Lea River & Hackney Downs

Clapton Station is nearby

[1] Exit Clapton library. 

(A) Clapton Library was first opened in January 1914, just before the start of World War 1, and is a Grade II listed Edwardian neo-classical building.  It has recently been renovated at a cost of £2million (re-opened early 2011) and now has a striking extension by the architects, Shepheard Epstein Hunter.

Turn left along Northwold Road. Cross Rossendale Street. Cross Upper Clapton Road at traffic lights. Turn left along Upper Clapton Road. Turn right along Mount Pleasant Lane. Cross Alcester Crescent and Comberton Road. At junction of Mount Pleasant Lane and Mount Pleasant Hill cross over the road and turn left, to continue along Mount Pleasant Lane. Cross Leaside Road, Bakers Hill and Harrington Hill. Just past some shops, at junction of Big Hill and Springfield turn left, crossing Big Hill to go ahead along Springfield. Cross Hawkwood Mount. Turn right to enter Springfield Park to enjoy the views over Walthamstow Marshes and the lower Lee Valley.  

There are toilets and a cafe in the White House.

(B) Springfield Park lies on the Western Bank of the River Lea. The position and elevation of the land about the Lee Valley have made it a likely site of Roman occupation.  Evidence for this comes from Roman stone coffins found in 1814 and 1837.  In 1902 the area, then known as Springfield Estate, was put up for sale for building purposes.  At that time it consisted of 32 acres of mature, wooded land with only three large houses and two cottages of which only Springfield House (The White House) remains.  The London County Council bought the estate to preserve its fine trees and open spaces and to create a new “London lung”.  It was renamed Springfield Park and opened in 1905.  

[2] As path opens out to green area with pond on left, go straight ahead towards the Lee Valley. At T-junction turn right.

Note direction post for Capital Ring walk (C).

Descend the slope. Turn right at Y junction. Exit park by adventure playground and turn right.  

Note there are 6 steps here.  To avoid these, go left at the Y-junction, exit park and turn right.

Continue straight ahead with River Lea Navigation on your left, crossing bottom of Big Hill.  Walthamstow Marshes and the Lea Valley Path are on the opposite bank.

(D) In the year 894 when Viking invaders sailed up the Lea River to raid Hertford they would have seen a watery wilderness.  The River Lea, at that time, was probably a mile across, with reedy channels ebbing and flowing between patches of marshland.  From Anglo Saxon times onwards the river was gradually “improved” to help navigation.  

[3] Pass through barriers in front of the Anchor and Hope Pub. 

(E) The Anchor and Hope is a survivor of the bombing in the Second World War which destroyed the terrace housing it used to be attached to.  There used to be a ferry across the Lea River here.

Pass under railway line from Liverpool Street.  From here you can see ahead on the opposite bank a long, low building which is the Lea Valley Ice Centre.  Pass the footbridge.  

Note signs for Lea Valley Walk (F) and Capital Ring both part of London’s strategic walking network. 

Just around the bend you come to North Mill Fields.

[4] At North Mill Fields turn half right and take the central path marked Lea Valley Walk and Capital Ring link to Clapton Station ½ mile.  Continue on path around north edge of green.  

Two things to note on this path - firstly nearly hidden and sunken over the years is a London County border or milestone to the right of the path and secondly the decoration of leaves and insects on new railings to your right for the last third of the fence.

Pass now defunct paddling pool on left.  Continue to railings before road and turn left, following Capital Ring and Lea Valley Walk sign.  Ignore sign to Clapton Station and continue straight ahead with children’s play area on left.  Continue on tarmac path across the open park toward the far road.

Millfields Park is framed by stunning avenues of mature plane and hornbeam trees.  At the moment consultation is taking place to produce a master plan to improve the park.

[5] On exiting from Millfields Park on to Lea Bridge Road, turn right and then turn left to cross Lea Bridge Road at pelican crossing.  Go straight ahead in to Cornthwaite Road.  Cross Thistlewaite Road.  Turn right into Newick Road.  At east arm of Lower Clapton Road turn left crossing Newick Road, and pass Bishop Wood’s Alms Houses on left.

(G) Bishop Wood’s Alms Houses is are part of a row of houses that are all listed and date back to the late 17th century.  There is a plaque which reads: Thomas Wood, 1607-1692 Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry but born in Hackney dedicated these almshouse.  Restored in 1930 by H.R.Ross.  Next door behind the hoarding is Pond House which is Grade II* listed and which I hope is going to be restored.  The last two houses are Georgian.  On your right is Clapton Pond which was first dug in the reign of James I.  In the 18th century it was turned into a reservoir and laid out as a park in 19th century.  It has recently been restored and earned a Green Flag in 2009.

