Half a mile from Markfield Park down the River Lee is Springfield Park. The park rises steeply up from the river and has an amazing array of tree species making it beautiful in all seasons. At the brim of the hill there is a line of park benches each one surrounded by box hedge offering a private view across the Lee Valley, Walthamstow and beyond. The park warden was nice enough to give me a chestnut log a couple of years ago from which I carved a bench and two stools.
Camping in London? Absolutely! This is one of a few sites which has direct access to Epping Forest from the campsite. Easy to get to by tube, with a fire field and 50 acres to spread out in, this is a great place to recharge your batteries.
My walk through the Heath often continues on to the Camden Arts Centre, a really fantastic exhibition space that runs workshops and courses as well as having a great café and bookshop to boot. I collect their exhibition booklets called File Notes - beautifully designed by James Goggin and Sarah De Bondt - some memorable shows include Eva Hesse Studiowork, The Bruce Lacey Experience and Serena Korda’s Aping the Beast. The latter concluded with a procession from the gallery up to the Heath, culminating in a re-enactment of The Battle of the River Plate in a pond. This is my photo of the Beast and the Boob Meteorite.
There is a rather beautiful faded glory to these mythical creatures, which flank the steps guarding the ruins of the Italian Terraces in front of the former Crystal Palace, which dramatically burnt down in 1936.