. The Trust runson an entirely voluntary basis and is keen tohear from anyone who may be interested injoining as a ‘Volunteer’ or a ‘Friend’.

The Miller’s House Café is open Mondayto Friday from 10.00 until 15.00 h, and onSundays when the House Mill is open fortours. To the rear of the Miller’s House thereis a lovely walled garden and seating areas,ideal for enjoying lunch in the summer.

Public toilets can be found in the Tescosuperstore next to Three Mills Island.

Enjoy the waterways in safetyPlease Do:Respect the waterway environmentShow consideration for othersTake your litter homeMake sure your dog doesn’t foulthe tow pathRefer to the Waterways Code(British Waterways)Refer to the Cycling Code (LVRPA).

Please Beware:Mud banks and tidal watersSteep drops and deep waterContact with river water cancause diseaseChildren should be supervised.

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Allow at leasttwo hours tocomplete thewalk.The footpathsare in goodcondition. Thereare a numberof places witha steep stepswhich makethe routeunsuitable forpushchairs andwheelchairs.

All the pathsskirt rivers andwaterways, soplease take careof yourself andyour belongingswhen you visit.

At spring andautumn high tidesand during adverseweather, partsof the walk maybe flooded. Forinformation phonethe EnvironmentAgency on0845 988 1188,www.environment-agency.gov.uk.

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Please note that some of the pathways around Three Mills Island and The Greenway are closed and the whole route may not be accessible.

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William the Conqueror wanted a record of theresources he commanded and so commissionedthe Domesday Survey which was completed in1086. At this time Newham was called ‘Hame’,meaning low-lying pasture. It’s recorded that therewere eight tidal watermills on the Old River Lea andits branches, in 1066 there had been nine – morethan anywhere else in Essex. At least five of thesesites are identifiable from the names given to thenearby tributaries of the Lea: Pudding Mill, City Mill,Waterworks Mill, Abbey Mill and Three Mills.

Three Mills was almost certainly one of the sitescomprising the ‘8 Mills of Hame’ as it was written

in the Domesday Book.Even as early as the

Middle Ages the millsof West Ham producedflour which was sold toLondon bakers. Bakersof white bread were some of thefirst traders to establish their owncity livery company or craft guildover 800 years ago.

The marshes around theOld River Lea and its channels

provided the perfect ground for many different types ofindustries to be established. A unique Royal boost to thearea came in the 14th century when Edward III set out todirect policy towards commercialexpansion. The industries thatsubsequently developed includedbone boiling for soap, calicoprinting, paper-making, gunpowdermanufacture, flour-milling, distilling,silk weaving, tanning and themanufacture of porcelain.

In the 16th century the City ofLondon was anxious to ensure aconstant supply of grain from theoutlying counties and this led tothe Act of 1571 with its plans toimprove navigation of the lower Lea,and to construct additional watercuts with towpaths; but there is noknown evidence of this work.

Tidal water providedpower for the mill wheelswhen the tide was goingout. By penning water

at high tide, water couldbe released at low tide

giving a constant supplyof power which was

needed to lengthen theworking day.

Above: Detail fromRocque’s Survey 1745

Below: River LeeNavigation looking north

The history of Stratford in West Ham can be traced backto 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded Britain.

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Mill power in StratfordGo back through time over 700 years!A journey retracing the ‘bygone times’of Stratford industries, the backboneof the development of London.

In about 1588 the Three Millsarea comprised two water mills:one a corn mill and the other agunpowder mill.

In the early 1600s, soldiersreturning from the wars in theNetherlands brought back a drinkcalled ‘jenever’, the Dutch word forjuniper. Juniper berries were usedfor flavouring this somewhat cheapand deadly spirit. The Englishshortened the word jenever to gin.The custom of gin drinking wasmade popular by William III, the

Dutch King of England, it was said to be his favourite tipple.The Three Mills changed ownership

many times until Peter Lefevre boughtthem in 1727. Lefevre, a ‘mealman’(a manufacturer and trader in flour)went into partnership with a number ofmen, including Daniel Bisson.

