In December last year, Pete and I said farewell to our flat in Bow Church and hello to suburban bliss; a three-bed house in Woodford, on the border of Essex. I’m not going to pretend that the perks of living in a house with an actual garden (and a walk-in wardrobe) don’t outweigh the benefits of living that little bit closer in, but there are still some things I miss about our East London haunt. Namely, having this on our doorstep:
A five minute walk past McDonalds, over the Bow Interchange, and you were on the Lea Valley canal path meandering up to Victoria Park. Or setting off on one of my favourite running routes up past Hackney Marshes to the beautiful Springfield Park, one of London’s best-kept secrets tucked between Walthamstow and Upper Clapton. I’ve actually got on the tube to do that run again several times since we moved!
There’s something magical about London’s canals; the sense of peace and quiet so close to the buzz of the city, the wildlife (ducks, nesting swans, geese), people walking their dogs… Hell, I even miss the cyclists and the hipsters. Even in the winter, early dog walks meant I got to see Mile End Park in a whole misty magical new light:
Then walking JD on long summer evenings, the sun setting over the water, was the perfect tonic to a day at the office. And I got used to sacrificing Sunday lie-ins in favour of early morning jogs before anyone else was up, scattering sleepy ducks in my wake.
Hitching a ride on a friend’s canal boat!
The Hackney Wick canal path takes you right up to the Greenway and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a pretty awesome place to have down the road in 2012. Disappointingly Pete and I didn’t get tickets to see any events there (just Ping Pong at London Excel!) but six months after the Olympics we had the park all to ourselves.
Since then the park has been officially opened to the public and is currently hosting the FINA NVC Diving World Series. And mere mortals can swim in the pools of champions too – the London Aquatics Centre is open to all. You can also go up to the top of Anish Kapoor’s ArcelorMittal Orbit and, since you have to pay anyway, you might as well do some yoga while you’re up there.
Hackney Wick is also home to some of the best summer drinking holes I’ve found in London. The Plough Bar at Swan Wharf (formerly Cygnet Bar, nearest station Hackney Wick) is a fantastic warehouse space with a huge beer garden right on the canal. Owned by Truman Brewery, they regularly have beer festivals and I can think of few places nicer for a sundowner. Just along the way, under the bridge across to Victoria Park, is the White Building, which houses CRATE brewery and pizzeria. If you get here early enough you can enjoy your pint of stout sitting in an actual rowing boat outside the bar. And the pizza is really, really good.
Back onto the canal going west and you pass some fine examples of canal path street art. One of my favourite local artists, Pang_London, painted a gigantic mural on the side of The Bow Bells right next to our flat:
One of Pang’s canal-side pieces is below, plus some other canal graffiti that JD liked the look of…
Just ten minutes walk from the White Building, and you’re at the east gate of Victoria Park.
Viccy Park is one of the best green spaces in London (in my wholly biased opinion); millions flock here for the summer festivals (Field Day, Lovebox and, new this year, Citadel) but it’s just as wonderful without the music, wellies and cut-off Levis. The 213 acres are home to a picturesque lake with dramatic ballet dancer-esque sculptures (and the always-busy Pavilion cafe), the historic Burdett-Coutts fountain, a Chinese pagoda, tons of different gardens, and – of course – pubs. The Crown on the south-west edge of the Park is one of my favourites and hosted my 30th birthday party last year. We hired a barge to take me and 14 friends along the canal to the pub – music, G&Ts, and Riviera-themed attire made the big three-o slightly easier to handle!
Victoria Park Village at the north is home to The Royal Inn on the Park (the best Sunday roasts), The Lauriston (go for the pizza) and the Empress (go for gourmet). If it’s coffee and cake you’re after, you’re spoilt for choice – check out Elbows Cafe and Amandine Café or The Deli Downstairs for fresh groceries. And don’t forget to pick up a bottle or three of vino at Bottle Apostle on your way home. There’s even some good shopping to be had – if you’ve received a birthday present from me in the last two years, I probably bought it at Haus!
Venture a bit further west of this leafy little haven and you’ll find The Hemingway, another great gastropub if you can blag a seat. Or alternatively you could go east to enjoy the awesome beer garden at The People’s Park Tavern then continue on towards Hackney and the Kenton Arms. I can’t rave about this pub enough – from the resident pooches to the fantastic Bloody Marys and crazy decor, it’s everything a London boozer should be.
Just south of the park, below The Crown, is a relatively new destination for a 5pm gin cocktail; the East London Liquor Company. The drinks list features their own spirits distilled on site, as well as “acknowledging the rich heritage of gin production around the world”. Always happy to acknowledge quality gin! From here you could either head back towards Mile End, via a pint at The Victoria or a kangaroo burger at The Greedy Cow, or you could get back onto Regents Canal and head west to Broadway Market. The Cat & Mutton is a staple people-watching haunt, but I’d recommend trying Stories too – dog-friendly and incredible ‘healthy’ vodka smoothies.
‘Healthy’ camel burger and extremely unhealthy onion rings at The Greedy Cow
There was a lot that was crap about living in Mile End; the sirens all through the night, the dealers on the corner of our block who threw fruit(!) at Pete on 10pm dog walks, the mugger who punched me in the face and stole my bag as I put the my keys in the door. Yeah, that actually happened. But when I look at these photos I remember why we put up with all that, and I still think of those three years with a big smile.
