The main industrial expansion in the Lea Valley twentieth century was in the areas around the new and improved roads, such as the North Circular at Edmonton (Angel Road.) Many of the factories close to the road are now either demolished or turned into shopping warehouses. There were still a number of timber yards, although most were in process of closing down.
New electrical industries sprung up around Enfield, as Brimsdown and Ponders End, where the modern electronic revolution was launched with Ambrose Fleming's invention of the diode at the Swann Edison works.
Ford too had a car parts plant here, which became Visteon around 2000, and was occupied by workers in 2009 when they were sacked without notice.
In the 1980s the Royal Small Arms Factory was still protected from photographers by barbed wire and warning notices - now it is redeveloped as a housing estate.
Brimsdown also has a plant processing precious metals, while Ponders End has one of the older flour mills in the country still working (and much expanded.) Despite many closures there is still industry in the Lee Valley.
Pictures are in roughly the order that I took them in this section.
Many of the pictures I took in this section are essentially landscape images, and I've scanned very few to add to this site.
1980-92 Black & White index
1980s: colour
2000 on: colour
All photographs on this site are
© 1980-2010 Peter Marshall.
Pictures are available for commercial use - please email me, for terms.
Permission is normally granted for suitable non-commercial use without cost - please email the above address. I also welcome comments and questions about the work.
34k-24: Refuse Incineration plant, Edmonton
34k-21: Edmonton
34k-34: Lea Valley Trading Estate, Edmonton
34k-36: Lea Valley Trading Estate, Edmonton
34l-11: Approaching Edmonton - Dorford Wharf
3411-13: Chalk Bridge
34l-15: Dorford Wharf, Edmonton
34l-16: Dorford Wharf, Edmonton
34m65: Dorford Wharf, Edmonton
34m52: Dorford Wharf, Edmonton
34m-41: Edmonton