Area: London (East)

Janet Digby London Footprints

'Abney Park in Stoke Newington, one of the "magnificent seven" garden cemeteries of London, is a woodland memorial park and Local Nature Reserve, managed by the Abney Park Trust. We offer free public access throughout the year so everyone can come and enjoy this oasis of peace and greenery with a fascinating history.'

Abney Park Trust

'At first glance, this area of East London may not seem a worthy venue for a walk, but our route takes in no less than six parks. Inevitably, some walking along streets is involved, but these are pleasant enough, and there is a bonus by way of a medieval manor house, which still has its moat. The lakes in the parks attract large numbers of Canada Geese.'

Mike Biggs Inner London Ramblers

'Bexley's Rights of Way Improvement Plan, the Rights of Way definitive maps for both North and South of the Borough and the Definitive statement for the Rights of Way within the borough are available as PDF's ...'

London Borough of Bexley

Member of the Ramblers - Inner London Area Grouping

Mike Biggs  Inner London Ramblers

Transport for London

'A 200 acre site full of natural beauty. With more than 3500 trees, 32 acres of memorial landscaped gardens, a woodland area, water features, ponds, and a nature area the cemetery is home to a wide variety of birds, insects and animals. After passing through the striking gated entrance the stunning landscaped and beautifully maintained cemetery unfolds before you. All of our roadways and pathways are easily accessible and make for a very pleasant stroll through an oasis in the heart of East London.'

City of London Corporation

'Path following the River Cray to the Thames from Foots Cray Meadows in the south to Erith in the north.'

London Borough of Bexley Council

ALERT Could not find this PDF referenced on the re-designed Bexley Website; so I have changed the Link to Yumpu.

'A small oasis within an industrialised urban environment, providing a unique opportunity to escape city life and enjoy one of the last remaining areas of grazing marsh within the Greater London area ... The nature reserve is accessed via a number of public footpaths from Eastern Way (A2016), Norman Road and Belvedere Road, as well as the Thames Pathway which runs north across the Reserve.'

Thames Water

'This green corridor, known as the Dagenham Corridor, runs from Hainault to the River Thames and includes the Eastbrookend Country Park, the Chase Local Nature Reserve and the Beam Valley Country Park.'

Barking & Dagenham Country Parks

'The beauty of the Darent Valley has inspired generations of artists and writers eager to capture the essence of this classic English countryside with its rolling hills, luxuriant meadows and picturesque riverside villages.'

Explore Kent

English Heritage

'EVERYONE is invited to join the Friends and West Essex Ramblers on our annual walk through Epping Forest from South to North based on the Centenary walk established in 1978 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passing of the Epping Forest Act.'  Held Mid September.

The Long Distance Walkers Association

Epping Forest Centenary Walk [GPS Cycle & Walking Routes]

'Accessible pathways for all to enjoy a walk through the country park year round as well as a network of natural routes allowing you to get closer to the wildlife.'

Vision - Redbridge Culture and Leisure

Transport for London

'A different way of looking at London: a walking route of over 110 miles encircling London - and divided into 18 separate and easily manageable sections.'

Bob Gilbert

London for free

'With its beautiful parks and open spaces, Hackney is a great place to walk ... '

'The Hackney Society works to preserve Hackney's unique heritage and make the area a better place in which to live and work. The Society was formed in 1967 to involve and support local people in the conservation and regeneration of Hackney's built environment and public spaces.'

The Hackney Society

Member of the U3A - London (East) Grouping

'The woods in these country parks on the outskirts of London are all former hunting grounds providing venison for the kinsg's table. At Bedfords Park this is commemorated with a deer park holding a herd of red deer, managed by the London Borough of Havering, and in all the woods there are fallow and muntjac deer living wild.'

Woodland Trust

The best woodland walks in London.

Member of the Ramblers - Essex Area Grouping

Download from the Website PDFs of six walks, two from the Society's 'History Walks' series, four from their 'Wanstead Flats History Walks'.

Leyton & Leytonstone Historical Society

'The Limehouse Cut was the first navigable canal to be dug in London and provides a pleasant and interesting green walk between Limehouse Basin in the west and the River Lea to the east ... The walk is about 2.5 kilometres in length to the Lea Navigation at Bow Locks and 3 kilometres in length to Three Mills.'

Hugo Marchant

'Discover and explore the hidden green treasures of Barking and Dagenham in a variety of peaceful parks and nature reserves.'

Access to PDFs of six Heritage Walks: Gidea Park; Harold Hill; Havering-atte-Bower; Hornchurch; Rainham; Romford.

ALERT The PDFs no longer were found to be accessible via the Borough Website. However, a string search of "Havering Walks' on one of the generic Search Engines provided Links at the time of Review.

'You are not alone if you include walking as one of your hobbies - it’s the most popular outdoor recreational activity in Britain ... There are lots of opportunities to get out for a walk in Lewisham.'

Your guide to walking in Redbridge  'The Walk Redbridge brochure is designed to make it as easy as possible for you to start leisure walking. It gives bus routes to the walks' starting points and grades each walk depending on the type of terrain.'