With their collective experience a large, successful gindistilling business was built. By 1735, with the prohibition ofbrandy from France, gin had taken the place of ale and beeras the staple drink of the thirsty working class.

Mills in the area were continually increasing output, whichput severe demand on the flow of the waterways. In 1743a windmill was built south of Three Mills which helped theoverburdened waterways. This mill survived until about 1840.

Over time Daniel Bisson took over the business and ranit with his son, also named Daniel, and Philip and RogerMetcalfe. After Bisson’s death in 1776, his son continued torun it with Philip Metcalfe for a short time; he too died in 1776.They described themselves as ‘millers and malt distillers in avery large and extensive way’.

During the Napoleonic wars there was a fear of a Frenchinvasion and anxiety about food supplies.

The use of grain for distilling was forbidden during timesof grain shortage and many distilling mills closed. Three Millssurvived because they continued to produce flour.

Below: The Three Mills,an oil painting byI.M. Huggins in 1840

Above: Gin label andephemera published byJ.& W.N. & Co.

‘Get drunk fora penny,

get dead drunk fortuppence’


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The House Mill,the older of thetwo remainingtidal mills, wasbuilt by DanielBisson Seniorin 1776. It isthe largest andmost powerfultidal mill stillstanding in

Britain and is grade I listed. The miller and brewers occupiedhouses on either side of the mill enabling themto be permanently on site during the millingcycle. The House Mill is so called because of itslocation between these houses.

Surprisingly the front and sides of the millare just a facade. Although it appears to be abrick building it is in fact timber-framed. Therear, north-facing side, is weather-boarded.

The front has 24 sash windows, threeloading doors at the first andsecond levels and 40 cast ironwall plates which hold tensioningrods which pull the brick front into the timber

frame. These plates and rods were needed to counter theeffects that the years of trundling wheels, gears and grindstones had inflicted on the mill building which worked round-the-clock.

The nature of this pounding work made it necessary toemploy teams of carpenters to fill the gaps between thebrick and timber to stop the vibration shaking the front ofthe building to pieces! The mill is 80 feet long, 50 feet deepand five storeys high. The 19th century slate roof has beenreplaced with clay peg-tiles as original.

Some of the millingmachinery remains, includingfour ‘undershot’ water wheels20 and 19 feet in diameter. Theflow of water hit the lower partof the wheels. Power for themill was created by holdingthe high tide behind the millto create a 57-acre mill pond.Once the tide began to ebbthe sluice gates were opened,giving a reliable source of water

Look up to the stone dateplaque just below theroofline of the front of theHouse Mill. It bears theinitials of Daniel Bissonwithin his family coat ofarms, a flamboyant displayof wealth.

Below: Weather-boardednorth-facing back of HouseMill

The water wheels are justvisible under the bridgeon which the House Millis built; the wheels drovethe gear mechanism whichturned the millstones. Theyground to a halt during the‘Blitz’ in 1940 or 1941.

Shakingall over!

Left: Millstones on the firstfloor of the House Mill


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to drive the mill’s water wheels.Grain was brought by cart to

the mill from farms, thought to be inSuffolk, Essex and Hertfordshire, orby barge to the pool area in front of

the House Mill, lifted up on to the cobbled road and rumbledover granite slabs built into the road. The grain would havebeen hoisted up to the top floor.

Bringing the wheels aliveThere are plans to restore the House Mills’ four originalwater wheels to work alongside external turbines toproduce hydro-electricity. One of the wheels will alsobe rebuilt to demonstrate the milling process. Oncethese works are complete, the House Mill will be able todemonstrate 18th and 21st century technologies workingtogether. The hydo-electricity created will run the HouseMill and surplus will be sold to the National Grid.

The Clock Mill was built in 1817, five storeys high and 80 feetlong. It replaced a timber-built, weather-boarded mill. Theclock tower, bell and clock face were part of the previous mill,and date back to about 1750. Next tothe clock tower stands a pair of dryingkilns used to dry out the grain. Thegrain was spread out on a fireprooffloor and heated from a furnace below.

Look down at the cobbles,or ‘setts’, you’re standingon, you’ll notice the linesof granite slabs. These are200-year-old tramwayswhich were used by graincarts, they too are GradeII listed.

