The Lee Valley is London's green corridor north. From Limehouse Basin this route joins the River Lea past the Olympic Park, then follows the towpath and the paths of the Lee Valley Regional Park through Hackney Marshes, Tottenham and Enfield Lock to the edge of Waltham Abbey.
It's flat all the way and mostly traffic-free, shared with walkers, anglers and narrowboats, so take the bridges and lock-sides slowly. Trains from Waltham Cross and Cheshunt run back into central London.
Turn-by-turn directions
Limehouse Cut0.1 mi0.0 mi
Bear left onto Limehouse Cut10 yd0.1 mi
Turn right onto Limehouse Cut100 yd0.1 mi- Continue straight onto Ropemakers Fields30 yd0.2 mi
- Continue straight onto Limehouse Cut150 yd0.2 mi
Turn left50 yd0.3 mi- Turn left onto Newell Street90 yd0.3 mi
- Turn left onto Commercial Road10 yd0.4 mi
- Continue straight onto Salmon Lane30 yd0.4 mi
Bear right onto Salmon Lane0.1 mi0.4 mi
Show all 93 turns
- Continue straight onto Parnham Street60 yd0.5 mi
- Bear right onto Tomlin's Terrace50 yd0.6 mi
- Turn left onto NCN National Route 110 yd0.6 mi
- Turn right onto NCN National Route 130 yd0.6 mi
- Bear right1.3 mi0.6 mi
- Bear right170 yd1.9 mi
Turn around0.1 mi2.0 mi- Bear left onto Stoneway Walk10 yd2.1 mi
- Turn right onto Pound Path20 yd2.1 mi
- Turn left onto Pavers Way0.5 mi2.1 mi
- Bear right40 yd2.6 mi
- Bear right0.4 mi2.6 mi
- Bear left70 yd3.0 mi
- Bear right0.3 mi3.0 mi
- Turn right onto White Post Lane50 yd3.3 mi
- Turn right onto Lee Canal Towpath0.8 mi3.4 mi
Sharp right onto South Marsh10 yd4.1 mi- Bear left onto South Marsh0.2 mi4.1 mi
- Turn right0.3 mi4.3 mi
- Turn left onto North Marsh140 yd4.5 mi
- Bear left50 yd4.6 mi
- Turn around50 yd4.6 mi
Sharp left onto North Marsh0.8 mi4.7 mi- Bear right onto North Marsh20 yd5.5 mi
- Bear left onto North Marsh10 yd5.5 mi
- Bear right onto Friends Bridge40 yd5.5 mi
- Continue straight onto NCN National Route 10.3 mi5.5 mi
- Continue straight onto Lea Bridge Road, A10430 yd5.8 mi
- Continue straight onto Leyton Marsh120 yd5.8 mi
- Turn left onto Leyton Marsh0.2 mi5.9 mi
- Turn right50 yd6.1 mi
- Turn left onto Leyton Marsh30 yd6.1 mi
- Bear right onto Leyton Marsh10 yd6.1 mi
- Bear left onto Wilton Point Footbridge30 yd6.1 mi
- Bear right onto Wilton Point Footbridge20 yd6.1 mi
- Sharp right onto Lea Valley Towpath0.3 mi6.1 mi
- Continue straight onto High Hill Ferry150 yd6.4 mi
- Bear left onto High Hill Ferry10 yd6.5 mi
- Bear right onto High Hill Ferry120 yd6.5 mi
- Turn right onto Spring Lane0.2 mi6.6 mi
- Continue straight onto Lea Valley Towpath0.2 mi6.8 mi
- Bear left onto Lea Valley Towpath10 yd7.0 mi
- Continue straight onto NCN National Route 110 yd7.0 mi
- Bear right onto NCN National Route 110 yd7.0 mi
- Bear left onto NCN National Route 11.2 mi7.0 mi
- Continue straight onto River Lee Navigation0.7 mi8.1 mi
- Bear left onto River Lee Navigation20 yd8.8 mi
- Bear right onto NCN National Route 110 yd8.8 mi
- Bear right onto NCN National Route 120 yd8.8 mi
- Turn left onto NCN National Route 10.8 mi8.8 mi
- Continue straight onto Towpath Road0.1 mi9.6 mi
- Turn left onto Orbital Business Park10 yd9.8 mi
- Turn right onto NCN National Route 10.2 mi9.8 mi
- Continue straight onto Private service road70 yd10.0 mi
- Bear right onto NCN National Route 110 yd10.0 mi
- Bear left onto NCN National Route 1130 yd10.0 mi
- Bear right0.9 mi10.1 mi
- Bear right onto NCN National Route 11.1 mi11.0 mi
- Continue straight onto Lea Valley Road, A11050 yd12.2 mi
- Continue straight onto NCN National Route 11.7 mi12.2 mi
- Turn right onto Prince of Wales Open Space0.2 mi13.8 mi
- Turn right onto Prince of Wales Open Space0.1 mi14.0 mi
- Bear left onto Prince of Wales Open Space70 yd14.1 mi
- Turn left0.3 mi14.2 mi
- Bear left110 yd14.4 mi
- Turn right onto Bradley Road0.2 mi14.5 mi
- Turn right onto Ordnance Road0.4 mi14.7 mi
- Continue straight onto Smeaton Road100 yd15.1 mi
- Turn right80 yd15.1 mi
- Bear left0.9 mi15.2 mi
- Continue straight onto Public footpath0.3 mi16.1 mi
- Bear left onto Public footpath30 yd16.4 mi
- Turn right170 yd16.4 mi
- Turn right onto Highbridge Street, A12120 yd16.5 mi
- Continue straight onto Highbridge Street, B194170 yd16.5 mi
Enter roundabout onto Abbey View Roundabout, B194130 yd16.6 mi
Take third exit onto Highbridge Street20 yd16.7 mi- Bear left onto Highbridge Street160 yd16.7 mi
- Continue straight onto Leverton Way70 yd16.8 mi
- Bear right onto Greenyard10 yd16.8 mi
- Bear right onto Cornmill100 yd16.8 mi
- Turn right onto Parking aisle30 yd16.9 mi
- Turn right onto Parking aisle80 yd16.9 mi
