Urban Jungle
I've made a vow not to use public transport and travel everywhere, within reason, on my bicycle.
I had a training course in Stratford last week so I downloaded a crazy cycle route off the tfl journey planner.
The route led to me riding in circles through Lower Clapton until I found my way onto the Lee Navigation.
The Lea valley is a rare incursion of the countryside into this city.
The sun was shining as I cycled with beautiful meadows to my left while to my right troubled housing estates of the east end touched the banks.
The wide and surprisingly empty towpath was a joy to ride.
The path came to an end, my map wasn't clear on which route to take. The Hertford Union canal joins the Lee Navigation at this point. I decided to press on even though the cycle route had ended.
The path ahead looked navigable although overgrown (shorts and nettles are not an appealing combination).
The path became more wild as I ventured further not knowing if I would be led to a dead end or be plunged into the river by a loose rock and nobody would know what had happened to me.
On the banks the last vestiges of London's industry clung to life colonising this marginal land, metal pressing plants and air conditioning manufacturers housed in grubby broken down buildings.
It soon dawned on me that I was becoming lost, but I could still enjoy the nature and silence away from the traffic.
Soon a split appeared in the river so I picked a direction that led me into an incongrous concrete underpass that led below the northern outfall sewer (Bazalgettes masterpiece of Victorian engineering) I could see people passing above but there was no visible way to reach them. I had to descend into the underpass.
Unfortunately for me the floor of the tunnel was covered in a 2" layer of algae and rotting vegetatation producing an unwholesome smell. I was committed now, there was no turning back, I took a deep breath...
As I went through the filthy slime splashed onto my legs and as the wheels of my bike disturbed it the smell increased. It was slippy as ice a fall would ruin my day.
I emerged from under the sewer into a strange Apocalypse Now landscape crowded with strange birds and overgrown vegetation a real insight into how London might have looked thousands of years ago, but the signs of human interference are everywhere shopping trolleys in the water and glimpse of long forgotten buildings through the vegetation.
A heron shuffled reluctantly off the path to let me pass. I re-entered the world at this point and came out onto the motorway known as Stratford High Street.
I could still smell the slime that was splattered up my legs setting me up nicely for the boring 2 day training course that ending up bearing little relevance to my job.
I had a training course in Stratford last week so I downloaded a crazy cycle route off the tfl journey planner.
The route led to me riding in circles through Lower Clapton until I found my way onto the Lee Navigation.
The Lea valley is a rare incursion of the countryside into this city.
The sun was shining as I cycled with beautiful meadows to my left while to my right troubled housing estates of the east end touched the banks.
The wide and surprisingly empty towpath was a joy to ride.
The path came to an end, my map wasn't clear on which route to take. The Hertford Union canal joins the Lee Navigation at this point. I decided to press on even though the cycle route had ended.
The path ahead looked navigable although overgrown (shorts and nettles are not an appealing combination).
The path became more wild as I ventured further not knowing if I would be led to a dead end or be plunged into the river by a loose rock and nobody would know what had happened to me.
On the banks the last vestiges of London's industry clung to life colonising this marginal land, metal pressing plants and air conditioning manufacturers housed in grubby broken down buildings.
It soon dawned on me that I was becoming lost, but I could still enjoy the nature and silence away from the traffic.
Soon a split appeared in the river so I picked a direction that led me into an incongrous concrete underpass that led below the northern outfall sewer (Bazalgettes masterpiece of Victorian engineering) I could see people passing above but there was no visible way to reach them. I had to descend into the underpass.
Unfortunately for me the floor of the tunnel was covered in a 2" layer of algae and rotting vegetatation producing an unwholesome smell. I was committed now, there was no turning back, I took a deep breath...
As I went through the filthy slime splashed onto my legs and as the wheels of my bike disturbed it the smell increased. It was slippy as ice a fall would ruin my day.
I emerged from under the sewer into a strange Apocalypse Now landscape crowded with strange birds and overgrown vegetation a real insight into how London might have looked thousands of years ago, but the signs of human interference are everywhere shopping trolleys in the water and glimpse of long forgotten buildings through the vegetation.
A heron shuffled reluctantly off the path to let me pass. I re-entered the world at this point and came out onto the motorway known as Stratford High Street.
I could still smell the slime that was splattered up my legs setting me up nicely for the boring 2 day training course that ending up bearing little relevance to my job.
posted by big-gig at 9:12 pm
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