The map shows you where the ROYAL INN ON THE PARK is, a good pub to eat and drink, next to one of the entrances to VICTORIA PARK.
It is said that this municipal park is shaped like a “WELLINGTON” boot. What do you reckon?

Remember that the 388 brings you here (from LIVERPOOL ST. STA. or LONDON BRIDGE STA.), the 277 (from CANARY WHARF) or the 30 (from the WEST END),

Buses necessarily pass through the VILLAGE. A village, in London?.

In GREAT LONDON there are real villages: I am referring to very old settlements, from the ANGLO-SAXON era, with more than 1000 years of history, which were absorbed, by the metropolis especially in Victorian times, when the city grew in population, than to a huge economic expansion.. Villages like HAMPSTEAD, GREENWICH, WIMBLEDON, WALTHAMSTOW or RICHMOND became immersed into the suburbs, but you can still recognised them (narrow alleys, older buildings standing, a central church…), but others, as <<<STEPNEY  even lost its appearance as a village (only a medieval church is standing).

Those villages first mentioned did not even lose their identity, and they have a sort their community spirit, where people know each other, greet each other in the streets, help each other... You are going to see more independent little shops, and cafés and restaurants, and less big chain establishments. Normally,  a middle or upper middle class, and  less multi-ethnic, prevails, in those places. I encourage you to visit them, you are going to enjoy your time there!.

Having said that, the VICTORIA PARK VILLAGE that you are now visiting, is a Victorian district, which was surrounded (but not absorbed) by the INDUSTRIAL SUBURBS of the 19th and 20th centuries, and in recent decades those characteristics of a village  have been developing, in the middle of the popular and multi-ethnic suburbs of EAST END.  A “village” is born…

Anyway, you will find charming cafés , pubs, restaurants and shops, especially along LAURISTON ROAD (where there is also the Jewish cemetery and the Congregationalist church), and VICTORIA PARK ROAD.

If you walk towards the North, yo will get to the traffic island where the church of ST.JOHN OF JERUSALEM is located. The Knights TEMPLAR were medieval landowners of the area, hence the name.
You will go through the old cemetery and you might enjoy the houses lining MEYNELL CRESCENT.

And, in a little diversion further North, walk further North, go and see the shops, the cafés and the small market on WELL ST.

When you come back and end up in the WELL STREET COMMON, then you could return along VICTORIA PARK ROAD, where you will discover that the former FRENCH HOSPITAL established here by the descendants of the 18 th c. HUGUENOTS in Victorian times is now MOSSBOURNE ACADEMY. The French institution is now in ROCHESTER, in the form of almshouses.

VICTORIA PARK ROAD takes you back to LAURISTON ROAD, passing some  independent shops.

At the GROVE ROAD gate of the park, where LAURISTON ROAD ends, the ROYAL INN THE PARK is one of the good pubs in the area for you to enjoy. The PEOPLE’S PARK TAVERN, by the QUEEN’S GATE,  has a good garden, though.

VICKY PARK, as it is known by locals, is not a Royal Park. It is managed by TOWER HAMLETS. You already know, EAST London is not the place for royals… The landscaping of this park was hardly fought by the local community in Victorian times (a petition was sent to the queen) as there were no amenities for them. Most of the parks  that you see in the East End appeared after WORLD WAR TWO, on the site of districts greatly affected by the bombings.  In this case the land had been property of the BISHOPSPRIC OF LONDON. The BONNER GATE receives the name from the infamous bishop of the COUNTER-REFORMATION in MARIAN TIMES, who had almost  300 Protestants burnt to the stake. His residence was nearby. 

Well, it is understandable that this park is, as well, known as THE PEOPLE’S PARK.

If you want to explore the park, go ahead. From the pub,  West to East, you will not miss the BARONESS BURDETT-COUTTS DRINKING FOUNTAIN. Or, is it the VICTORIA DRINKING FOUNTAIN?.

By the way, this area became in Victorian times a sort of EAST END SPEAKERS’ CORNER, and especially the SUFFRAGETTES held numerous political meetings and recreational events here.

ANGELA BURDETT-COUTTS, heiress to the family fortune (the COUTTS BANK is where members of the royal family and the British aristocracy, and NIGEL FARAGE, one of the leaders of the BREXIT campaign, have their ”savings” accounts) funded this fountain. Mrs. BURDETT-COUTTS, was involved in many charitable activities throughout her life.

You will come across in London many other examples of patronage by Mrs. BURDETT-COUTTS who, by the way, never married, despite her numerous suitors.

