Picketts Lock

infobox UK place
country = England
region= London
official_name= Pickett's Lock
london_borough= Enfield
post_town= LONDON
postcode_area= N
postcode_district= N9
dial_code= 020
os_grid_reference= TQ362937
latitude= 51.626033
longitude= -0.032471
constituency_westminster=Edmonton

Pickett's Lock or Picketts Lock is an area of Edmonton, in the London Borough of Enfield. It is borderd by River Lee Navigation to the east, Pickett's Lock Lane to the south, Meridian Way A1055 to the west and the Ponders End industrial area to the north. The area takes it name from Pickett's Lock, a lock on the nearby River Lee Navigation.

History

Historically the land was marshland and the hamlet here was known as Marshside. During the 20th century the land was used for sand and gravel extraction [cite web |title=Edmonton: Economic history|work=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 161-172. |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=26937 |date=1976|accessdate=2008-02-25] which helped to form the waters known as the Blue Lakes. The area was used by local people for outdoor pursuits such as shooting, [ Curtis, A and Speakman, F. " A Poacher's Tale" p52 ISBN 0713509694 George Bell & Sons 1960 Retrieved March 06 2008] angling, and ferreting, and is described in Terry Webb's book "An Edmonton Boy" [ Webb,T. "An Edmonton Boy" ISBN 190398100X Chapter2 Published by Biograph in 2000 Retrieved March 06

2008 ] Cquote| My playground, the River Lea has now been changed into part of the Lee Valley Regional Park; it's been changed into an official playground but its not the same with things being done for you|10px|10px| Terry Webb After World War II the lakes were used for landfill. The former gravel workings were a key site for investigation of Pleistocene interglacial deposits.Ellison R.A. et al 2004, "Geology of London: Special Memoir for 1:50,000 Geological sheets 256 (North London), 257 (Romford), 270 (South London) and 271 (Dartford) (England and Wales)", British Geological Survey, Keyworth, ISBN 0-85272478-0] [Gibbard, Philip " Pleistocene History of the Thames Valley " p109 ISBN 0521402093 Retrieved March 14 2008] During the late 1960s the area was acquired by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) to form part of the Lee Valley Park. [ [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=26940 British History online (fn85)] Retrieved March 05 2008] The Pickett's Lock Sports Centre designed by the Williamson Partnership with J.V.M Bishop of the (LVRPA) is described as being "three large white functional boxes arranged around a central swimming pool, linked by generous circulation areas. Made a little less bleak by additions of 1993-4: restaurant, cafe and cinema, and an entrance block by Fitzroy Robinson & Partners". [ Cherry, B & Nikolaus Pevsner,"The Buildings of England, London 4: North" (1998) p426 ISBN 0140710493 Retrieved April 16 2008 ] Also included were a nine hole golf course and outdoor sports facilities and was completed by 1973 as the largest centre of its kind in Europe. One of the earliest International Events held at the Centre was the first-ever World Age Group Trampoline Championships which were organised by Ted Blake. In later years, land including a disused sewage farm to the north of the centre was used to extend the golf course, and includes a man-made water known as Ponders End lake. It was announced on March 24, 2000 [http://www.runtrackdir.com/details.asp?track=london(pl)&country=uk UK running track directory] Reterieved March 07 2008] that the site known then as the Lee Valley Leisure Centre was to be the location of the National Athletics Stadium. Shortly after, on April 03, 2000, it was also announced that the site would be the venue of the IAAFs, 2005 World Championships in Athletics. The proposed stadium had a capacity of 43,000 and an original cost of £87m and included new training facilities for athletes as part of the design the High Performance Centre. The project was completely abandoned by the Government in October 2001 on the grounds of increased costs and inadequate transportation links. Ultimately, the UK had to forfeit the right to host the 2005 World Athletics Championships.However, the LVRPA, Sport England and UK Athletics went ahead with plans to create the most modern athletics training venue in the south of England on the site to be known as the Lee Valley Athletics Centre which was formally opened in 2007 and forms part of the Lee Valley Leisure Complex. The original 1973 Pickett Lock Sports Centre closed in 2002 and was demolished in 2004.

In popular culture

The now demolished Picketts Lock Sports Centre is featured in the BBC comedy "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em". With Michael Crawford roller skating inside and outside of the centre. [ [http://youtube.com/watch?v=lFLpwRMS00g&feature=related Some Mothers Do 'Av 'Em video] Retrieved April 16 2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.runtrackdir.com/details.asp?track=london(pl)&country=uk London High Performance Centre]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmcumeds/264/264ap23.htm/ House of Commons, National Athletic Stadium Summary]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/1577797.stm/ Picketts Lock bid Scrapped]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/1666205.stm/ MPs Attack Picketts Lock Fiasco]
* [http://www.sportsvenue-technology.com/projects/picketts/ UK National Athletics Stadium]
* [http://anidea.co.uk/lower-edmonton/local/pickettslock.html Picketts Lock information]