# Millhead Stream

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River in Essex, England

Foundations of 19th century water mills on the Millhead Stream

The Millhead Stream at Beaulieu Drive

The **Millhead Stream** is a minor [tributary](/source/Tributary) of the [River Lea](/source/River_Lea) in England. The stream flows north to south across the [Waltham Abbey](/source/Waltham_Abbey_(town)) [flood plain](/source/Flood_plain) and through the site of the former [Royal Gunpowder Mills](/source/Waltham_Abbey_Royal_Gunpowder_Mills).

## History

The stream is an engineered watercourse which is part of an intricate five mile canal system within the Gunpowder Mills establishment and is fed by water from the River Lea. It provided the main power source for [water driven mills](/source/Watermill) in the area before the first [gunpowder](/source/Gunpowder) mills were recorded in 1662. The stream was also used for the smooth and safe delivery of raw materials and collection of gunpowder.[1]

Due to its location the stream remained largely unseen for over 300 years until the site was opened to the general public in 2001.[2]

## Course

The stream leaves the [Cornmill Stream](/source/Cornmill_Stream) to flow through the [Waltham Abbey Site of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Waltham_Abbey_SSSI) within the Royal Gunpowder Mills site, before flowing through late 20th century housing developments. After passing under the B194 road at Highbridge Street the stream merges with the River Lea to flow under the [A121](/source/A121_road_(England)) to join the [River Lee Flood Relief Channel](/source/River_Lee_Flood_Relief_Channel) below the town of Waltham Abbey.

## Public access

The stream can be seen at Beaulieu Drive close to the entrance of the Gunpowder Mills site. Within the site, where the stream passes through the SSSI access is restricted and can be visited by [land train](/source/Land_train) only.[3]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Royal Gunpowdermills canal system](http://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/canal_system.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080509131916/http://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/canal_system.htm) 9 May 2008 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Retrieved 2 December 2008

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Royal Gunpowdermills history](http://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/). Retrieved 2 December 2008

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Land train](http://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/land_train.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090916115045/http://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/land_train.htm) 16 September 2009 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Retrieved 3 December 2008

[51°41′23″N 0°00′33″W / 51.6896°N 0.0091°W / 51.6896; -0.0091](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Millhead_Stream&params=51.6896_N_0.0091_W_)

v t e River Lea / Lee, England Counties Bedfordshire Essex Hertfordshire Greater London Mouth River Thames Settlements Leagrave Luton Harpenden Wheathampstead Welwyn Garden City Hertford Ware Stanstead Abbotts Hoddesdon Broxbourne Cheshunt Waltham Abbey Ponders End Edmonton Tottenham Upper Clapton Hackney Wick Stratford Bromley-by-Bow Canning Town Leamouth Major tributaries River Ash River Beane River Ching River Mimram River Moselle River Rib River Stort Minor tributaries Bayford Brook Broxbourne Mill Stream Cobbins Brook Coppermill Stream Cornmill Stream Cuffley Brook Dagenham Brook Hackney Brook Houghton Brook Lewsey Brook Millhead Stream Pymmes Brook River Quin Rags Brook River Lynch Salmons Brook Small River Lea Spital Brook Theobalds Brook Turkey Brook Turnford Brook Woollens Brook Wormleybury Brook

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Millhead Stream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millhead_Stream) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millhead_Stream?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.