[6] At Millfields Road turn right, crossing Lower Clapton Road.  Then turn right and immediately left, using traffic lights to cross the main Lower Clapton Road, into Downs Road. Go straight ahead along Downs Road.  Cross Clarence Road.  At junction with Cricketfield Road turn right to cross road, using zebra crossing.

Turn left along Downs Road.  Cross Queensdown Road to enter Hackney Downs.  Note that you are also crossing the railway line here. Walk straight ahead inside park railings, with park on your left. 

Hackney Downs was opened as a park in 1884 and has recently undergone some improvements.

[7] Just before the end of park exit to the right and cross Downs Road to go ahead along left-hand path of Rendlesham Road.  Cross Ottoway Street.  Cross Kenninghall Road to continue along Rendlesham Road.  At the T junction turn left into Brooke Road (H).

[8] Bear right and cross connecting arm with Evering Road and then cross Evering Road, and continue along Brooke Road. Turn right, crossing Brooke Road into Reighton Road.  At end of Reighton Road cross main road to return to the library.

(B) At the opening of Springfield House, its opening, the Chairman of the Open Spaces Committee hoped that the people of the district “would welcome the Park and get from it health, happiness and innocent amusement”.   He also went on to say how he hoped the fresh air would help to keep the locals out of public houses! 

Springfield Park is London’s only geological nature reserve - Hackney Terrace gravel lying directly on London Clay with numerous springs where groundwater flowing through the gravel meets the impervious clay below. The springs vary from a trickle to a vigorous bubbling flow and the damp ground creates lush vegetation to provide a reminder of the relationship between geology and plant life.

(C) The Capital Ring is one of six strategic walks in and around London looked after by Transport for London.  It forms an inner circle for walkers and along its route you will find outstanding attractions, such as the Thames Barrier, Eltham Palace, Wimbledon Common.  It takes you through Richmond Park, along the Grand Union Canal and the Lea Navigation and into Docklands.  It begins at Woolwich.

(D) Walthamstow Marsh is a tiny fragment of the once extensive marshes in the lower Lee Valley and is one of the few remaining Lammas lands.  Lammas means “loaf mass” or “bread mass” and appears to have derived from an earlier Celtic word “Lugasad”.  It was a festival of thanksgiving for the fruits of the harvest on August 1st.  The name has been applied to land that has, by tradition, been used for growing grass (or other crops) for part of the year, and then, when the harvest has been gathered in, is thrown open to the villagers for common grazing rights for the remaining winter period of the year.  The marsh is also known as the place A.V.Roe tested out his new flying machine, working from two railway arches he had rented from the railway company.  There is a Greater London Council blue plaque on one of the arches commemorating the flight.  Look out for aquatic bird life on the river.

(F) The Lea Valley Walk is another of the strategic walks and is 51.6 miles long.  It starts at Luton in Bedfordshire and finishes at Bromley-by-Bow.  Along the way you pass Waltham Abbey, Hazlemere and Springfield Marinas, Walthamstow Marshes, Middlesex Filter Beds and Three Mills Centre as well as passing close to the Olympic Park.

(H) Brooke Road is named after the Tudor mansion that once stood on the site of  BSix Sixth Form College.  The earliest known building at that location dates from 1409 and by the end of the century it was probably the country home of William Worsley, Dean of St.Pauls.  The house was built around a courtyard with a brick hall on the eastern side, containing a gatehouse and a chapel on the north side.  In 1532 it was described as the Manor of Hackney and belonged to Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland.  Three years later Henry VIII took it in payment of a debt.  The estate was then granted to Thomas Cromwell but was taken back by the king a year later.  In July 1536 it hosted a meeting between Henry, his wife Jane Seymour and estranged daughter Mary.  After Henry’s death it passed through several owners, including Sir Ralph Sadler who built Sutton House, just down the road.  The estate covered 200 acres north from Downs Road to Northwold Road, and between Upper and Lower Clapton Roads west to beyond Rendlesham Road.  It was visited by both the diarists, John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys who found the gardens lovely but the house not so good.  In 1725 it became a mental asylum and continued to be one until damaged by bombing in the Second World War.  It was bought by the London County Council in 1944 who unfortunately decided that it should be demolished.  A few remaining relics can be seen in the Museum of London but records taken before its demolition can be found in the Hackney Archives.