Barely 500 yards in length, Pudding Mill Lane short-circuits Marshgate Lane in south-west Stratford. Pudding Mill River, one of the Bow back rivers, is a very minor tributary of the River Lea. The mill that gave its name to the river and the lane was wind-driven, unlike its many water-powered neighbours. The history of the mills in this area is somewhat uncertain but the Pudding Mill was probably named because of its shape and was demolished during the first half of the 19th century. The later Nobshill (or Knobs Hill) Mill survived until the early 1890s. Until 1998 there was just a passing loop at this point on the Stratford branch of the Docklands Light Railway, which here runs alongside the main line into Liverpool Street, and above the Central Line. The station was built for the convenience of workers at the utilities and industrial estates that pocked Stratford Marsh over the course the 20th century. This is one of London’s most obscure destinations – indeed one 21st-century street atlas seems unaware of its existence – but it has assumed greater significance since the neighbourhood has become the site for the 2012 Olympic Park. The station will become a transport interchange for the games, but will have to be closed during the construction phase. The lane itself will be replaced by peripheral Olympics facilities. The little Pudding Mill River is likely to disappear under the main stadium.

Pudding Mill Lane should not be confused with Pudding Lane, the source of the Great Fire of London.