East of GROVE ROAD, VICTORIA PARK becomes the setting for musical or entertainment events, you might something going on… or maybe you might be attending!.  Note the BANDSTAND.

If you head Eastwards, past the EAST LAKE, you are going to discover the well OLD ENGLISH GARDEN, and, to the South of it, the BOATING LAKE, where the oldest model boat club is based. 
You will find the ALCOVES of old LONDON BRIDGE from the 18th century on the east side. 
Between the fountain and the bedrooms, the HUB café  (and lavatories) can be a good stop for you.

To the West of GROVE ROAD, you will pass  the PAVILION CAFE, the BIRD SCULPTURE, by ËRNO BARTHA, and the CHINESE PAGODA.

And you are on the way (alongside the REGENT’S CANAL) to (Saturday’s) BROADWAY MARKET.

 Here, though, on Sundays there is FARMERS MARKET next to the BONNER GATE (to the West), near which you will find the DOGS OF ALCIBIADES. The original sculptures  (Roman, but inspired in Greek ones) are in the VATICAN MUSEUMS… and the BRITISH MUSEUM.

SCDS at BONNER GATE

After VICTORIA PARK

The 388 also takes you to OLYMPIC PARK>>>>.
The 277, to HACKNEY and then to DALSTON (Turkish community).
On the 30th, to HACKNEY WICK>>>>.

And if you are on the East of the PARK, you can cross the pedestrian and cycling bridge over the motorway, which will take you in 10 min. to HACKNEY WICK>>>> and, therefore, to the foot of the OLYMPIC PARK>>>>.

My advice:  once in HACKNEY WICK, turn left at the end of the bridge and then right onto FELSTEAD ROAD where you are received by shops and eateries.

And that was VICTORIA PARK and VILLAGE

On the map I point out FELSTEAD ST., the street that you will easily find when you cross the walkway from VICTORIA PARK. You will find a couple of places to eat and some shops. But you can also follow WALLIS ROAD, directly in front of the end of the pedestrian bridge ramp

You can get to HACKNEY WICK by bus.

236 from the OLYMPIC PARK, from STRATFORD, from SHADWELL,

30 from the WEST END 

388 from the CITY

And the OVERGROUND has an STATION here. 

In HACKNEY WICK and FISH ISLAND  are a couple of Victorian urban settlements made up of industries, warehouses and terraces of working class family houses (remember, though, that  we are talking about Dickensian London, which means overcrowding: a family in each room!) , of which almost nothing remains. Rather, the only survivors are some historically listed industrial buildings, which have been converted into artists' workshops, art galleries, cafés, restaurants... some of them sporting a plaque commemorating, not famous people living here comfortably, but inventions like plastic or  products made here, like toys or sweets. Or words being coined here, as petroleum.

Artists’ studios?. Are we talking about a bohemian neighborhood?. Here, at the feet  of the LEA VALLEY, there had been the largest concentration of artists in Europe. But, now, especially after the 2012 Olympics, it is becoming a trendy and cool neighbourhood, where most artists cannot afford a creative studio, bar the some established ones, like the CHAPMAN BROTHERS. The area is being redeveloped under the auspices of the LONDON LEGACY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,    and it is already unrecognisable (can you imagine in 10 years time?)

You will still find some artists studios open to the public and,  as far STREET ART is concerned, there are still good samples left.  But it is no longer what it was. There are almost no walls left from former unoccupied industrial plots!.  Now, new apartments are being built that occupy the places of the industrial warehouses that were there not yet 15 years ago...

In HACKNEY WICK in front of the LORD NAPIER pub, which after years of dereliction (as a pub, not as a canvas) has reopened, the area smelled of bagels (not as good as those in the BRICK LANE bakeries, for sure)... The bakery that was here has now made way for the BAGEL FACTORY, which is an apartment building, not a factory. I miss that sweet smell of bagels.

From the LORD NAPIER pub’s wall hangs an unofficial plaque homaging a deceased BIG ISSUE vendor, KEVIN HEADLEY.

After the LORD NAPIER, your next stop would by  the QUEENS YARD.You will be in front of Britain’s first dry-cleaning works, originally a French company, ACHILLE SERRE. Afterwards, maybe you will feel dry and hungry: the CRATE Brewery and Pizzeria is here, and the OLD STREET BREWERY & TAP ROOM. And the building  contains a few art studios. Just inspect what is on offer.

This complex used to be CLARNICO, the confectionary maker, established here in 1879.

