THE LOWER LEA VALLEY 
3 
gardens may be found much as they were a hundred years ago, 
and the surroundings of the old parish church of Leyton — a 
curious medley of architecture in all its stages — make it difficult 
to realise how near one is to a dense population, across the 
marshes and close by. 
It need hardly be said that the fit and proper destiny of as 
much of this great open space as is possible, is preservation in 
the condition in which it now is, for public enjoyment. So far, 
fortunately, it has escaped falling into the hands of the builder 
of small cottage property ; but a most decided danger there is 
lest no small portion of it should be absorbed for the creation of 
smoke-producing factories on a large scale. 
This danger is by no means an imaginary one. In this lowest 
or southernmost portion of its course the River Lea divides into 
several branches. The westernmost or main stream, known as 
the Navigation Canal, is provided with locks, and it forms the 
dividing line between Middlesex and Essex. East of this the 
main line of the Great Eastern Railway crosses four other 
streams, which are not locked but are tidal, known as the Pud- 
ding Mill, City Mill, Waterworks and Channel Sea Rivers. 
Nothing in the way of prevention seems to make inner London 
less smoky or foggy than it is in the dead calm of autumn and 
winter ; but the parental care of the late Metropolitan Board 
of Works (now continued by their successors the London County 
Council) many years ago abolished smoke-producing factories 
beyond a certain radius. Here, down at the bottom of the Lea 
Valley, factories of this nature flourish in abundance. They line 
the tidal creeks in long rows, the reason for their position being 
obvious, namely, on account of facilities of water-carriage thus 
offered. The ground in this neighbourhood has been raised 
above its former level, so that its surface lies even with the 
metals of the railway which skirts it. The industries are prin- 
cipally the manufacture of oil, soap, paint and chemicals. The 
output of waste products is very large, and scientific or com- 
mercial ingenuity seems to have found no use for them. Year 
after year has this filling-up process gone on, and the creeks now 
run in between deep banks. This gives the impression of a 
process of erosion having taken place. The wild-looking and 
unkempt acreage lying round and about the factories is perhaps 
the nearest approach to Black Country scenery the neighbour- 
hood of London possesses. Desolate-looking in winter, the plain, 
notwithstanding its made-up soil, waves green with grass in 
spring and summer, and even our commoner wild flowers do not 
forsake it. 
This waterside land is advertised to let for factory-building 
purposes, as a notice-board meant to catch the eye of railway 
travellers tells us. Now, without prejudice to the idea of pro- 
viding as many sources of occupation as possible to a centre, 
the population of which is suffering terrible hardships from want 
of occupation at present, it would be just as well to limit the 
