A Walk from Springfield to Wick Village

I walked from Springfield Park to Wick Village today, by Walthamstow, Leyton and Hackney Marshes. My favourite place in the world. I saw reeds, bull rushes, cormorants, coots, swans, moorhens and geese. I also saw floating islands of debris, sewage, sanitary towels, condoms and a decomposing rat. 

One of the worse places is by the bridge at Millfields. There is a boat there (opposite Princess of Wales Pub) bearing the logos of Canal River Trust and Environment Agency, surrounded by litter and sewage. When asked CRT said they don't think they own the boats by the Princess of Wales, but they're not sure. When asked why boats were idle they said, 'Regarding idle cleaning boats, we don't paint boats over before we sell them, therefore they're often (understandably) mistaken for our boats. Our cleaning boats have been in constant use since the Olympics.'

This is the twenth referred to in CRT's tweet.

 Ditch at Walthamstow Marshes - would be interested to know where this pipe leads as the ditches seem much more full of litter and oil than usual. Is this connected to the state of the Lea, or a separate issue? This is within the SSSI nature reserve.

 Litter in ditch at Walthamstow Marshes

Towpath by North Millfields

Scummy water by North Millfields

Cormorant and geese at the weir by Lea Bridge Road

This boat by Princess of Wales has the logo of CRT and EA

Scummy water by bridge at South Millfields - right next to the cleaning boat with CRT and EA logo

Scummy water by bridge at South Millfields - right next to the cleaning boat with CRT and EA logo

Sanitary towel in water by South Millfields

Swan and sanitary towel by South Millfields

By South Millfields

Litter caught between boats by South Millfields

Litter caught between boats by South Millfields

Litter caught between boats by South Millfields

Litter caught between boats by South Millfields

Another sanitary towel by Hackney Marshes

Debris and scummy water by boats at Hackney Marshes

Floating island of debris by Daubeney Fields - most of the debris seems to have floated down from Towpath Walk where I filmed it last week

Floating island of debris by Daubeney Fields

By Wick Wods

By Wick Woods - many of the benches in the area are being sawn up. 

By Wick Woods 

By Wick Woods

Decomposing rat by Wick Village under Eastway Bridge

Condom by Wick Village under Eastway Bridge

Another condom by Wick Village under Eastway Bridge

Litter by Eastway Bridge