The River Lee Country Park

Lee Valley Regional Park running through the north east of London, Essex and Hertfordshire is a 10,000 acre park - much of it open green spaces. The park follows the course of River Lee and has green spaces, parks, nature reserves, lakes and even a sports centre. Some of the popular parts of the park inlude: Myddelton House Gardens, Hackney Marshes, Walthamstow Marshes, Tottenham Marshes, River Lee Country Park, Temple Mills, Bow Creek Ecology Park and Lee Valley Reservoir Chain.

Out of the spaces mentioned above, the River Lee Country Park is very popular with visitors. It stretches between Waltham Abbey in Essex and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire and is spread over 1,000 acres and offers a number of vistas suitable for all kinds of visitors; be it families, walkers, cyclists, nature lovers or wildlife enthusiasts.

There is lots to see and do in River Lee Country Park. You could go to Lee Valley White Water Centre, a white-water slalom centre where you can enjoy flatwater canoeing and kayaking or you could head to Lee Valley Boat Centre where you can hire small boats and enjoy a day picnic exploring River Lee. Sounds interesting, isn't it? It is! Check out my post on a 'Day Picnic on a Boat on River Lee'.

For those interested in art, the park has a fantastic art trail.

Artway Trail - A way marked trail taking in some of the best artwork dotted around the park. There are three routes - Artway Trail 1 (5.5 miles), Artway Trail 2 (4 miles) and the Artway Trail 3 (3 miles). We did the Artway Route 1, which combines both the other routes and follows the trail of sculptures which are placed throughout River Lee Country Park.

 

Check out the route and all the sculptures you will find on this route in our Lee Valley Artway Trail post.

 

Bowyer's Water - this 35 acre water body is the oldest gravel pit in Lee Valley park. It includes gravel bars, plateaus, islands and big beds of lily pads. The water is home to Carps, Tench, Pike and other fishes. It's a great place for wildlife watching.

Pindar - The area has something for everyone - wildlife, pathways for walking, running and cycling, foshing opportunities and open spaces to enjoyt the fresh air.

Waterbird Discovery Trail - This is another great trails set in an expanse of open water bodies which provide safe roosting sites for wildfowl. The shallow waters offer nutrient rich feeding sites for dabbling ducks. Tern rafts and flaoting wooden structures covered with pebbles for the terns to nest can be seen. Islands provide safe, sheltered areas for wildfowl to rest and breed offering protection from human disturbance and ground predators like foxes.