efog-blog
Recent outings and activities...
Dagenham East to Elm Park Walk
It was the Saturday before Christmas (Saturday 20th December) and with the days being short, but hopefully sunny, we were going to have a fairly local walk around some of the lesser well-known parts of Essex / East London.
We met up at Dagenham East station at 11 a.m. There were 10 of us, which I thought was a good turnout for this time of year. After some of us grabbed a drink from the kiosk at the station, we set off, turning right out of the station before entering the footpath adjacent to the District Line, which leads to Beam Country Park.
At the entrance there was a wooden marker post which was made from timber recycled from the old Woolwich Ferry piers, which were demolished as part of the Woolwich Ferry Improvement scheme, which I worked on a few years ago, and there are quite a number of these recycled posts across the park.
We walked along the footpath, between the train and underground lines on one side and a fishing lake on the other, before crossing over the train lines via a footbridge. We continued ahead before turning left and then right between a car park and sports ground, and then right again to reach Tom Thumb Lake on our left. We stopped there shortly to look at the wildlife on the lake, ducks, gulls, Canada geese and a heron at the far end of the lake, before continuing to a surfaced path and turning right.
We passed a couple of sculptures on an art trail, these being an artistic tortoise and a barn owl, diverging from the path to eventually turn left and head slightly uphill to a convenient bench for a short break with some mince pies and other goodies from “Santa Trev”. We continued to a car park where we turned right and headed along a dirt road past a cemetery and riding school, crossing over the River Rom (as in Romford) to Upper Rainham Road, where we crossed over to enter Harrow Lodge Park.
We then headed up the left side of the park through trees and along footpaths with the lake over to our right, before reaching a car park where we turned right, heading downhill to the river Ravensbourne. We then turned right to follow the river along to the lake, which is home to a variety of birds, including a large number of swans. At the lake we stopped at the café for well-deserved refreshments, which we enjoyed sitting outside (what in December!) overlooking the lake.
Suitably refreshed, we then made our way to Elm Park station, an easy 10-minute walk, and everyone made their way home. The weather had been good beyond my expectation, sunny and warm, and the walk had been 5 miles, which is what I said it would be (blimey that’s a rarity!). A very nice pre-Christmas walk. Thanks to all those who came.
Trev Eley
Royal Albert Dock to Hackney Wick
On a sunny Saturday 13th December, five of us met at Whitechapel Station to catch the Elizabeth Line to Custom House, where another member joined us. We then caught the bus to Connaught Bridge alongside Royal Albert Dock and London City Airport.
We then headed past Royal Albert DLR, where we saw half a dozen parakeets clinging to the brickwork of the Victorian Compressor House.
We carried on to follow the Capital Ring up through Beckton District Park, with quite a nice lake, albeit currently fenced off, then a footbridge over the A13 to join the Greenway heading for Stratford.
Along the Greenway was a small Community Orchard, not particularly well kept but there was one pink rose still in bloom in one of the boxed sections. Further on there was also the Pollinator Trail with boards about the bees etc. At a glance it looked as though the two linked up, but it was rather overgrown where the two should have met.
After a diversion off the Greenway due to works near West Ham Station (where one EFOGger took early departure) we went past Abbey Road DLR before rejoining the Greenway to go past the “Cathedral of Sewage” – Abbey Mills Pumping Station. This was one of the few places we saw benches along the Greenway so we stopped for lunch overlooking the grand Victorian edifice, currently undergoing some renovation so surrounded by scaffolding.
We then carried on to the View Tube Café (the main view being the ArcelorMittal Orbit and the Olympic Stadium) for a warming drink and food, with the intention of carrying on to Hackney Wick. However, Marian mentioned there was an issue with the Overground and on googling we realised it affected my planned transport back. We therefore omitted the walk up to the River Lea Navigation and Hackney Wick and instead headed straight into Stratford to catch trains and buses home.
The length of the walk was approximately 6.5 miles.
Richard
Walk at Warlies Park
A walk on 6th December, 2025, at Warlies Park, north of Epping Forest and quite near Waltham Abbey, Essex.
EFOG members are walking up the hill towards the Rotunda, which is a classical-style circular temple built around 1737. Beyond the rotunda is an obelisk which is dedicated to Iceni leader, Boudicca. Legend says that it was here that she died fighting the Romans. The obleisk can just be seen in the photograph above the group.
The other photo is a view of the lake from the top of the hill.
Photos by Madeleine.
Photos by Madeleine
Claybury Park Walk
We had an enjoyable 5 mile walk around Claybury Park on Saturday 29th November. Despite the weather forecast of torrential rain it avoided Woodford which was a bonus. We managed to find some shelter in the playground for a short lunch stop when it drizzled slightly. We arrived back at the café just after 1pm where we enjoyed drinks and food.
Jill V. 30th November 2025
Wapping to Canary Wharf.
On 22nd November 2025, ten of us met at Wapping Station on a rather cold and damp day. After refreshment at the café a couple of doors down, we set off at 11am. My book said to go left at the station, which I assumed was as you exited the station, but rather than being the Thames Path, this would have taken us to the river, or mudlarking if the tide was out.
We therefore went back past the café and carried on to the Prospect of Whitby pub, which has been around since around 1520 and overlooks gallows set in the mud of the Thames as a deterrent/warning to pirates. The wood and rope looked relatively new, so although it’s been there a few hundred years I suspect it’s like Trigger's brush in Only Fools & Horses. The pub was apparently frequented by Samuel Pepys, Charles Dickens and J. M. W. Turner.
Carrying on, we turned alongside Shadwell Basin and up to St Paul’s Church – the church of sea captains (with 75 buried in the cemetery and Captain James Cook as a Parishioner). The church was open, but for a Christmas Fair, so we just popped in briefly to warm up and browse. We then circled round back to the Thames Path, through King Edward Gardens and on to Limehouse Basin, where the Regent's Canal meets the Thames. We followed the Limehouse Cut - which connects the Basin with the Lee Navigation at Bow Locks - a short way to visit St Anne's Church, built by Nicholas Hawksmoor and with an unusual pyramid in the grounds. There was an exhibition in the gallery, plus the bonus of an organist playing whilst we were there.
We retraced our steps a short way along the cut to then go through Ropemakers Park and come out near The Grapes Pub (another link with Dickens). From there we went down Narrow Street to rejoin the Thames Path and carry on to West Ferry Circus and Canary Wharf. We finished at Leon in Cabot Place for a warming drink and food for those that wanted.
The walk was approximately 2.75 miles.
Richard 27th November 2025
The gibbet at the back of the Prospect of Whitby pub.
Wet and Windy
Photos by Madeleine