River Lee Or Lea Walk (and Birthday FAP) 10th April

(However there used to be some very interesting fortifications around there when I was child. I think.)

Perhaps this means we should start up near Herts and end in Hackney, since I think it might be slightly more likely to get people to Hackney than to, say, Waltham Cross.

There is some talk of doing a THREE-stage event. First part would be hardcore walking starting at 10 or 11, involving packed sandwiches and ginger beer and no Hollyoaks. Second part would involve meeting light walkers at an agreed place for a less strenuous walk. Third part would involve walkers and lazy persons all meeting in a pub in Hackney for a piss-up.

Oh wait, do you mean Jane? Will she rescue us with Norwegians?

Could well be in for this, depending. When you say hardcore, do you mean much further than we walked last Sunday?

We shall make every effort to accomodate you if you wish to join us! I can give you my mobile number and you can ring us to find out where we are/we can ring you when we get within easy striking distance.

Starting at Cheshunt station would make the total walk about 15km or so and Ponders End would almost exactly be half way.

Needless to say, I'm in.

Other than that it sounds like an excellent plan, Ed! Hardy types start at about 10 am in Cheshunt, join more walkers at a pub in Ponders End for a shorter walk, circa 2pm, then proceed via Hackney Marsh to a FAP!

x-post, though do you really think we will actually manage to assemble everyone at Cheshunt by 10? Though I suppose considering how rare overground trains are on Sunday mornings, if they don't come up with us on that train, they won't get there for another hour.

Anyway, it gives us more time for resting and eating cheese sandwiches and having pints at Ponders End.

Lee or Lea Valley Walk

There's even a list of pubs on the River Lee or Lea. (And mysteriously it seems that it is known predominantly as Lee in Hertforshire, and Lea in London. Very strange!)

I doubt I'd be able to make the first leg, anyway, as we'll probably just have arrived back in the 'stow

The walk past the Ferry Bridge pub (OK pub, lacking in veggie food) to Springfield Marina lacks beauty. Reservoirs line one side and South Tottenham the other. It's quite a lonely stretch until you reach Springfield Marina. I.e no pubs. Watch out for Spurs fans. They hang around the towpath stinking like vile tramps.

Springfield Park is worth a detour, albeit a steep one. It's the garden of an old manor house with a really good cafe at the top. From the peak of the hill you get a fine panorama of Walthamstow marshes and a real sense of the geography of the Lea Valley.

From the park you can cross to the marshes side of the river, travelling in the present from Hackney to Leyton in the past from London to Essex and way back, from Saxon to Danelaw.

The Liverpool Street to Chingford reailway line cuts across the marshes. Look for the plaque to AV Roe (and hence AVRO) who test-piloted his planes on the marshes). Then you come to Riverside Close which is a cluster of Brookside stye flats on the site of Martel Wharf. Keep the noise down, I live here. Crotchless panties on the washing line? That's my flat.

The area is being redeveloped and the James Lathan timber yard being dismantled. Pass Middlesex Wharf which is now no more than an overhanging iron crane and follow the turn of the river past the millfields. Two pubs lay ahead; the Princess of Wales and Ship Aground. Neither great, but the Princess edges it. Used to be called the Prince of Wales until the CIA murdered the princess of our hearts.

more later.

Not sure about Enfield/Ponders End, I don't go up north much.

Leave Princess of Wales and take a detour into Middlesex Filter beds. This area used to be a series of reservoirs and you are walking on the lake bed. Adopting the theory 'leave it for a few years and call it a nature reserve', the beds are quiet and full of stuff.

Follow the river to Hackney Marshes where there are bears. You can either go back to the Lea navigation or follow the natural river course around the marshes. The latter is a substantial detour. Back on the navigational arm, you pass a lot of industry enroute to Hackney Wick. It's a boring bit.

Victoria Park shoots off to the right along an arm of the Union Canal. Good detour; pubs, food, Frocks. Incidentally, Frocks is under new ownership after a fire caused by an explosing clothes drier. Nice food. Good wine list.

Back to the Lea and the Bow-Back Rivers. Past Old Ford Lock and now options appear. Big Breakfast house on your right. Original Big Brother House (site of) also coming up. If you follow the Lea you're running parallel with the Blackwall Tunnel approach road. The last nice spot is Three Mills, but pubs are at a premium and the final stretch to the Thames does not even have a towpath. Have a look at Orchard Place, the site of the Thames Ironworks. A football team began here. Take a left at Bow Interchange and head to Stratford which has pubs and buses, trains, tubes, DLRs and Anne Hathaways cottage.

9/10, but you used too many capitals.

One day I will finally have you, Mike.

If you trace the M25 all round London, it's all above ground.

EXCEPT :
where it goes into a tunnel for a few blocks adjacent to Teresa Gardens/Cameron Drive.

I DID THAT : maybe my only (semi-)permanent mark on the planet!

We had a planning meeting at the primary school ... the planners of the M25 had a simple strategy. They built it in one town, right up to he border of the next town. THEN they applied for planning permission. We were given the choice of letting it go straight ahead, or have it routed in a meandering path north to Broxbourne, East to the Lee and then back down south to Waltham Abbey.

