The Green London Way.  Part 1 - Sunday 23^rd February

In 1991 I bought the newly-published book by Bob Gilbert – indeed my copy is signed by him, although I can't remember how that came about. I'd seen that it had recently been revised and re-published – many changes have taken place in London since that time.

The Green London Way is a long-distance footpath around London; it was first long-distance footpath around London and one of the very first entirely urban long-distance footpaths in the country. It proposed to be a new way of looking at London, at its culture and history but perhaps more than anything at its natural history.

The Group leaving StratfordI told Pam about this book, as I fancied re-walking it myself, having completed much of it back in the 1990's. Pam bought the book, and began the first section on Sunday 23rd February – the first of a possible series of walks for the Group.

Eight of us set out from Stratford Station to walk Section 1 of the route - “From the Lea to the Levels”. In fact, Pam had advertised it as from Stratford to Cyprus, as Cyprus (in Beckton) was to be our return point, rather than the Woolwich Ferry. After passing through Stratford itself – the original part, not E20 - the route follows a section of The Greenway, the promenade along Bazalgette's sewer embankment. That never sounds very pleasant (and occasional whiffs act as a reminder) but in fact is an open, breezy and easy walk passing such wonders as “The Cathedral of Sewage” and “Beckton Alps”. 

The Cathedral of Sewage

Eventually, coming off the Greenway and crossing the A13 by way of a footbridge, Beckton District Park is entered, complete with crocuses, a lake and ducks, gulls and swans – but no toilets. The Victorian 'Cyprus' estate – which was named originally to commemorate the British capture of Cyprus - was rebuilt in the 1980s and to my mind is an example of how housing estates could be planned, with lots of parks, open spaces and green connecting ways for pedestrians and cyclists. If in places there was an undue amount of litter and other disturbance around, that perhaps reflects inhabitants rather than design?

Wasting good walking time!The day had been dry, but a little cloudy and as much of our walk had been on the Greenway and exposed to a somewhat chill wind, we were pleased to find a snack bar in the local superstore. After, we walked a relatively short distance more to return by the DLR. It was interesting to note that not only were we in Cyprus, but we probably would have been just about in Kent, too – except that that certain boundaries that brought Kent north of the river have since been re-drawn!

Leader and participants: Pam, Cliff, Fred, Fozie, Lynne, Marilyn, Paul, Sue S.

Distance: 5.5 miles

Paul Ferris, March 2014

Visit to the Lost Garden at Great Warley - Saturday 22nd February

The Lord smiles on the righteous, so it has been said, which makes one think what a righteous bunch we were, all twenty of us, the day we visited Great Warley, Saturday 22nd February, 2014. It was a glorious day, the sun shining on a doughty bunch of EFOGers. We made our way there (near Brentwood) using routes many and various but all seemed to arrive at about the same time. (The battle of the sat navs). Smiling crocuses lining the driveway (once the London Road) welcomed us.

Now a nature reserve looked after by volunteers of the Essex Wildlife Trust, it is more than that as one is walking through the remains of a great garden of the Edwardian era.

It was the garden of Ellen Wilmott one of the foremost plantswomen of her time. She had very close links to Kew Gardens and in its prime, there would have been some 100 gardeners employed there. Miss Wilmott died in the 1930s by which time the gardens had been deteriorating for many years. For the next forty years, it was left to slumber overgrown by sycamores, and the many “exotics”, giant hogweed, bamboo etc. introduced in Miss Wilmott’s time.

One follows paths concealed for decades, discovers the remains of her cold frame area and sunken greenhouses. One happens upon the C17th Walled Garden and the line of 300 year old sweet chestnuts beside which there is a lookout where you can get a good view over to the Dome, Canary Wharf and St. Paul’s. This induces a peculiar feeling. The garden seems to be in a lost world of its own, so suddenly to be presented with a view of commercial London is a strange contrast.

The original garden plants have long been overwhelmed, just a few unusual trees remain. What has benefited from the neglect, are the spring bulbs. Over a hundred years ago, Miss Wilmott would have had her gardeners broadcast the bulbs. They would have been sent to her from who knows where. The bulbs would have been thrown in handfuls and planted where they landed. The spring bulbs which flower before the encroaching trees and thugs get started, have been happily hybridising and producing new types for decades. On our visit, the snowdrops were strutting their stuff. Big ones, small ones, doubles, variegated, all snowdrop life was there. In March, it will be the turn of the narcissus to be followed by carpets of bluebells.

It was a delightful day, a combination of welcome spring sunshine and the chance to explore a fascinating place. It gave me a good opportunity to share with the club members one of my “special” places. All topped off by a meal at the next door pub, the Thatcher’s Arms. For such a bunch of foodies, this was a good way to finish our visit.

