08 Jun 2024: Tottenham Hale to Finsbury Park linear walk

This walk was a linear route from the re-developed Tottenham Hale station, S through the Walthamstow Wetlands (Coppermill Stream), Leyton Marsh, Hackney Marshes, Hackney Wick, SE to Hertford Union Canal, Victoria Park, Regents Canal, W to Essex Road, N to leafy Canonbury, Clissold Park, Woodberry Wetlands, W to New River Path and SE to Finsbury Park. Where this walk terminated. Change here for the Victoria line, the Piccadilly line, London Overground and national rail services.

The usual stats:

Event led by Andy H.
Attendance 19 people, of whom 17 reached the end.
Distance: 12.6 miles (20.3 km).
Altitude per GPS: low 157ft (48m), high 324ft (99m), climb 498ft (152m), descent 439ft (134m).
Time: start 11:10, end 17:13 (sunset 21:15), lunch 33 minutes, other breaks 52 minutes.
Speed: moving arithmetic average 2.23mph (3.60kph).
Terrain: pavement, towpath on footpath bridleway and highway.
Weather: perfect for walking, overcast, temperature range between 15°C and 19°C, westerly wind 10mph (16kph) with no wind chill.
Number of sewage works: 1.
Number of churches: 2.
Number of golf courses: 0.
Number of Waitroses: 0.

The main features of the walk were:

the functional elegance of the southern, suburban Lea Valley, including exposed reservoirs and tree-lined paths alongside marshes, rivers and parks.
the operation of a dredging machine, which captivated the whole group for nearly 10 minutes.
lots and lots of Giant Hogweed.
the Olympic Park at Stratford.
the manicured Victoria Park.
bustling canal towpaths, complete with coffee stop.
the plush, serene greenery of Canonbury Grove, alongside the New River.
the sleek, modern lines and materials of the Woodbury Wetlands and adjacent residences (the Wetlands were closed today for a private event).
expressive and artistic graffiti, lots of messages relating to the main international issues of the day.
the occasional election campaign poster, especially in Islington.
the raw, urban brutality of Finsbury.