I proposed allowing it through on their planned route, PROVIDED that it was in a tunnel as it passed the school. (That's also the meeting at which I learned that the effect of the Thames Flood control scheme was to flood Cheshunt --- they were concerned about the drainage of the tunnel section.)

I also stipulated that the surface was to be tarmac, not concrete ... because the grooves needed in the concrete are very noisy. Don't know if they did that.

So there you have it. My dad vs. the M25.

Bell Common Tunnel, Epping

I've walked over the top of the Bell Common Tunnel a few times and always enjoy riding through it.. that's how I know about it.

The story about the Cheshunt bit (though less well known) is still true, even if it's not the only tunnel. It's still my dad's tunnel.

Do you want to get away from your desk and do something different on a Friday?

In just three hours you could make a real difference to the local environment.

We are forming a team to help the Thames 21 charity clean up a nearby stretch of river of bottles, bikes, tyres and the odd supermarket trolley.

Training will be provided on the day along with gloves and some natty footwear.

Not only will there be the chance to see some suits in their waders, Kate's Work is even stumping up some cash for post clean up drinks.

Would everyone mind going to Streatham Kite Day instead?

Put the "I" in Kate! Buy kites! And fly them! And FAP in South London!

If anyone has not got a final plans email that wants one, please let me know and I will forward it.

i have just forwarded it to dr vick and also my friends T and G (=tuner's drummer!) who live in nearby walthamstowe

As are you, Mark. I hope that Dr. Vick and T & G can join us, that would be fantastic!

Feel free to bring friends, partners, housemates,
lashings of ginger beer, kites, etc.

(we patronised a beefeater in ponders end!)

Sorry I didn't make it. My fourth social engagement in a week that I have failed to make. That may be my worst run ever.

we saw no skinned bears

and following that a walk in the real countryside; either Amersham to High Wycombe or East Grinstead/Edenbridge to Tunbridge Wells

http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walksa/wa044.shtml

Special props to Mark S, Emma, Ed and Suzy who walked the ENTIRE 22,000 miles after getting up extra early to take the Get One Railway to Cheshunt.

Honourable mention to Mark H, Liz and Rob for joining us at Ponders End. And thanks to the rest of you lazy bastards who met us in the pub to cheers of "lazy bastard!!" Martin and Matt DC, you were missed.

We saw swans and geese and koots and moorhens and even two HERONS and lots and lots of beautiful canal boats (we are going to hire one for the day later in the summer!) and factories that floated on air and pylons and Dark Satanic Mills that fed Ikeas. Cheshunt is a dump but I'm glad that they have tarted up the former marsh that is now a nature reserve with proper trails and duck hides in the hedgerows and everything.

We had pub lunch on the river, and lashings of cider and bitter shandy and sat on a lock in the middle of the river to eat EXPERIMINTAL CAKE which was the most gorgeous cake ever.

The last two miles were SHEER HELL OF PAIN due to my dodgy ankle but my god, when we got to the Eclipse (what a lovely pub!) my god, was that first pint the best and most well deserved pint I've ever had in my life.

All the future planned walks look good. Ravensbourne vs. Wandle: FITE!!! (The Wandle looks like it has actual paths) West Sussex Harbours, oh yes.

Unfortunately, the London bus gods felt like toying with us that evening and arranged to have the Upper Clapton Road sealed off - meaning it took us 2 hours and much grumpiness to get home. Bah.

(penny drops a lot too late)

Oh, Clapton, where the River 38 rises...

next time let's do one with a hill! and somewhere to go SWIMMING half way! (or lazing by shore eating pizza for ppl not wanting to expose pasty blue britskin to the elephants.) there is a number 9 walk in sussex - winchelsea to hastings or something - with lots of scrambling up hills and an ickle bay for a dip. one for very early september perhaps, when the sea'll be the warmest it gets?

ed, that book has one from somewhere that's not high wycombe to amersham, could do that one or would be piece of piss to work hw one out with an os map i'm sure.

i tht i wd feel a lot more ow-y also but i am ok

x-post

My only regret of the day was that we didn't spend more time wandering about Cheshunt looking for the spooky WWII defences.

narrowboat plans must be kept afloat and not left to sink into the mire of Great Adventures That Nearly Were.

ed, yep that's the one - http://www.whsmith.co.uk/whs/go.asp?isbn=0140265449&DB=220
hilarious: this is a TREE! it will not hurt you. that is a FARMER! he will only hurt you if you let his cows out.

they have the book in libraries. my copy went awol but i found one in the lovely library on dalston lane.

kate is there something on the interweb about that green ppl walk? and e me about the h2g2 tix!

I will go to the library tonight and look up the announcement of the walk and see if it is listed online as well. I'm sure it is somewhere. It's sponsored by Lambeth and all official.

Are you going to be out at all this week? I will give you the H2G2 vouchers. Though I think you can print them off the interweb - maybe http://www.empireonline.co.uk/readersscreening/voucher/asp is what it says on the bottom of my voucher.

x-post it has been proclaimed that the next walk will be South London. So it will be safe so long as you have your passport.

Haha Ed and Suzy ran for the swift-running 38 KEBABS IN HANDS. Mmm filth.

Though I suppose after all that cake I wouldn't have had room! :-)

golly.