Capital Ring Section 14 Page 1 CAPITAL RING

Capital Ring section 14 page 1 CAPITAL RING

Section 14 of 15 Hackney Wick to Beckton District Park

Section start: Hackney Wick Nearest station to start: Hackney Wick (Overground)

Section ﬁnish: Beckton District Park (Stansﬁeld Road)

Nearest station to ﬁnish: Royal Albert (DLR)

Section distance 4.8 miles plus 0.4 miles of station links Total = 5.2 miles (8.4 km)

Introduction This is a surprisingly green, easy walk. The route passes the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Much of the route is on a trafﬁc-free, ﬁrm level path which, uniquely, is on top of some of London’s sewers. There are some gentle slopes and some steps, often with adjacent ramps.

The walk goes alongside Lee Navigation to Old Ford Lock, onto the Greenway, past the wonderful Abbey Mills Pumping Station and ends in Beckton District Park.

Pubs and cafés can be found at Hackney Wick and Plaistow.

Trains and tubes are available along this section and there are many bus stops along the way. There is a link to the start of the walk from Hackney Wick Station, which is served by the Overground.

This version by members of the Ramblers for Transport for London In this format: text © Ramblers 2020, maps © OpenStreetMap Downloaded from: http://innerlondonramblers.org.uk/capital-ring Updated: June 2021

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Walking directions At the bottom of the steps from the platforms, turn right to leave Did you know? Hackney Wick Station. Go straight ahead down White Post Lane. The Greenway is on top of the Northern Outfall Turn left at the T-junction, cross the road, then walk over the canal Sewer embankment. It bridge. Turn right down the steep cobbled ramp onto the Lee runs for nearly 6 miles Navigation towpath. (9.6 kilometres) from Hackney to Beckton where the sewage is Keep straight ahead on the towpath, going over the cobbled bases treated before for the cranes that loaded and unloaded the boats. discharge into the River Thames. It forms part of Carry on to Old Ford Lock where you cross left over the River Lea London’s extensive sewage system put in which joins the navigation here. place by Joseph Bazalgette in the 1860s Turn right after the lock and follow the towpath under a bridge, go left and much of which is through a barrier and up a ramp to the Greenway. Turn right past the still in use today. former Olympic Stadium, the home of West Ham Football Club.

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The railway track ahead crosses and blocks the Greenway, so to Did you know? You pass the Abbey pass this, follow the Capital Ring sign down a slope to the right. Go Mills Pumping Station, under the railway at street level along Marshgate Lane with the also built by Bazalgette. entrance to Pudding Mill Lane DLR station on your right. A sharp left The sewers operated by gravity. By the time up a ramp immediately after the railway bridge brings you back onto sewage reached the the Greenway. Continue along the Greenway to Stratford High East End, it was over 40 feet underground so Street. Use the light-controlled crossings to continue along the had to be pumped back Greenway ahead on the other side of the road. up to the surface.

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The route passes handsome Victorian school buildings on the left. Did you know? On the Plaistow patch of the long and narrow Break points Greenway is the After crossing a bridge over railway lines, you pass signposts to West Ham Greenway Community station to the right and then Plaistow station to the left. Both stations are a Orchard. It is a short walk off the Greenway. beautiful, wild space with native fruit trees, The next part of the route goes past Plaistow where there are cafés native shrubs and and pubs. On the right are the Memorial Recreation Ground and ﬂowers, bug hotels, places to sit, bird & bat then the East London Cemetery. The Greenway crosses several boxes, raised beds for roads. fruit and veg and much more. The area is maintained by Just past Newham University Hospital on the right, you cross volunteers. Boundary Lane with its giant concrete cannonballs. Ahead, on the right, you can see the Barking Creek Flood Barrier that is about 3 miles away at the mouth of the River Roding.

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You shortly leave the Greenway, turning right down some steps or a ramp, with a signpost to Stokes Road. This is at a large ‘Greenway’ sign just after a school playground on the right (which may not be visible when the trees are in leaf). The path leads to Stokes Road, turn left at the end and then right onto Noel Road. From here look out for the footbridge over the A13, Newham Way.

Cross over the footbridge and follow the route via Viking Gardens to Beckton District Park. The route through the park twists to reach Tollgate Road. Cross Tollgate Road and continue into the southern part of the park. After the Will Thorne Pavilion (on the left), at an avenue of trees, this section ﬁnishes at a Beckton District Park Capital Ring signpost.

Next steps To continue, on Section 15, turn left down a wide, leafy path.

To complete the walk, go right at the left bend, as shown by the Capital Ring Link sign, to leave the park and cross Stansfeld Road. Turn left to walk to the roundabout at the junction with the A1020. Cross the dual carriageway at the lights to the right of the roundabout. Follow the path ahead to Royal Albert DLR station.