'Walking the London Outer Orbital Path (the LOOP for short) is a great way to get to know London better. At nearly 152 miles (245 km), some like to think of it as the "M25 for walkers" — but it’s a world away from the motorway and has been thoughtfully divided into 24 well marked, bite-sized stages. Weaving around the capital the LOOP is mainly on flat or gentle sloping surfaces with only some sections requiring a bit more puff!'

Transport for London

'John Goodier takes a walk in some of the open space of Newham'

London Parks & Gardens Trust

Member of the Ramblers - Kent Area Grouping

'The Pilgrimage Route is open to all and makes a very pleasant and energetic day out! It utilizes the Greenway through Newham, joins the Limehouse Cut to the yachting basin, takes the Regents Canal to Victoria Park and then follows the Lee Canal past the Olympic site and on to Waltham Abbey ... As this ride is mostly on off road paths and tracks it is also suitable for walkers.'

ALERT The description of this Route is no longer accessible via the Sustrans Website.

'Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park offers a landscape full of opportunities to discover something new. Wander at your own pace, follow a trail taking in some of the most inspirational sights, or take part in a guided tour: the choice is yours.'

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Member of the U3A - London (East) Grouping

Member of the Ramblers - Essex Area Grouping

'Signposted walk along the River Shuttle, a small tributary of the River Cray, which it joins at Hall Place near Bexley. The walk then joins the Cray Riverway, which follows the Cray through to the Darent at Crayford Marshes and through the marshes to the Thames.'

ALERT I could no longer find the description of this Walk on the re-engineered Bexley Council Website; so I have cited the description from Annierak instead.

Member of the U3A - London (East) Grouping

'A series of six self-guided walks through Hackney's Parks and Open Spaces. The walks are along tarmac and grass paths, mainly flat and easy walking. The leaflets provide information about steps and alternative routes ... These leaflets were reprinted in 2010 under funding from NHS Hackney Community Chest.'

Sustainable Hackney

'18 months ago a small team of volunteers were set up to promote walking throughout the Thames Chase Community Forest. Professionally produced walking guides were created and are available to download or pick up from the Thames Chase Visitor Centre. The guides include a sketch map, step-by-step walking guides and notes on the history and ecology of the walking area.'

The Thames Chase Trust

'This walk follows the Thames Path extension east. Although not officially a part of the Thames Path National Trail it is an obvious extension of the route. The walk follows the south bank of the river from the Thames flood barrier at Woolwich east past the famous Woolwich Arsenal and the Firepower museum. Continuing east you pass the apartments of Thamesmead. East from here the river passes through a far more industrial landscape and the path passes right through the middle of it. You emerge into Erith and onwards through the marshes of Crayford to end at Crayford Ness.'

Thames Path National Trail Unofficial Guide

Thames Path Extension [Rambling Man]

'The Line is London's first dedicated modern and contemporary art walk. The project opened to the public in May 2015. The route runs between the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2, following the waterways and the line of the Meridian. The project was set up by art dealer Megan Piper and the late urban regeneration expert Clive Dutton OBE. Their ambition was to establish an outdoor exhibition space that encourages locals, Londoners and visitors to the capital to engage with modern and contemporary art, whilst also discovering this lesser-known part of the city, its wildlife and heritage.'

The Line

'Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, a Local Nature Reserve is a unique site in London's Zone 2 and well worth a visit. As a closed cemetery and one of the Victorian "Magnificent Seven" it contains a wealth of beautiful, ornately carved monuments in sandstone, granite, and even Italian white marble with fascinating stories of the lives of those interred.'

Tower Hamlets Council

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Member of the U3A - London (East) Grouping

'Around the fringes of Upminster and Cranham.'

'A book – Walk Wild Essex – is available that includes all the walks on this website, together with illustrated maps, photos and notes on wildlife to look out for ... You can also get Walk Wild Essex apps for iPhone or iPad from the iTunes store.'

Wild Essex

'Will take you on a historical tour around Victoria Park, where you can listen to memories from local park users and learn about the park's past and how it's changed over nearly 170 years – from the beautiful Burdett-Coutts drinking fountain donated by one of the richest women in the country, to the ever watchful Dogs of Alcibiades statues, mysteriously said to rescue canal users in trouble!'

Tower Hamlets Council

'Walk Hackney specialises in telling you the story of Hackney, through a series of scheduled walks around different parts of Hackney.'

Sean Gubbins

Member of the U3A - London (East) Grouping

'Europe’s largest urban wetlands spans ten distinct drinking water reservoirs. It's home to an abundance of native British birdlife, from elusive kingfishers and majestic raptors to the great crested grebe and tufted duck. Take a magical walk spanning up to 211 hectares, with views to inspire and refresh ... Walks here are full of life, with invertebrates, mammals and amphibians sharing the wetlands and marshes with the birds they’re famous for. Walthamstow Wetlands is considered a Site of Special Scientific Interest, meaning it’s a valuable area for conservation, sheltering rare plants and animals.'

Thames Water

'Walking and cycling route from Sydenham to the Thames. It follows the rivers Pool and Ravensbourne through many parks and green spaces ... It also links the borough’s three main town centres – Catford, Lewisham and Deptford.'

Lewisham Council

Member of the Ramblers - Essex Area Grouping

'West Ham Park, the largest park in the London Borough of Newham, has been owned and maintained by the City of London Corporation since 1874 and is a Registered Charity ...'

City of London Corporation