This page is the portal to a number of research papers into the history of the Lea/Lee.

The first is a paper researched in 1974 by Michael Parker, assisted by Dr J G L Burnby, and published in 1978 by the Edmonton Hundred History Society.  It provides a clear review of the period from 1190 to 1790 and has an additional note on some of the water mills in the Valley.  The Navigation of the River Lee from 1190 to 1790

The paper includes an appendix with a commentary on part of the poem "A Tale of Two Swannes".  The poem contains a  description of the short-lived lock at Waltham;  see below for Dr Fairclough's detailed analysis of the lock. For the full text of the poem click here.

The following paper was researched by Dr Keith Fairclough,  as the thesis for his doctorate: "THE RIVER LEA 1571-1767: A River Navigation prior to canalisation"

The remainder of the papers were researched by him for publication in various journals between 1978 and 1985.  These are listed below at the end of the thesis.

THE RIVER LEA 1571-1767: A River Navigation prior to canalisation

SECTION 1: AN ELIZABETHAN PROJECT FOR TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENT

1           The Lea & its early history

To see William Whittenbury's 1741 Map of the River, click here

2          The Act of 1571                                                                                              +

3          Implementation of the Act: What was not done                                      

4          Implementation of the Act: What was done                                                        

5          Implementation of the Act: How it was done                                                      

6          The success of the experiment                                                              

7          Opposition to the experiment                                                                           

8          The end of the experiment                                                                                

SECTION 2: AN ADEQUATE FLASH-LOCK NAVIGATION

Introduction                                                                                                     

9          The Commission of Sewers                                                                              

10        The River between Hertford & Ware                                                               

11        The River between Ware & Hackney                                                               

12       The lower Lea                                                                                                      

13       An adequate flash-lock navigation                                                              

SECTION 3: A PERIOD OF LIMITED IMPROVEMENT

14        The desire for improvement: the Act of 1739                                                    

15        Implementation of the Act: Administration                                                         

16        Implementation of the Act: What was done                                                       

17        The Navigation under the supervision of Trustees                                              

18        Swan-song and reprise                                                                        

APPENDICES

1          The Act of 1571

2          Glossary

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 OTHER PAPERS BY Dr KEITH FAIRCLOUGH

A Tudor Canal scheme for the river Lea

(Published 1978 in the London Journal Vol 5 No 2)

A Tudor Canal scheme for the river Lea – A Note  

(Published 1982 in the London Journal Vol 8 No 1)

The Waltham Pound Lock

(Published 1979 in the History of Technology Vol 4)

Early Gunpowder Production at Waltham

(Published Spring 1985 in the Essex Journal Vol 20 No 1)

Post Doctorate papers

Navigation Devices along the River Lea 1600-1767 (including an article on Hackney Waterworks.) 

(Paper read at the Science Museum, London 11 November 1992)

The River Lea before 1767 – an adequate flashlock navigation 

(Published 1989 in the Journal of Transport History Vol 10 No 2)