Look up to the north-facingwall of the Clock Mill; theblack painted metal dateplaque reminds us of PhilipMetcalfe, who rebuiltthe Mill in 1817.

Right: The Clock Mill, northelevation, 1817, drawn byDenis Smith

Wheels they trundle,gears lurch’n roll,

stones round ’n round,the mill, it quiver ’n quake

If only the rivercould talk, the silentsurvivor of 900 years

of milling toil.


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Their revolving cowls allowed fumes to escape. Cool airpassing over the cowls created suction which drew up thewarmer fumes. On the side facing south there is an attractivecast iron crane for unloading barges and a weather-boardedsack-lift hoist (Lucam) near the eaves. The wheel pit containsthree undershot water wheels which last turned in 1952.The Clock Mill is a grade II listed building.

At the beginning of the 19th century the Three Millsbusiness was in decline and heavily mortgaged followingbad debts and bankruptcies. The property was transferredto J & W Nicholson of Nicholson’s Gin in 1872. After the millstopped milling in 1952 the site continued to be used forbottling and warehousing until the 1990s.

From grinding grainto shooting the starsNow, the Clock Mill, Customs House and most of ThreeMills Island is home to 3 Mills Studios, London’s largestfilm and television studio, a 20-acre site offering14 stages and 10 rehearsal rooms. The Studiosattract work for feature films, TV programmes,commercials, music videos and West End shows.Credits include: Amy Winehouse, Billy Elliot theMusical, Eastern Promises, Hell’s Kitchen, How toLose Friends & Alienate People, Gordon Ramsay:Cookalong Live, The Killers, Madonna for H&M,The Might Boosh, Sunshine and Wicked.

At the end of the Clock Millthe signposted towpathto Mill Meads and theGreenway passes betweenthe mill and the distillery.Here, look down at a stoneset into the distillery wallwhich shows record floodlevels. Over the years waterhas eroded the dates.

Can you work out whenthe first flood took place?

Look south towards theBromley-by-Bow gasworks,a canal path, part of theLea Valley Walk, will leadyou to Bow Locks.


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Rockets’ red glareNothing remains of Congreve’s 14-acre rocketfactory. It was built in the early 1800swhere the Bromley-by-Bow gas worksstand. The factory was founded byWilliam Congreve (1772-1828), anEnglish artillery officer, scientist andinventor. He was one of the first toexperiment with gas. Congrevewas known for his military rocket,

which was much more advancedthan black military gunpowder rockets. He basedhis design on those used by Indian Prince HyderAli, who fought the British in the late 18th century inIndia. Congreve rockets were used to great effect atLeipzig in 1813 during the Napoleonic wars and as aresult two rocket troops were formed within the RoyalArtillery. Rockets were used when the British attackedFort McHenry near Baltimore in the USA in 1814.They inspired Francis Scott Key to write in the ‘StarSpangled Banner’, the US national anthem:

“Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight,O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,…”.

Congreve later became the Controller of the Royal Laboratoryof Woolwich Arsenal.

Remembering the braveAbout 100m north of the Miller’s Houselies the open space Three Mills Green.A mound in the north corner gives a fine360˚ view of the surrounding area.A memorial also stands in north of theGreen commemorating four brave menwho lost their lives in 1901 to ‘foul gas’.They were making a routine inspectionof a well here and were, one by one,overcome by the killer gas, falling into thewell as they tried to save their colleagues.This memorial replaces the tall crossmemorial erected shortly after the tragedy.

Above: The memorialat Three Mills Green,the sculpture of claspedhands was erectedin 2001

Below: The view fromthe Three Mills Greenmound of the present-daypumping station belongingto Thames Water


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An evil spiritBromley-by-Bow gas works was builtbetween 1870 and 1873 by the ImperialGas Company on the site of the Congrevefactory. It was over-shadowed by the world’slargest gas works at Beckton owned by theGas Light and Coke Company. Imperial lateramalgamated with them in 1875.

Many people did not trust this ‘new’ formof energy and believed gas was from theDevil, a gift which had been sent to haunttheir lives.

