The Lee Valley Regional Park was created on the 1st
January 1967, through an Act of Parliament: the Lee
Valley Regional Park Act 1966.
The creators of the Regional Park wanted to provide
a destination for the growing populations of London,
Essex and Hertfordshire to enjoy recreation and leisure
activities unavailable elsewhere. The corridor alongside
the River Lee was at that time a mix of derelict and
operational industrial land, undeveloped marshlands,
water supply reservoirs, farmland, glasshouses and
municipal parks. The new Regional Park was to
transform these areas to create a continuous corridor
of open space and built leisure and sports facilities that
would provide a wide range of recreation and leisure opportunities
The purpose of the Park is clearly defined in the Park
Act, as:
"...a place for the occupation of leisure, recreation,
sport, games or amusements or any similar activity, for
the provision of nature reserves and for the provision
and enjoyment of entertainments of any kind."
Section
12(1) Lee Valley Regional Park Act 1966
Much has been achieved since the Park was created.
The Park now includes 10,000 acres (over 4,000ha) and
winds its way 26 miles: along the banks of the River Lee
from Ware in Hertfordshire, down through Essex, North
London, and past Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to
East India Dock Basin on the River Thames.
The Park is a fantastic mix of sport and leisure venues,
heritage sites, gardens, nature reserves and riverside
trails; offering an endless range of things to do. It is easy
to reach by bike, car, train, or on foot, and visitors can
spend anything from a few hours to a few days enjoying
and exploring.
The Park is also one of the homes of the most exciting
events in the world – the London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games. The Games will not only provide a
great sporting spectacle, but will deliver a lasting benefit
for the Park; four world-class sports venues are to be
located within the Park boundary, with the remaining
Olympic venues and parklands situated alongside.