The Lea Valley Walk is 50 mile route following the River Lea
from Luton to the Thames by way of London’ former market garden
valley. Prince Charles has described the Lee Valley as “a
classic example of what could be done with derelict land if
impetus and determination was there”. Now the greening is
continuing with the Olympic Games due to be held in the valley’s
last derelict stretch. Lea or Lee There are at least 25
different spellings for the river’ name. In addition to Lee and
Lea past documents record Lay, Ley, Leye, Lyge and even Lyzan.
The spelling by 1520 appears to have been Lee but, in the 19th
century, Ordnance Survey decided to use both Lee and Lea. The
source is at Leagrave. Now the valley is usually known as the
Lee Valley, after the Lee Valley Regional Park, whilst the river
is the River Lea with the canal sections being called the Lee
Navigation. Lee Valley Regional Park The Lee Valley Park,
established by act of parliament in 1967 and Britain’s first
Regional Park, stretches 26 miles (41km) f