Spent oxide, a by-product of the gas manufacturingprocess, was heated in air to give sulphur dioxide whichwas then converted into sulphuric acid. Perhaps it’s not acoincidence that a chemical works which produced sulphuricacid grew up next door, undoubtedly using the by-products.

Gas was produced at the works until the early 1960s.Seven of the original eightVictorian gas holders remainand are grade II listed.

Each is made of cast andornate wrought iron andcontinue to store natural gas.

Poison brewDuring the IndustrialRevolution new factoriesin the Stratford area tookthe place of local ‘cottageindustries’. These newfactories produced wastein great quantity anddisposed of it into the rivers.

West Ham became significantin the development of thechemical industry because itwas just outside the jurisdictionof the Metropolitan BuildingsAct 1844 and the MetropolitanLocal Managing Act. These acts

Right: Rowlandson’scaricature of Londoners’suspicion of the firststreet gas lights

Above: One of seven gasholders. An eighth wasdestroyed by a bombduring World War II. Lookup at the ornate ironwork


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protected the city of London from ‘bad neighbour’ trades suchas oil-burners, gut-spinners and varnish makers from setting-up. Building regulations were also imposed on ‘new’ areas sothat roads, drains, gas and pavements were provided beforedevelopment could take place. Cheap land, with no buildingrestrictions, around Stratford, which included Bromley-by-Bow, attracted every type of industry, especially chemicalworks. Between 1860 and 1900 in the West Ham area alone,there were 200 chemical concerns.

Boneboilers, soapmakers and other industries whichprocessed animal refuse were also situated in West Hamto avoid the 1844 Act and the 1879 Slaughterhouse Act.Fertiliser made from animal refuse, in particular blood, was abig industry. For example, in 1855 the Patent Nitro-Phosphateand Blood Company were making manure by treating blood ina lead-lined vessel with sulphuric acid. The product was takenout, dried and sold as fertiliser.

A new lock for the Bow Back RiversThe Bow Back Rivers had fallen into disuse with thedecline of canal freight and the demise of watersideindustries. Investment in their upkeep was non-existent,but the wildlife, flora and fauna, thrived. However, withthe Stratford Channel Tunnel Link development and thedecision to host the 2012 Olympic Games in the LowerLee Valley a regeneration of the Bow Back Rivers gota big boost. In a bid to reduce construction traffic onlocal roads, the waterwaysnorth of Three Mills havebeen restored, together withbuilding a new commerciallock and water controlstructure in the PrescottChannel. This will provide agateway for the barge trafficentering the Olympic Park.What a wonderful way to raiseawareness of the waterway’spotential to contribute toa ‘green’ and sustainableOlympics, benefiting localpeople and the wildlife.

Right: The new lock at thesouth end of the PrescottChannel.

Cross over the footbridgeat the new lock at thesouth end of PrescottChannel. This is a floodrelief channel cut between1931–35, It’s here thatstones from the dismantledEuston Arch were foundsubmerged, they wereused to block a hole in thecanal. The majestic AbbeyMills pumping station canbe seen for the first timeacross Mill Meads and theallotments ahead.

Above: The view southfrom the new lock towardsthe Channelsea River

Bomb unearthed!On 2 June 2008, during thework to cut away the banksof the Prescott Channel, a1000kg World War II

unexploded bomb wasdiscovered lodged in the east

bank, the largest found for15 years. Fifteen bomb

disposal experts from theRoyal Engineers part-disarmed

and then carried out acontrolled explosion,

scattering 400 tonnes ofsand across the

whole area.


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The Great StinkFrom the Middle Ages onwards, drainage and waste disposalsystems in London hardly existed and public hygiene waschaotic. The tributaries of the Thames were little more thanopen sewers. Rubbish was piled high on the streets, a

situation which couldhave fuelled theGreat Fire ofLondon in 1666.

By the1800s Londonstood on anundergroundsystem of excavateddomestic cesspools.These should havebeen emptied by‘nightmen’, but moreoften than not the

sewage overflowed back up into the houses. In 1832 cholera(‘vibrio’ bacillus) spread westward from India and arrived

in London claiming 7,000 lives.It was thought that the vibrio wastransmitted by direct contact withcontaminated excrement, inevitable inthe poor overcrowded urban districts.It was unknown at the time that

cholera was also transmitted by contaminated water.An epidemic of typhus ravaged London in 1837-38,breeding in the decaying refuse and stinking poolsof sewage.

