walkerSOUTH EAST No. 100 December 2017 Largest urban wetland nature reserve in Europe opens althamstow Wetlands, an area of ten A cycle route also crosses the site, paid for by the reservoirs built between 1853 and 1904 Greater London Authority. Thames Water remains the Won what was marshland next to the owner of the site and maintains the reservoirs which River Lee in north east London, opened on 20 continue to be operational and are the main source of October. The 520 acre/211 ha site, previously only water supply for about 3.5 million households. available to permit holders - mainly anglers and Walthamstow Wetlands lies between Tottenham birdwatchers - is now open to the public daily, free Hale and Blackhorse Road stations with the main of charge. entrance on Ferry Lane, about ten minutes walk from The opening follows a £10.6 million regeneration of both stations. The site is open daily from 9.30am, the site, the result of a partnership made up of Waltham closing at 4pm from October to March and 5pm in Forest Council, Thames Water, Heritage Lottery Fund summer. No dogs (except guide dogs) are permitted. and London Wildlife Trust. On site are 13 miles of Further information is at www.walthamstowwetlands. footpath, a visitor centre and London's largest heronry. com At the southern end of Walthamstow Wetlands, the listed Coppermill Tower will offer a viewing platform. There has been a mill on the site since at least the 1086 Domesday Book Essex rail crossings inquiry delayed public inquiry into and access were needed to check Network Rail's proposals these changes but Network Rail Ato close many railway suggested that the objectors should crossings in Essex was due contact landowners themselves. to open in Chelmsford on 18 The inquiry inspector however October but was adjourned told Network Rail to facilitate the because the company had not access to private land necessary to sent notices to all the landowners check the proposed changes. affected. A provisional date of 9 Ten Essex Area members have January has been set to resume worked hard to put together the the inquiry which is expected to 36 Proofs of Evidence for each run for about 20 days. crossing closure we are objecting It was found that notices needed to, as required by the inquiry. to be sent to an additional 12 The work has been coordinated at Built in 1885 as a pumping station, the Marine Engine House is now a visitor centre and cafe. Maps can be picked up here, important as paths are not signed. The building has been redesigned with the addition of a swift tower to house nesting swifts landowners and eight mortgage Ramblers Central Office by Eugene and roosting bats. companies. There were also 12 Suggett who has produced a 46- landowners who needed to be sent page Statement of Case, making notices for additional parcels of the general argument against the land. After these notices are served closures as well as looking at each there is a 42-day response period individual crossing. The Ramblers meaning the earliest the inquiry are employing a barrister, Merrow could start would be 1 December Golden, plus John Russell, Road but that date clashes with Network Safety Consultant and Des de Rail's Cambridgeshire crossings Moor, Expert Witness on the value closures public inquiry. There of walking. had already been an issue with Footpath Secretaries have put in five crossings where Network Rail a huge amount of effort, visiting, was proposing 'minor' changes photographing and finding to the proposed alternative information about each crossing routes. Both Ramblers and Essex County Council said that time Continued on page 3 Walthamstow Wetlands is only 3km from Woodberry Wetlands which opened in May 2016. A Greenway route links the two reserves. 2 South East Walker December 2017 Highs and Lows 25 walks in London's Camden High Line map showing both the proposed route and a walking route green spaces he Camden High Line is adjacent to where it is intended to his is the subtitle a proposed public path be, to enable the proposal to be for Peter Aylmer's and new transport link understood. T Walking in that will transform a section T London, published by of disused railway between The Low Line Cicerone in September. Camden Town and King's Peter, who is currently Cross. The proposed route runs Whilst the Camden High Chair of the London Group from Camden Gardens, just Line will take some years to be of the Long Distance north of the canal on Kentish developed, The Low Line exists Walkers Association, has Town Road, to Camden Road already. chosen and described overground station, and then It is a new walking route walking routes ranging continues to St Pancras Way, linking Waterloo with London from four to 14 miles ending in a public space at the Bridge station, and following the Peter Aylmer and spread across Greater northern end of Camley Street. base of the old Victorian viaduct London with options to shorten or lengthen some of It is proposed by Camden just north of Union Street in them. All are accessible by public transport and each Town Unlimited, the business Bankside. The route is mainly walk description is accompanied by 1:25,000 Ordnance improvement district for Camden car-free and is marked by a blue Survey mapping, Town, and is supported by triangle under a black and white "There's well over two years of work in the guide," crowdfunding. Backers include Low Line logo. It also extends said Peter. "I had a good idea for many of the locations Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, south into Elephant and Castle. right from the start, from both my general knowledge of who said: "This innovative As well as being a handy London - such as the Royal Parks - and having walked project has the potential to route away from main roads to become a real asset for Camden get between the two mainline the London Loop and Capital Ring; pretty much by and is a great example of a local stations, the Low Line is also a definition, these two trails link together many of the community taking an idea and journey through the heritage and best places for walkers in the capital. The concept of the garnering support in order to history of one of London's oldest book though is not just as a general walkers' guide, but make it a reality. I look forward neighbourhoods. as a walkers' guide that shows its readers many of the to seeing it develop." The leader The route, which runs adjacent best places in London to find wildlife. So I went and of Camden Council said "The to the arches, once provided easy talked to the London Wildlife Trust, and very helpful interesting to wander between this and the natural Camden High Line is a really pedestrian access across Bankside. they were too. Yeading Brook is an example of the channel of the river. So I start by going through the exciting proposal, which is Over the last 150 years this has locations they suggested." brand-new Walthamstow Wetlands, cross Walthamstow capturing public imagination been eroded as development, "Having locations is only one step. The walks have Marshes, join the towpath for a bit, then divert into the and would contribute to the both planned and informal, to work on the ground too, and that requires multiple Middlesex Filter Beds, now a nature reserve. Then council's ambition to further has built walls and fences, visits, at least three. One or two on my original list improve links between Camden buildings and other structures were discarded, others came in. That's pretty normal the walk takes the Lea proper, until crossing Hackney Town, Camley Street and King's blocking access along its length. for any walking guide I think and certainly tallies with Marshes and the Wick Woodland back to the towpath, Cross. It's great to see the Coordinated by Better Bankside, my previous Cicerone title Walking in Essex." skirting the Olympic Park, to finish at the gloriously crowdfunding figure rising daily The Low Line stitches these "My favourite is Walk 6, River Lea (Tottenham Hale photogenic Three Mills. All in six miles! " and the council is ready to work disconnected spaces back into the to Bromley-by-Bow). It's easy to follow the Lea just by Walking in London - Park, Heath and Waterside, with those behind the project urban fabric, through a range of sticking to the navigation towpath, but it's much more Cicerone, £12.95, ISBN 9781852848132 as it moves forward." It is also large and small projects that will being supported by Sustrans and transform the public realm, and Camden Air Action. support appropriate and creative For Ramblers it would offer uses of the rail arches along another route away from traffic, the route, to bring economic, and the ability to design new social and environmental circular walks including Camley vitality and encourage footfall Street Nature Reserve, the and exploration deeper into the Regent's Canal, Regent's Park neighbourhood. and the Camden High Line. You can find out more from Several sections of the route will http://www.betterbankside. have views over London. co.uk/buf/thje-low-line and there The Camden High Line website are also handy leaflets available https://www.camdenhighline. showing the route. com/#camdenhighline includes a Clare Wadd Three Mills at Bromley-by-Bow, finishing point for Walk 6. Ramblers Greater London Forum atest update from the and non-members - as anything that projects around London's strategic Forum coming after our enhances our walking experience can routes and the Extended Network.