About the Bow Back Rivers
As part of the preparation for the 2012 Olympics and the creation of Queen Elizabeth Park, the network of tidal and semi-tidal rivers known as the Bow Back Rivers were re-worked and restored. The remaining portion of Pudding Mill River was filled in but channels were dredged and three locks were restored. Three Mills Lock was rebuilt making Waterworks River non-tidal and City Road Lock was restored. Carpenters Road Lock was covered over with a temporary bridge during the Olympics and had to wait to finally be restored. The reopening of the, long derelict, lock in 2017 was the final piece needed to restore the navigable water space.
There are three connections into the Bow Back Rivers network; up the tidal Bow Creek to Three Mills Lock, off the Lea Navigation into St Thomas Creek just upstream of the A118 road bridge and onto the old River Lea below Old Ford Lock. Carpenters Road Lock is the only lock in the country with two radial guillotine gates.
[The photo shows Carpenters Road Lock shortly after it was re-opened in 2017]