In 1847 about 200,000 cesspools were abolished.Water closets had been replacing the privies to solvesome of the disgusting problems within houses.These emptied directly into the drains and tributariesand then into the Thames.

The situation came to a head in the summer of1858 when temperatures reached the mid-ninetiesand the River Thames, a main water supply for Londoners,became a flow of human and industrial waste. It stank alongits length through London and so bad was the stench that thewindows of the Houses of Parliament had to be draped withcurtains soaked in chloride of lime to mask the terrible smell.This episode was called the ‘Great Stink’. Carbolic acid wasdumped into the river but had very little neutralising effect.

London faced a desperate situation threatening thousandsof lives, an answer had to be found… Cathedral of Sewage.

On the opposite bankacross the ChannelseaRiver was the site of Berkssulphuric acid works.

Look out for the giant oakbeams scattered across thebanks. They were used toprotect boats from damage.

Left: Photograph (1960s)of the F. W. Berk & Co. Ltd.chemicals and acids works

Left: illustration publishedin Punch, July 1858

Pepys recorded:‘…my wife stooped

in the street to do herbusiness…’

Outbreaks of cholerain London:

1848-49, kills 14,0001853-54, kills 11,0001865-66, kills 4,500

Terror! as thesilent, invisible killer

hits the Londonstreets


Cathedral of SewageAfter six unsuccessful commissions concerning public health,the Metropolitan Board of Works was set up in 1855. It wasthe task of their engineer-in-chief, Joseph Bazalgette, todesign a new sewerage and drainage system to alleviateLondon’sproblems.His schemeincorporated1,300 milesof sewersbuilt withbricks with

a systemof north-

south, egg-shaped, gravity falling sewers linked to east-west interceptingsewers, and four pumping stations. At first, the outfallsdischarged into the Thames but the sludge spewed back intoLondon. The sewage was later separated: effluent flowed intothe river, sludge was shipped out to sea in ‘gravy boats’.

The construction of the Northern Outfall Sewer between1860 and 1865, led to the building of a pumping station atStratford. The pumping station lifted the lower-level effluent(a mixture of human waste and rainwater)into the outfall and disposed of surfacedrainage and storm water.

The Abbey Mills pumping station,designed by Bazalgette, engineer EdmundCooper and architect Charles Driver was builtbetween 1865 and 1868 on a grandiose scale inyellow Suffolk Brimstone Gault brick. It was detailedwith elaborate stoneworkdepicting British flora andfauna. and bands of blueencaustic Minton tiles.

Continue your walk east ofMill Meads along the LongWall Path and ChannelseaIsland comes up into viewon the right. The island

was the siteof Abbey Mill,

owned by QueenMaud who

gave it to

Barking Abbey as partof an endowment for Bowand Channelsea bridges.It was rebuilt several times,but finally destroyed duringWorld War II. The islandis now a wildlife haven,a refuge for breedingmoorhens

Above right:NorthernOutfallSewer worksat BowCreek

Right: Anengravingshowingthe twinchimneys

A fine example ofVictorian civic pride.

PEVSNER

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It was a mix of French gothic, Byzantium or Moorish, Russianorthodox, Venetian, Flemmish and Celtic styles in a cruciformplan, each arm housed two coal-fired steam-powered beamengines, replaced by electricity in 1933. It was nicknamed

the ‘Cathedral of Sewage’.The pumping station originally

had intricately-designed, Moorishtwin chimneys, 210 feet tall. whichacted as exhaust flues for theengines. They were no longerused when the station switchedover to electricity. During WorldWar II a German bomb landed onthe coal bunkers damaging theeast boiler house, which had to

be demolished. Sadly,the chimneys were alsotaken down, if they hadbeen damaged by abomb it was feared theymight fall on the pumping station, destroying it. Now only thebases remain. The pumping station was a major innovationof the 19th century and Bazalgette, who was knighted in 1875,continued to work on the Thames Embankment and DistrictLine Railway which runs alongside the Channelsea River.He became known as ‘Mr Underground’!

