Lee Valley

The Lee Valley Regional Park is a 26-mile long park in Essex, Hertfordshire and London in England. It has had a special legal status for almost 80 years, set aside "for recreation, sport, entertainment and the enjoyment of leisure". The valley takes its name from the River Lee (or Lea). Venues and attractions in the Lee Valley include the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford (home of the London 2012 Olympic Games) several marinas and moorings, a network of cycle routes, angling (fishing) areas, and green spaces.

Understand
The Lee Valley Regional Park Act 1966 is: "An Act to establish the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority for the development, preservation and management for recreation, sport, entertainment and the enjoyment of leisure of an area adjoining the river Lee as a regional park." The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority remains in control of the park today. It is based in Myddelton House, Enfield and has planning, sports and leisure, and environmental responsibilities.

The park is 26 miles long and around 10,000 areas all in all, spanning three counties. Some of the focal towns and destinations in and around the Lee Valley Regional Park are:

By train
The Lee Valley is well covered by National Rail and London Underground routes. It is very easy to travel into and around the Lee Valley, with trains every few minutes on some routes within London. There are also direct trains into the Lee Valley from surrounding destinations, including Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ely, Hertford, Ipswich and Southend-on-Sea. The park is 26 miles long, so be sure to check which station is nearest to your final destination before you set off.

Some of the larger stations within the Lee Valley include:


 * - direct trains from London Liverpool Street, stations in North London, Bishop's Stortford, Cambridge, Harlow, Hertford East and Ely.
 * - direct trains from London Liverpool Street, stations in North London, Bishop's Stortford, Cambridge, Harlow, Hertford and Ely.
 * - direct trains from London Liverpool Street and stations in North London.
 * - direct trains from West London, Central London and Epping.
 * - direct trains from London Liverpool Street, stations in Central London including London Waterloo, Camden Road, Hampstead Heath, Heathrow Airport, Lewisham, Bishop's Stortford, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping, Ilford, Ipswich, Maidenhead, Norwich, Reading, Richmond and Southend-on-Sea, among other destinations.
 * - direct trains from London Liverpool Street, stations in Central London including King's Cross St Pancras, Bishop's Stortford, Cambridge, Ely, Harlow, Hertford and Stansted Airport.
 * - direct trains from London Liverpool Street, stations in north London, Bishop's Stortford and Hertford.
 * - direct trains from stations in Central London including King's Cross St Pancras. Near  with direct trains from Barking, Gospel Oak and Haringey Green Lanes.
 * - direct trains from London Liverpool Street, stations in North London and Hertford.

By car
Several major roads criss-cross through the Lee Valley. It is easily accessible from the London road network, and the UK motorway network. Various destinations within the Lee Valley, including the Lee Valley itself, feature on brown signs from some routes.

Major roads into the valley include:


 * (London - Cambridge) - from Bishop's Stortford, Cambridge, Harlow and Stansted Airport;
 * (London Orbital) - from Brentwood, the Dartford Crossing, London Gatwick Airport, London Heathrow Airport and Watford;
 * (London - Cambridge - King's Lynn) - from Central London, Dalston, Cambridge, Hertford, Royston and Shoreditch;
 * (London - Stratford - Norwich) - from The City;
 * (London - Ipswich - Lowestoft) - from Brentwood, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich;
 * (London - Southend-on-Sea) - The City, Barking, Basildon, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock;
 * ( -  - Clapton) - from Greenwich and destinations in Kent;
 * (North Circular Road) - from Barking, Brent Cross, Ealing, Finchley, Kew and Wembley;
 * (Hemel Hempstead - Chelmsford - Maldon) - from Chelmsford, Harlow, Hatfield, Hertford, St Albans and Welwyn Garden City;
 * (Hitchin - Ware) - from Stevenage.

By air
There are two airports within 30 minutes of the Lee Valley. These are:


 * - international airport in Essex with flights to destinations across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Easy access to the Lee Valley by car using or by train into Bishop's Stortford (for onward local trains) and Tottenham Hale.
 * - international airport in East London with flights to destinations across Europe, the Middle East and North America. Easy across the Lee Valley using.

There are direct trains into the Lee Valley Regional Park from:


 * - into London Stratford using.
 * - into London Stratford using.

Other nearby airports include in Bedfordshire and  in West Sussex.

See
The Lee Valley features rural country parks and gardens, and a collection of urban things to see throughout East and North London:

Do
The Lee Valley Regional Park was set up with leisure and entertainment in mind. There are plenty of things to do in the park, including:



Go next

 * London's West End, the UK's capital city, with its galleries, museums, theatres, bars, restaurants and nightclubs, is a short train ride from the Lee Valley.
 * Greenwich - just over the River Thames, home to the Royal Observatory, charming town centre amid the bustle of London, and an enormous park
 * Cambridge, a world-famous university city, is roughly an hour from the Lee Valley by train or car.
 * Hertford - Hertfordshire's county town with a castle, historic streets, food, drink and lounge bars.
 * Southend-on-Sea, seaside resort, is home to the world's longest pier.
 * St Albans - a charming cathedral city with plenty to do, eat and drink in Hertfordshire