A walk in the Lee Valley

We collected at Fishers Green in the Lee Valley on 16th December for our last Wednesday walk of 2020. A fine day, but rain was forecast later on. We parked in the Lee Valley Farm car park which is free. All the other car parks are pay and display.

The route had been devised by Lee Valley and was called Artworks Route Three. The surface was metalled or hard paths all the way round apart from a couple of diversions. We passed the Glade Sculpture then the Bittern Information Point but the latter was closed. Further on we came to some wood carvings representing local wildlife. Through Nightingale Wood we then headed south alongside the railway line, past the Play Boulders – so good to see a sculpture that encourages children to play on it – and the two Stag Beetles fighting on a log to arrive at Windmill Lane. Through the Pindar car park with its toilets (the second set of toilets on this route, well done Lee Valley) and into the Natural Play area. These are wooden structures for children to play on and are supposed to represent the wind, which we managed to work out on some of the pieces.

Carrying on south we came to a Giant Chair sculpture which we couldn’t resist climbing. Only Brian managed to get up on it – photos on request from Kathy, Annick and Val – and you can see the unconquered chair in the attached photo. On to the Shrine Sculpture – a large cedar tree carved into imaginative shapes – and then past the disc golf area (we must try that, it looks fun) until we arrived at the White Water Centre. We entered hopefully, but the café is closed until 2021.

Down the towpath to Waltham Town Lock where we crossed the river, briefly looked at the Viking Ship – a not very impressive structure – and turned north for the homeward run along Waltons Walk. There are a couple of hides along here for the birdwatchers and a nice metal sculpture depicting a Banded Demoiselle. Through the car parks, a quick visit to the toilet and that was the end of the walk. Nearly three hours for nearly seven miles. As we drove home the rain started. Perfect!

Brian U., 16th December 2020