River Lea Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bedfordshire

Like many rivers, the exact source of the River Lea is subject to some dispute, with some sources declaring it to begin at a Neolithic enclosure in Leagrave (a suburb of Luton) and others pointing to the fact that one of its tributaries, Houghton Brook, begins in the nearby town of Houghton Regis. However, both of these locations are within the county of Bedfordshire, so it is safe enough to declare that county as the source of the Lea (which is admittedly not such a grand claim as the much sought source of the Nile). The river initially flows south-east and east to Hertford, before heading south to the River Thames in East London - a route that covers approximately 68 km (42 miles).

The incorrect options are all neighbouring counties to Bedfordshire but don't include any part of the course of the River Lea, which leaves the county via its southern neighbour, Hertfordshire.

Answer: To provide clean drinking water for London

Some consideration really ought to be given to giving the New River a more accurate name, not just because it is more than 400 years old but because, as a manmade waterway, it should really be described as a canal. Work on the 'river' began after a charter was granted for it by King James I in 1604 and it took nearly ten years to complete the 45 km (28 mile) route from the point in Hertfordshire where it was diverted from the River Lea to the Islington area of London. It was able to supply London with sufficient clean drinking water (taken both from the River Lea and from other wells and springs along its route) until the early 19th century when the growth in the city's population meant that additional sources had to be developed.

The waters of the lower stretches of the River Lea in London have suffered significant pollution over the centuries from the heavy industries that developed on the riverbanks and surrounding land.

Answer: River Stort

The River Stort flows from the village of Langley in Essex to the River Lea at Hoddesdon. It was named after the Hertfordshire town of Bishop's Stortford, which is where the Stort Navigation - the canalised, navigable portion of the Stort - begins. The canalisation project for the River Stort was authorised by an Act of Parliament (granted in 1766) and privately funded in exchange for the right to levy tolls. It took three years to complete and records of the tolls charged show that goods transported along the newly improved river included grain, flour, coal, lime and pigeon dung! (The latter of which was levied at 1 shilling and sixpence a ton.)

The rivers Chess, Colne and Gade are the three rivers that collectively gave their name to Hertfordshire's Three Rivers Local Authority District.

Answer: Lee Navigation

The Lee Navigation is the name given to the navigable portion of the River Lea from Hertford to the River Thames. In general terms, the spelling 'Lee' is used for the sections of the river that have undergone major work to improve their navigability, along with any manmade cuts and canalised stretches. The spelling 'Lea' is reserved for natural features such as the 'unimproved' section upstream from Hertford.

The work to create the Lee Navigation was carried out over several centuries. The first Act of Parliament for work to improve the navigability of the River Lea was passed in 1425 during the reign of King Henry VI, but early records of improvements to the river date back to the late 12th century. However, the most significant work, which produced the features of the navigation that can still be seen in the 21st century, took place during the period from 1750 to 1860.

The New Lea Waterway and Hertford Ship Canal have never existed, but the Grand Union Canal is a major route on the English canal network.

Answer: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was the location for the main venues that hosted the London 2012 Olympic Games, including the Olympic Stadium (later renamed the London Stadium), swimming pools, velodrome and the athletes' village. At the time the Games were held the park was known simply as the Olympic Park; after they ended it was renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II as part of celebrations to mark her Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne).

The park was intended to regenerate part of East London and was predominantly built on disused industrial land, although some greenfield land was also used. The work also included the regeneration of the River Lea itself, as the parts that flowed through the area before the park was built were badly polluted.

Wembley Stadium and Lord's Cricket Ground are in north-west London and the home of the Wimbledon tennis championship is in south-west London.

Answer: 1960s

While initial plans suggesting the benefit of cleaning up and regenerating the Lee Valley were first put forward in the 1940s, it wasn't until the 1960s that the various local authorities decided to act and form the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to oversee the area.

After the Second World War, the area was dominated by disused industrial sites, rubbish dumps, sewage works and polluted water. Starting in the late 1960s, the site was then gradually transformed into pretty lakes, attractive riverside walks, nature reserves and world class sporting facilities. Before the work started the area - which covers a total of around 40 square kilometres (10,000 acres) - was, frankly, a health hazard; less than 50 years later it played host to several Olympic competitions and formed part of one of Greater London's largest green open spaces.

Answer: King George V Reservoir

The Lee Valley Reservoir Chain plays an important part in ensuring a supply of fresh drinking water for London's population. It includes a total of 13 major reservoirs, located in the north London boroughs of Enfield and Waltham Forest. Together the 13 manmade lakes and their surrounding land form Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering around 5.7 square kilometres (1,400 acres).

The King George V Reservoir is the largest in the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain and was constructed between 1908 and 1912. It was opened a year later by the monarch after whom it was named.

The Queen Mary Reservoir (named after King George V's wife) and the Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (named after his granddaughter) are both in Surrey. The Queen Mother Reservoir (named after his daughter-in-law) is in Berkshire. They all supply water to the London area.

Answer: Brent Marshes

Tottenham Marshes, Walthamstow Marshes and Hackney Marshes are all areas of East London that lie along the course of the River Lea. While the remaining parts of the marshes at Tottenham and Walthamstow are wetland areas that form important habitats for both plant and animal life, Hackney Marshes was drained in medieval times and over the centuries some of the reclaimed land has been used for grazing, housing, recreation and industry.

Brent is a borough in north-west London. Brent geese can be spotted spending the winter on some of England's coastal marshes, including around the Thames Estuary.

Answer: Tower Hamlets

Leamouth is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which has a distinctive shape on the map due to the fact that it includes the Isle of Dogs - the large peninsula formed by the meandering of the River Thames as it passes through East London. The borough includes several areas that make up London's traditional East End, such as Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney, as well as the majority of the Docklands area. In previous centuries the docks were the centre of London's shipping industry, but they have since been subject to significant regeneration and are now home to developments such as Canary Wharf as well as expensive waterside residential apartments.

Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark are London boroughs that can all be found along the south bank of the River Thames.

Answer: Bow Creek

Bow Creek is the tidal estuary of the River Lea at its confluence with the River Thames. It is around 3.5 km (2.25 miles) in length and includes a set of tidal gates in the area known as Bow, which gave its name to the local river system, including the creek. The whole area around where the River Lea meets the River Thames was marshy in medieval times and over the centuries has been criss-crossed with drainage channels, millstreams and waterways to create what has come to be known as the Bow Back Rivers. In the 18th century a cut was built from Bow Creek to Limehouse Basin, which provided a somewhat straighter route from the River Lea onto the Thames with the added benefit that London-bound river traffic no longer needed to sail around the Isle of Dogs.

Marylebone Station, Marlborough Street and Vine Street are close neighbours of Bow Street on the London edition of the popular board game Monopoly.