Length: 5.5 km or 8.5 km or 9.3 km
Meet at 18.30 hours prompt outside Stratford Station (Mainline, Overground, Underground, DLR), next to ‘Robert’, a heritage locomotive displayed on the station forecourt on the Town Centre side (i.e.: not the Westfield side)! [see the pdf directions for how to get there from your platform w/o fault]
This walk follows a meandering route through Stratford City, a development preceding the idea of London applying to hold Olympic Games, and including the very large Westfield Shopping Centre, as well as through the neighbouring Olympic Park and past its surviving Olympic venues, one of the largest urban parks created in Western Europe for more than 150 years, and designed to enrich and preserve the local environment, by restoring wetland habitats and planting native species of plants along the River Lea and the Bow Backwaters. It is still a work in progress, in its continued transition from sports venue to public park, with many new neighbourhoods and amenities added since the 2012 Games.
This is combined with a detour through parts of the adjacent former industrial areas now famous for artists’ spaces and independent micro-businesses, but undergoing speedy regeneration: Hackney Wick (South) and Fish Island. These areas are still noticeably shaped by their former mix of (often polluting) industries in this complicated space, dominated by railways, canals, locks, river arms, channels, flood plains.
For a detailed route map, gpx/kml file, photos and pdf directions click here. T=short.27
4 comments:
Does anyone know if there are areas around ABBA arena suitable for picnic? Not sure if this walk passes by ABBA arena, if it does, would very much appreciate it if someone on this walk could provide info on that. Pls contact me directly via SWC social website. Many thanks.
The ABBA arena is a temporary structure opposite Pudding Mill DLR station in a light industrial area not passed by this walk. Not passed by this walk.
to Gouldman - you sounded like you know the area intimately well. I thought I would try my luck to see if you could suggest some picnic spots near the ABBA arena. Email me at swcsocialATgmailDOTcom
12 walkers assembled near Robert, including 1 first-timer who lives locally, and a couple of friends of an evening regular. A 13th walker had managed to get out of the station at the 'wrong' side and we picked her up en route to the Shopping Centre.
The brooding skies had elicited the first grumbles of far away thunder and a few drops of rain could be felt. A squeamish walker suggested going to the pub as the online rain radar promised at least an hour of rain clouds moving over, but the SWC are made of sterner stuff. On we walked. Umbrellas and rain jackets materialised and a very large (broken) golf umbrella was rescued from a bin. And 2 hardy folk kept walking without any protection. The rain itself was big fat drops but not lots of them, but steady at it. The thunder kept getting closer, but we never saw any lightning. A rainbow materialised and stood steady for quite a while.
Most had not walked this route or the Park itself ever, so were amazed by how beautiful it is.
A stop at the Velodrome for the facilities was followed by one at Crate Brewery Hackney Wick, for canal side pizzas (very good) and beer. 2 peeled off from here to go to the Overground station, the rest went on to Stratford. The rain had stopped by now, the sun had set, and the gloaming was a wonderful time of day to walk through the remaining landscaped parts of the Park, with even the Arcelor Mittal Tower looking splendid with its lights on.
Drinks for 4 at Tap East followed...
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