Three Mills Lock

Infobox Waterlock
lock_name = Three Mills Lock


caption= Artists impression of completed lock
waterway = River Lee (Bow Back Rivers)
county = Tower Hamlets
Greater London
maint =
operation = British Waterways
first = 2008–9
latest =
length = convert|62|m|ft|0|lk=on
width = convert|8|m|ft|1|
fall = tidal
sealevel =
enda =
distenda =
endb =
distendb =
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map_text=
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coordinates=
lat= 51.528797
long= -0.004356
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Three Mills Lock, also known as the Prescott Lock is a lock being constructed in the Prescott Channel on the River Lee, in England. The project is being led by British Waterways [ [http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/olympics/ "Revitalising London’s Olympic Waterways"] (British Waterways) accessed 1 August 2008]

The effect of building the lock, together with the Three Mills Wall River Weir is to lock out the tide just north of the House Mill. This will mean that this section of the Bow Back Rivers will cease to be tidal. Barges from two large building projects (the London 2012 Olympics and Stratford City) will pass through the lock, taking spoil out and delivering building materials on to the sites, via a new wharf on the Waterworks River. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article521162.ece "Canals set to make inroads on routes clogged by lorries"] ("The Times") May 11 2005 accessed 1 August 2008] The barges will pass directly into the northern section of Bow Creek to the River Thames.

The new lock will be 62 metres long, 8 metres wide and 2.4 metres deep, and will be able to hold two convert|350|t|ton|1|lk=on barges (the present locks on the nearby Lee Navigation limit barges to about 120 tonnes). [http://www.glias.org.uk/news/229news.html "Notes and News"] (April 2007) (Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society)] The lock structure incorporates two large rising radial gates for flood control in the Bow Back Rivers.

A site in the river, just south of this lock is the resting place of the remains of the Euston Arch. ["Euston Arch found at bottom of river", "The Times" (4 June 1994).] [ [http://www.eustonarch.org/questions.html#12 "Where are the remains of the arch?"] (Euston Arch Trust) accessed 16 July 2008] A footbridge is incorporated into the design of the lock, and British Waterways claim there will be associated improvements to the navigation and tow path, as a part of the Olympic legacy. The head of water created by the lock may be used to fill the mill pound and allow operation of the Three Mills tidal mill, again.

An unexploded convert|2200|lb|t|0|lk=on "Hermann" World War II bomb was found there on 2 June 2008. The bomb was made safe, in a controlled explosion, after five days of disruption to tube and rail services. [ [http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/unexploded-bomb-east-london "Unexploded Bomb in East London"] (Now Public) accessed 1 August 2008] [ [http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/news/story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsela&itemid=WeED06%20Jun%202008%2022%3A31%3A52%3A950 "Hermann" the German bomb says farewell with a bang—after 67 years"] (East London Advertiser, 6 June 2008) accessed 9 June 2008]

ee also

*Bow Back Rivers

References

Gallery