Enclosure of the commons in the lower Lea valley - Some history and a new campaign

Image of a meeting in Copenhagen Fields
Aerial photo of the Thames Water site, nature reserve and lammas lands

The following link leads to a recent article; Resisting enclosure past & present: East London Waterworks, Leyton Marsh, and the Leyton Lammas lands, by mudlark121 - Resisting enclosure past & present: East London Waterworks, Leyton Marsh, and the Leyton Lammas lands

"...this area has a long history of resistance to the enclosure of open land; as well as complex conflicts over its use. The most famous incident took place in August 1892, when 3000 people gathered to pull down railings protecting a railway that had been unpopularly run across Leyton’s ‘Lammas’ land, and wrecked the railway lines. "

"...each successive expansion of the Lea Bridge works, from at least 1824, encroached upon ancient Lammas lands, and required the loss, buyout or extinguishment of any existing commonable Lammas rights local communities had, whether by agreement, paying compensation, or just by jumping in and ignoring protest. "

"The Lea Bridge Waterworks, where Leyton and Hackney Marshes meet, in North East London, are one space where the next developments are under debate at the moment shines an interesting light on past, present and possible futures. Collective resistance helped preserve part of this space in the past; community campaigns have helped fight off some recent developments, and could help re-shape the area for all our benefit… "

Support Save Lea Marshes in calling for the Lea Bridge Waterworks to be protected from development and opened up to public access. More info about this campaign can be found here

A film produced and directed by Sheridan Flynn about the proposal to hold a music festival on the Waterworks Meadow
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