Wanstead Park Walk

Looking out of the window on Sunday 10th December I wondered if the walk was going ahead as the snow fell down. I already had a text from one person pulling out. But there is Ken at the door so we slither out in the car and slip and slide our way to Wanstead Park.

In total there were 5 hardy souls who braved the elements, all well wrapped up. We met at Wanstead station and walked through the streets to the Park, passing Wanstead golf club whose building used to be the stables of the once grand Wanstead House. Into the Park and there still are traces of the grandeur that it once was, with a broad avenue immediately in front of us. We followed the City of London walk and went up the side of the Ornamental Water, round the top and came down between the River Roding and the lake. Rounding the Canal (another remnant of the old House) we pause for a photo in front of the Grotto.

Stopping at the Perch Pond we fed the birds with proper duck food, not bread, as supplied by the visitor centres in Epping Forest. On to the tea hut and the Park is very busy all of a sudden. We had seen few people on the walk and this was a surprise. Children had been busy and the area looked like the Terracotta Army, with snowmen all over the place. We had a warming cup of tea and moved on to walk around the Heronry Pond. We didn’t see herons but saw nests high in the trees which at first we thought were heron's, but were probably crow's nests or squirrels dreys. Herons haven't apparently nested in the park since early in the 20th Century.

On to the Temple visitor centre where we warmed ourselves and looked at the information regarding the history of Wanstead House. Downstairs there was a photography display including an offering from our own Sue Carroll.

That was the end of the walk and we returned to Wanstead station and home.

Brian U. 13th December 2017