Hackney Wick to Beckton District Park: 4.9 miles (7.9 km)
Leaving Hackney from the Carpenters Road Bridge and staying on the East side of the Lee Navigation, the walk passes the Hertford Union Canal and locks allowing passage to the Regent’s Canal. Once over a footbridge where the river Lea now again rejoins, a cobbled ramp leads into the Borough of Newham for the rest of this section. Passing under a footbridge this walk now diverges away and leaves the ’Lea Valley Walk’ to meet up with a very long embankment known as the Greenway. Laid on top of the Northern Outfall Sewegae Embankment (NOSE), this is a 6 mile stretch of easy-going level bonded gravel pathway, 3 miles of which forms the majority of this sections‘ walking. Immediately the London Stadium looms up to the left and in the distance Canary Wharf to the right. Negotiating ramps and bridges at Pudding Mill Lane station which carry the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), passing by the Westfield Mall and Stratford office and residential tower developments, the walk reaches the Bow Backs Rivers. Industrial sculpture and the glorious yellow-brick Abbey Pumping Station reminds the walker of the construction and nature of this wonderful corridor into outer East London. Entering Plaistow having crossed a handful of major roads, the walk leaves the Greenway to cross the A13 via a footbridge, ‘Beckton Alps’ to the left and straight on into Beckton District Park. Home to a lovely tree walk, this is a delightful winding path and with a short diversion to a pleasant lake and it’s waterbird occupants, and finally passing meadows and playing fields, this section comes to an end. Walking onto the Royal Albert Docks then gives access to the DLR at Royal Albert Station, for embarkation.
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