Close to Abbey Mills is the old West Ham Pumping Stationbuilt in 1899. It still houses its two original beam engine pumpswith flywheels 20 feet in diameter. They haven’t been usedsince 1970.

Left: Abbey MillsPumping Station

Above: Joseph Bazalgette

Left: East wing doorway

Left below: View insidelooking up into the lantern

Below: Ornate ironworkinside of Abbey MillsPumping Station

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Abbey Mills PumpingStation is currentlyclosed to the public, forinformation and updatesplease contact the ThamesWater Customer Call Centreon 0845 9200 800


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The GreenwayThe Northern Outfall Sewer Embankment, known asN.O.S.E, runs for 41⁄2 miles from Wick Lane, Bow to Beckton.It’s been opened as the ‘Greenway’, a landscaped footpathand cycleway across east London crossing several rivers: OldRiver Lea, City Mill River, Waterworks River and Abbey Creek.It gives an important link to the Lea Valley Walk, a 50-mileregional route waymarked with the swan symbol betweenBow Locks and Luton.

The Greenway is developed by Thames Water, Lee ValleyRegional Park, and the London Borough of Newham. As partof the Olympic Park, London Wildlife Trust has been involvedwith influencing and working with Thames Water and theOlympic Delivery Authority to treat it as an ecological corridorfor wildlife as well as people. The Trust works with volunteersimproving the habitat for invertebrates, birds, bats and reptiles.Signage on the Greenway

is made from old seweragepipes. Walking north-westward on the seweritself, you pass Abbey Millspumping station on theleft and cross the MeridianLine. This section ofGreenway ends at StratfordHigh Street.

Yardley box factory ‘Lavender Sellers’Designed by architects Higgins &Thomerson, Warton House was

the Yardley box factory and officesbuilt near Grove’s Bridge in

1937. The firm later moved toBasildon. The mosaic imageon the wall, of the partly-

demolished Warton House,comes from the flowersellers

from Wheatley’s ‘Cries of London’1792–1796. The original paintingsshowed primroses, the Yardley

version shows lavender, a clue toYardley’s activities in making soap, cosmetics

and perfumes. Soap was made at their StratfordCarpenters Road factory at the beginning of the20th century. Yardley moved to Basildon in Essexin the 1960s.

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100 years of the hidden allotmentsTucked away between Abbey Mills Pumping Stationand the Prescott Channel members of the West HamAllotment Society have been tilling the soil therefor over 66 years. Allotments have probably beenpresent on this site for over 100 years. There arecurrently 37 plots (www.westhamallotments.org.uk).

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Old Ford LockThe most important Roman road linking London to Essexcrossed the Old River Lea at Old Ford and continued throughthe marshes to the Roman city of Colchester. The Bow BackRivers are a mass of river channels which is said to haveformed when King Alfred dammed the River Lea in order totrap the invading Vikings upstream.

Legend has it that in about 1110, Henry I’s, wife Queen,Maud fell into the river at the Old Ford crossing. This mishapled her to build Bow Bridge, Channelsea Bridge and acauseway over the marshes which follows the line of thepresent Stratford High Street. These improvements meant thatthe Roman road at Old Ford turned south and two townshipsgrew up on either side of Bow Bridge: Stratford-atte-Bow(Bow as it is called now) and Stratford Langthorne (Stratford).

Bow PorcelainBow Porcelain was established at Stratfordin 1744 by George Arnold, alderman andhaberdasher, Edward Heylyn, glassblower,and Thomas Frye, portrait painter andengraver. Their factory was built in 1749on the north side of Stratford High Street,west of Marshgate Lane. From 1750 boneash was one of the main ingredients, aby-product of the local tanneries and food-related industries. Bow Porcelain producedvases, tableware and figures of statesmen,generals, actors, actresses and birds.

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Above: Old Ford NatureReserve

Left: Old Ford Lock

Old Ford NatureReserveClinging on, with re-development all around,there’s small area ofpasture alongside theGreenway at Old Ford.A low-lying meadowthickly surrounded bytrees which blot out theurban landscape. Therange of scrub and tallvegetation provides anexcellent habitat forbirds and butterflies.The area is managedby the London WildlifeTrust. There’s currentlyno public access but forinformation, telephone020 7803 4280.

