abstract:The Lea Valley, the valley of the River Lea, has been used as a transport corridor, a source of sand and gravel, an industrial area, a water supply for London, and a recreational area. The London 2012 Summer Olympics were based in Stratford, in the Lower Lea Valley.
London, by contrast, is planning a 500-acre Olympic park, complete with athletes' village, indoor arenas and swimming pool, in the lower LeaValley, an unloved bit of east London.