Hackney

I first discovered the Hackney Marshes one Sunday afternoon while cycling along the canal and what a great discovery it was.
I love how even though I live in London I have access to this wide open space which feels like the countryside as some parts of it are quite overgrown.
If you venture along further into the marshes you will find horses, little bridges and lots of exciting nooks and crannies which makes for a splendid and refreshing afternoon cycle.
I would totally recommend Hackney Marshes if you want to get in touch with nature.

In my mind, Hackney marshes mark the easternmost boundary of London. Beyond is Leytonstone, and the county of Essex. Within extends an expanse of grassland, woodland, sports pitches and, you guessed it, marsh. It’s famous for the Sunday league teams that play here (remember that Parklife Nike ad? Twas shot here) and it’s a great spot for getting in a stroll and some much-​needed headspace away from the craziness of the city centre. Local amenities include pubs, an ice rink, an equestrian centre and the winding river Lea, which has miles of towpaths if you want to extend your wander into a hike.

it has a horse raiding stable were you can rent horses, a 24hour indoor ice skating ring, a 18 whole short range golf course, a canal, a bird reservoir, a pub, more reservoir and lots of grass land. Its a lovely place, and i never imagined hackney to have such a fast space of nature

You may have seen Hackney Marshes in their starring role in a Nike advert showing folks, famous and otherwise, playing football to Blur’s ‘Parklife’. Further back in time it was the haunt of highwaymen when London was a smaller place and this was countryside.
The centre of the park is an open grassland with what seems like hundreds of football pitches. In fact it’s definite overkill as I’ve yet to see more that a couple of them in use! Oh well, if you fancy a game of footie, here’s one place you can be sure of a pitch to yourself (unless there’s some time they all get used that I don’t know about!)
It’s also the site of a very nasty experience for me I was out for a run, and thought it would be nice to run out into and across all that lovely grass. So there I was, cruising along, clouds of dandelion clocks rising around me when I realised they weren’t sweet fluffy dandelion seeds, but daddy long legs. And every step I made was raising clouds of hundreds of the things. They are like giant flying spiders. I had a hard time keeping calm on the way to the edge of the park! And even on the path it wasn’t totally safe. Along the north side of the park the wind was blowing a steady supply across the path so I had to dodge them like some alien videogame come to life! I now avoid the park in the warmer months!
All around the edge of the park there are paths and strips of woodland. The River Lee Navigation runs along the West side, and the River Lee itself along the East. I’ve seen woodpeckers and a kingfisher alongside the Lee. There are of course positives to having an environment free of pesticides! I suppose I really should be less scared of the bugs

Hackney Marshes is so under-​rated! There aren’t actually any marshes to be seen, it’s all grassland now, but there’s a kind of derelict romanticism to the canal and surrounding greenery that you can only find in East London. It’s a beautiful and original place for walks, and enjoying nature without straying too far from the urban (think electricity pylons) and is actually a local nature reserve with filter beds. Oh, and lots of blackberry bushes, so good for foraging when they are in season.