Marian T.,  25th February 2014

Tring and the Ridgeway - 8th February

Despite the dreadful national weather situation and that day’s forecast (rain and gusty winds), 13 of us set out from Euston station on the 10.24. We got off at Tring station. Tring itself is a transition town - http://www.tringintransition.org.uk/ - but it has a massive car park for all the commuters heading to London, who can’t walk from their homes to the station due it being located about 2 miles from the town. At the time of building the railway, local landowners objected to it being close to the beautiful Ashridge estate, now managed by the National Trust.

A short walk up the road led us to the start of our walk, picking up on a section of the Ridgeway. Some sources describe the Ridgeway as the oldest road in England, dating back to prehistoric times, used by herdsmen, traders and soldiers. The track led us gradually up, into a section of wood designated as a butterfly nature reserve. The track was easy apart from one massive fallen tree which had to be hopped over. We emerged from the trees onto Pitstone Hill and had a marvellous view of the vale of Aylesbury below. Yes, an excellent view: sun, blue skies and wind to keep it all clear! We walked down across the open grassland and then gradually up again flanking Incombe Hole – a little valley with breaks in the surface revealing the chalk beneath. There was an option to add a couple of miles to the walk by continuing on the Ridgeway to reach Ivinghoe Beacon before returning to the main path. However, several noses sniffed the air and decided rain was on its way, so we skipped that bit and headed into Crawley wood. This was the first walk that I had led for EFOG, so I needed a gentle reminder that I was also in charge of decisions about when and where to stop for lunch… As we continued through the wood, past Clipper Down, the rain pelted down but we were largely sheltered by the trees. As the rain eased, the sun came out and created a stunning sight of sunlight glistening in the raindrop laden branches. We walked past the Bridgewater monument, which is open in the warmer months, and headed straight for the Brownlow café for tea and more. The walk then took us downhill and out of the wood into the village of Aldbury, described as the most beautiful village in Hertfordshire. I somehow missed the actual path to the side of the farm, taking us through a very squelchy field, with one young cow bellowing loudly and walking straight towards us. We all made it over the gate to the real path, which could have been better described as a mud pit. However, there was no further rain, and we all made it along and left, back to the station, without anyone inadvertently taking a mudbath.

Jenefer S.. 11th February 2014   Photos by Sue Ullersperger

A Mystery Walk - Sunday February 2nd 2014

The only information that Ian would give us relating to his “Mystery Walk” on Sunday 2^nd February was that we should meet at Snaresbrook Station at 11.50, and that it would be “interesting”.

Along the Thames PathSo fourteen of us met there, caught a tube and changed to the Jubilee line at Stratford for London Bridge. A nice bright day amongst so many dull wet ones, not very windy and not very cold. Reaching the River, we headed through the tourists to and across Tower Bridge then, past the sailing barges and huge yachts, through St. Katherine's Dock. We then walked alongside the ex-warehouse homes of the poor East london locals and past some nice old ex-industrial buildings such as the power station of the London Hydraulic Power Company, and on towards Limehouse. Occasionally we even managed to access the Thames Path through the so-often-locked security gates of the poor-peoples' dwellings.

London Hydraulic Power Company's stationOn the way we stopped for meals at a local hostelry. I didn't make a note of the name because the whole place seemed a bit of a farce to me. You had to go upstairs to eat, although there was plenty of room downstairs, and it wasn't possible to eat outside, although some of us would have liked to. They had no lemonade, and water and coffee turned up late and the latter was not hot - and no-one working there seemed to have any idea what tortillas are supposed to be.

Ascending towards Canary WharfAt Limehouse there are at least a few older-style dwellings still in existence – 1930s maisonettes and the like – where they hadn't been bombed out or bought out, although the local Barley Mow pub has been turned into a gastro-pub by somebody called Gordon Ramsey. On a previous walk in October 2005, following much the same route, somebody outside of Wapping Station had asked if we were lost. I suggested that I'd almost certainly known the area before he'd arrived, and probably before he was born; I think now he may have been right.

Still enjoying the sunshine after a 3.6 mile stroll (and a very spread-out one, as seems to be the way with EFOG), we all managed to get onto the same DLR train to return via Stratford.

Paul Ferris, 3^rd February 2014

A 3.6 mile walk. Those taking part were: Ian Greer in the lead (some of the time), Annick, Bernie, Fozie, Fred, Fritz, Jacky, Jenny, Lynne, Pam, Peter B., Peter G., Paul and Val.