A watery ride in Walthamstow Wetlands

A ride to the North East of London to enjoy the natural beauty of Walthamstow Wetlands along the London part of the Lea Navigation. We will see other watery beauties too, such as Woodberry Wetlands, Hackney Marshes, Olympic Park and the Regent’s Canal in Victoria Park. This ride may be long to some but it is at a steady pace, mostly flat on easy to navigate routes, so it’s suitable to all who can handle the distance. Skinny tyres may struggle on the gravelly terrain of the wetlands.

We head off through Camden and Holloway, cycling along the Emirates Stadium. Our first nature reserve will be Woodberry Wetlands, opened by Sir David Attenborough in 2016, where we will stop for a quick coffee break at The Coal House Café, at mile 10.

We carry on through Stamford Hill, where we join the River Lee towpath and follow it to the north going along Warwick Reservoir West and Lockwood Reservoir near Tottenham Marshes. When we reach Banbury Reservoir, we cross to the other side of the river and start making our way down south into Walthamstow Wetlands, Coppermill Fields, Leyton Marsh and Hackney Marshes. All along this section of our ride, beware of the midges. We may also face mud and in some points some flooding if it had rained recently.

We soon arrive at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with more impressive views of water. We will stop here, at mile 20, at The View Tube for a well-deserved lunch and our last stop.

On our way back, we cycle along the Greenway into Victoria Park, joining the Regent’s Canal until Mile End Park, C2 along Whitechapel, and C3 all the way to Hyde Park. One last watery visit will be at Little Venice and the Grand Union Canal, where we come off at Kilburn. We aim to be back at Roundwood Park at around 5pm.

If you find this ride fully booked, get in the waiting list as spaces always become available nearer the date. However, please do not sign up if you’re not sure you can join.


IMPORTANT POINTS: *Helmets aren't compulsory but advisable. *Check that your tyres are pumped and bring a spare inner tube and all necessary tools in case of a puncture. *If you have Covid-19 or have been told to self-isolate, or can't make it for any other reason, please cancel your space so someone else can join. *Only riders who booked themselves on the ride will be allowed to join. *Unless the weather takes a nasty turn making it unsafe or unpleasant to cycle, this ride will go ahead even if it rains. Dress for the weather and bring a rain coat just in case.

First-timers welcome!