If you want know to exit the area and go to the OLYMPIC PARK>>>>, follow WHITE POST LANE. You leave behind the former WHITE BUILDING -CRATE BREWERY and cross the LEE NAVIGATION, a canal, not the LEA RIVER. Notice the channel is LEE, the river is LEA, although they are pronounced the same.

On the left, the first thing you see inside the OLYMPIC PARK is the ENERGY CENTRE or COMBINED HEAT & POWER that provides with gas, electricity, hot water, refrigeration... all the neighbourhoods and sports or commercial facilities of the OLYMPIC PARK. Note that the Victorian  India Rubber Works buildings were converted into parts of the CHP.

Alongside the WALLIS ROAD

If you walk the WALLIS ROAD, you will get to the OLYMPIC PARK, after passing the BEER MERCHANTS TAP and NO.90.

Enter the little courtyard before the TAP and you will discover the site of the first place in the whole word where plastic was manufactured (Mr.PARKES’ plastic, was called PARKESINE).

Up the steps and the OLYMPIC PARK is yours. You have a SCDS beside the COPPER BOX.

To the North of HACKNEY WICK

From WALLIS ROAD, along BERKSHIRE ROAD, after leaving behind the GAINSBOROUGH SCHOOL, you can turn right, looking for the canal and walking alongside the contemporary residential development, until you reach the EASTWAY. Then left (unless you want to enter the OLYMPIC PARK), until you reach the PUBLIC BATHS. The traditional institution is still offering its services, but in a different style…

After the BATHS, you will head towards the mission church  of ST.MARY OF ETON. Old church an buildings and new  housing development perfectly harmonise, thanks to the ingenuity of MATTHEW LLOYD architects.

You will pass a few eateries an shops, you will see a former Masonic centre, and  finally, you will be entering VICTORIA PARK (MOLESWORTH GATE).  The MOLESWORTH LODGE and the WHITE LODGE will be greeting you.

Masonic Lodge, in the main road. MOLESWORTH LODGE and THE WHITE LODGE, inside VICKY PARK. Photos from SILVER TIGER

From HACKNEY WICK to  FISH ISLAND

Back to WHITE POST LANE, and BRIDGE. As usual, I offer you a choice: 

If instead of crossing the bridge you turn right, going down to the canal, the LEE NAVIGATION,, and continue a few meters you will realise that you are walking along… another canal, HERTFORD & UNION CANAL, mentioned before in BOW, which ends here. Its course is parallel to the edge of VICTORIA PARK, connecting the REGENT’S CANAL with the LEE NAVIGATION. 
Carry on the canal.  Go on the bridge and pause. On the site you are leaving behind, a company called HOPE CHEMICAL WORKS, someone had the idea of calling that dissolve the PETROLEUM: the first use of this word, here, in HACKNEY WICK!.

The bridge that you ara about to cross takes you to FISH ISLAND, which is not an island, but where the streets are mostly named after freshwater species of fish, or after rivers or other water courses. Follow ROACH, BEACHY and STOUR ROADS and you will arrive at FORMAN & SON, a very famous and historic salmon smokehouse. Restaurant and art gallery, as well.

By the way, now you are back in TOWER HAMLETS. Previously, when in HACKNEY WICK,  you were in the LONDON BOROUGH OF HACKNEY. HACKNEY  CENTRAL is not far away and easy reachable. WICK indicates here that a district is an appendix to a more important one. Probably a word introduced by the VIKINGS. Maybe a small harbour on the banks of the LEA, close to the main HACKNEY?. Think “ALDWICH”, in Central London). 

Once in FISH ISLAND, walk alongside ROACH, BEACHY and STOUR ROADS. You will get to H.FORMAN &SON, the famous London salmon smokers. Keeping in mind that London is where the modern smoked salmon tradition was first established. Here you will learn about the LONDON CURE.

Afterwards, you are going to find your way to DACE ROAD, where, towards the end, the steps to your left are leading you to the GREENWAY , and, alongside it, to the VIEW TUBE and the OLYMPIC PARK.

At WICK LANE, bus 339 will take you to the OLYMPIC PARK or towards LIMEHOUSE or SHADWELL. And you will have  another access to the GREENWAY (VIEW TUBE/OLYMPIC PARK).

To the East, along DACE ROAD, you  you will find the banks of the RIVER LEA, and the OLD FORD lock, which is a double system of locks. The river takes you to THREE MILLS ISLAND (passing precisely the site where theold bowed bridge was) or or to the feet of the LONDON STADIUM.

By the lock, hidden away, a house and a garden: the site of the former studios where the famous CHANNEL 4’s BIG BREAKFAST was made!.