The Sea of Glass

The Lea Valley was, and still is, a vital place for horticulture. Often described as the Cucumber Capital of Britain or London’s Salad Bowl, there is another picturesque epithet that defines her: the Sea of Glass.

The Lower Lea Valley has been noted for its market gardens and plan nurseries since the eighteenth century. With the coming of the railway and the abolition of the tax on glass, the commercial glasshouse industry developed until, in the 1930s, the Lea Valley had the largest concentration of glasshouses in the world.

By 1950 around 1300 acres were under glass.
Today, the area has just about 300 acres under glass, but with agricultural advancements, the productivity exceeds that of 70 years ago. The Lea Valley continues to produce around 75% of Britain's cucumbers and sweet peppers.