Old Ford locks mark the end of the Bow River section of the Lee Navigation (until recently semi-tidal) and the beginning of the Hackney Cut, built in the mid-18th Century as part of a major improvement of the Lee Navigation, cutting off a loop of the river between here and Lea Bridge in Walthamstow. The paired locks are modern and hydraulically operated. The one in normal use is operated by boaters using a BW "Watermate" key at the pedestal on the far left of this picture.