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5


Factory of fireThe first practical friction matchwas invented in 1827 by JohnWalker in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.His formula was potassiumchlorate, sulphide of antimonyand gum arabic which was puton splints and supplied withglasspaper for ignition. He soldhis Friction Lights in tins of 84matches for 10d (2d for the tin).Phosphorus matches were aEuropean invention introducedin 1833, called Lucifers (meaning

‘light bringer’) or Congreves, named as a tribute to the rocketman five years after his death.

The Lucifer was so unstableand the fumes so poisonous thatthe boxes were given red warninglabels.

By the mid-19th century matchmanufacture was confined to smallfactories, often in houses. The

bulk of matcheswere howeverimported fromSweden, Austriaand Germany wherelarge, efficient,health-consciousfactories existed.

In 1843 WilliamBryant, a soap andgrease maker in thewest of England,and Francis May,son of a Londonmerchant, formed the partnership of Bryant& May. They started importing matches fromSwedish matchmakers, brothers Carl andJohan Lundström.

In 1845 Johan invented the safety matchwhich would strike on one specially preparedsurface thanks to a newly discovered materialwhich he added to the friction surface paint.He didn’t patent this until 1855 and soldthe British patent to Bryant & May for £100.

Above: Bryant & Mayabout 1890, workingwomen and coils filled withwood matches

Below: Matches dryingand being filled intoboxes, about 1920

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Above: Bryant & Maymatchbox label designproduced between 1893and 1915


Eventually the Swedish firm couldn’t satisfy demand in Britain,so Bryant & May decided to move into the production ofmatches. With a capital of £8,000, they leased a factory inFairfield Road, Bow in 1861. Candles had been made in thefactory and before that, crinolines (hooped skirts).

A medical condition known as‘phossy jaw’ or phosphorus necrosiswas becoming common amongworkers in matchmaking factories.Worldwide it was recorded as the greatest tragedy causedby an occupational disease. The culprit was the poisonousyellow phosphorus in the head of the ‘strike anywhere’ match.The disease was caused by fumes from the yellow phosphoruseating into the jaw bone through the cavities in decayed teeth.

Tooth decay was common among the poor workers.The disease was painful and the smell horrendous and wouldcause the jaw bone to rot away. Doctors would remove thebones – somehow keeping the face intact. Many workers diedof the disease and there are stories about sufferers earningmoney by putting on macabre performances. At dusk theirteeth and skulls would glow eerily under the skin with thepresence of the phosphorus.

Bryant & May were aware of the problem and introducedmeasures such as improving the ventilation of the buildingsand offering dental treatment.

The first ever women’s trade union, The Union of WomenMatchmakers was formed in 1880 at the factory during a

Above and below:Present-day FairfieldWorks

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Skulls that glowin the dark


decade of national industrial unrest. Bryant & May’s FairfieldWorks was the scene of the famous ‘Matchgirls strike’ in 1888;a dispute over piecework pay and working penalties. The strikebecame an important part of the history of the British workingclass movement.

A new factorywas built on thesame site at Bowin 1911, replacingthe piecemealdevelopment thathad taken placesince 1861. Thisbuilding remainsand has recentlybeen convertedinto luxury flats.

Bryant & Maystopped matchproduction andclosed their lastfactory in Liverpoolin December 1994.

Built between 1100 and1118 by Maud, Queenof Henry I, it was amedieval stone bridgenamed after its archedconstruction. In 1465it was decided thatStratford LangthorneAbbey was responsiblefor the Bow andChannelsea bridges.After the Dissolution ofthe Monasteries and thebreak-up of the lands,there was a long period of uncertainty concerning the upkeep of BowBridge. The flyover which you see now is built over the fourth Bow Bridge.

Above: A blue plaquecelebrating the effortsof Annie Besant assecretary of the Unionof Women Matchmakers

Right: Fairfield Worksin 1995

Bow Bridge 8

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Documents

Three Mills