[1] From outside Hackney Town Hall, stand on the steps and look at the formal gardens in front of you.
(A) Hackney Town Hall was built in 1934/6 to replace the old Town Hall which stood where the gardens are now. It is one of the few examples of 1930s Town Hall designs in which walls, gardens, lighting and tree planting were built into the original design and which are still, in large measure, intact. This design is possibly unique in the London.
Turn right down the steps and head across Reading Lane towards Hackney Museum and Library. The museum has many exhibits detailing local history. Public toilets on the first floor near the entrance to the library.
To the right of the building is a small street called Hackney Grove, walk along this dead end street for cars. At the end; cross straight over Richmond Road and into Martello Street (pedestrians and cyclists only).
Continue ahead, under the railway bridge. The park, London Fields, is immediately to the other side of the bridge on your right.
(B) London Fields was first recorded in 1540. At this time it was common ground and was used by drovers to pasture their livestock before taking them to market in London. It covers just over 31 acres, about one-third of its original size.
Take the first entrance on your right into the park with a children’s play area is on your right and a boule playing area on the left next to the pub building. Continue ahead along the tarmac path, turning left at the first gap in the fence along the unmade path; in the direction of the sign to Park Toilets. Across to your right at this point is the London Fields open air swimming Lido.
Follow the path toward the small red brick building (public toilets – open daylight hours); walk to the left of the toilet block and follow the tarmac path ahead (bike lane to your left). Continue past another children’s play area and on to the end of the park. Exit the park and use the pedestrian lights to cross the road and immediately ahead into Broadway Market.
(C) Barrow boys have been welcoming shoppers to Broadway Market in Hackney since the 1890s, selling everything from bacon to beans. It is very busy on Saturdays when the road is closed to traffic for the busy street market. Also home to numerous coffee shops, cafes and bars with toilet facilities.
[2] Once on Broadway Market, follow the road ahead with the Cat and Mutton pub to your left. Keep to the left-hand side of the street. At the end of Broadway Market cross Ada Street and then at the next junction, Andrew’s Road, cross over, go a little to the left and take the gate through the wall down the steps to the Regent's Canal.
(D)The Regent's Canal (built 1812-20) provides a link from the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London. In the 1920s the canal was used to transport commodities such as iron and steel, grain, raw materials for HP sauce, leather waste, last blocks, cresylic acid, zinc ashes, and even cheese but now is used mainly for pleasure cruising. The navigational depth is, on average, 3 feet 6 inches (1.1 m) and can take boats up to 72 feet (21.9 m) long and 14 feet (4.3 m) wide with a headroom of 9 feet 2 inches (2.8 m).
At the bottom of the steps, go straight ahead along the canal towpath. On the far side of the canal you can see the old Victorian Gas holders.
(E) The gas holders were built by the Imperial Gas Works, later Gas Light and Coke Company probably by 1856. Gas was not made here but was piped here from the main works about half a mile away to the west. All four original gasholders remain, two large and two smaller and are popular with photographers. Gas Holders like these were once a common sight in every town across the UK. They were originally used to store coal gas that was used to light London’s streets. Some were converted to natural gas in the 1960’s but only a few are still in use today.
[3] Go under the high railway bridge, (on the right here is a disused and filled in branch/spur of the canal that would have originally led to a wharf or warehouse) and under Mare Street Bridge. Beware cyclists and runners on the canal towpath.
Follow the canal path and at the end of a brick wall that gives houses some privacy you soon see Victoria Park on your left.
(F) Victoria Park is part of the green corridor that stretches from the River Thames at Limehouse, along the Regents Canal and through Mile End Park to the Lee Valley Park. It was opened to the public in 1845 and became an essential amenity for the working classes of the East End. The Park's reputation as the 'People's Park' grew as it became a centre for political meetings and rallies. Fragments of the old London Bridge, demolished in 1831, can be found at the east end of the park near the war memorial. The oldest model boat club in the world, the Victoria Model Steam Boat Club, (founded here in 1904) is still active today and holds up to 17 of their Sunday regattas a year.
Enter Victoria Park and stay on the tarmac path to a T junction. Walk straight ahead across an unmade path, then left onto the tarmac path – follow this path. Cross the main drag with St Agnes gate to your left; keep ahead. The path bears round to the right, stay with the path until you get to railings. Go through the gap in the railings and turn left to Gore Gate. Exit the path through this gate.
[4] Once out of the park; turn left and follow the road until you come to a fork in the road. Take the right fork along Skipworth Road. At the end, there is a zebra crossing just to the right. Cross here over Victoria Park Road and continue straightahead along Skipworth Road. When the road for cars turns left, continue straight on along Ainsworth Road. At the end of Ainsworth Road there is a zebra crossing just to the right.
Cross over Well Street here and continue ahead into Frampton Park Road. Go all the way to the end of this road and turn left into Darnley Road. At the end of Darnley road, turn right into Mare Street. Walk a short way along and use the pedestrian lights to cross over the road, continue a little way further and you shortly find yourself back in front of the town hall.