Bow Back Rivers restoration

I TOOK the chance yesterday to walk City Mill River, the part of Bow Back Rivers that millions of pounds is being spent on, writes Dick Jeffreys.

For starters all that money that is being spent on Carpenters Road Lock, totalling a massive £1.8 million has nothing to do with re-opening that one mile loop known as City Mill River, as it is nothing more than a flood prevention measure.

Part of Lee Navigation

The loop, the 'left' part of which is part of the Lee Navigation, can be clearly seen on the map, together with Carpenters Road Lock, that is not even part of it, linking it to Waterways River, on the other end of which £400,000 was also spent on re-building City Mill Lock.

The part of the loop that is the Lee Navigation links with Limehouse Cut to give passage to and from the Thames with the Lee Navigation, whilst the rest of the loop is unnavigable with the derelict Old Ford Locks and Marshgate Lock.

Take ten years

The information from Canal & River Trust that the restoration, but of what we do not know, will take ten years is easily believable, but at what cost is not stated, though the £1.8 million and the £400,000 already spent on connecting the half mile long Waterworks River with City Mill River, will give some idea.