Hackney Marshes
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Hackney Marshes is an area of grassland on the western bank of the River Lea on the eastern edge of Middlesex. It was incorporated into the Lee Valley Park in 1967.
The area was originally a true marsh, but was extensively drained from the Middle Ages, and rubble was dumped here from buildings damaged by air raids during Second World War.
The principal area of the marsh lies below Lea Bridge Road between the Old River Lea, and the Hackney Cut – an artificial channel of the Lee Navigation, dug about 1770, to avoid a loop in the natural watercourse. The southern extent is marked by the A12; although the industrial land around Hackney Wick Stadium was originally an extension of the marsh, it now forms a part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, created for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
The natural course of the River Lea forms the county boundary with Essex.
Hackney Marsh is one of the largest areas of common land in Middlesex, with 336 acres of protected commons.
History
The marsh
The River Lea itself was always an important waterway, being navigable to Hertfordshire. The Marsh was formed by the periodic flooding of the river, and so formed useful pasture, but could not be occupied permanently. Before the 10th century, the estuary of the river came as far as Hackney Wick, crossed at Old Ford. Marsh Road, the continuation of Homerton High Street, led to the marshes, and thence to Temple Mills. The Romans appear to have built a significant stone causeway across the marshes here; a periodical, the Ambulator of 1774, noted
there have been discovered within the last few years the remains of a great causeway of stone, which, by the Roman coins found there, would appear to have been one of the famous highways made by the Romans[1]
The river forms a natural boundary, so in AD 527 it formed the boundary between the Saxon kingdoms of Essex and Middlesex. In the 9th century, it formed a part of the Danelaw boundary and reputedly, King Alfred stranded an invading Viking fleet here in AD 895. This was achieved by draining the river where it met the River Thames, but the increased drainage affected river navigability, until it was restored in the 17th century.
In the Middle Ages attempts were made to control the flow of water through the marshes. Mills were established including the Knights Templar mill at Temple Mills. Much of the marsh was owned by the Templars and used for pasture. When the Templars were dissolved, the land passed to the Knights Hospitaller, and thence to the Crown at the Reformation, when monastic lands were seized. At this time, much of the land was associated with the village of Lower Homerton and with the large manor house at Hackney Wick.
Around 1770, the river was straightened by the construction of the Hackney Cut, now forming the western extent of the marsh. The natural watercourse passes to the east over the Middlesex Filter Beds Weir, just below Lea Bridge Road. A nature reserve occupies the former Middlesex Filter beds on the island between the two watercourses.
By 1795, the former Templar mills were being used for preparing lead paints (a process involving steeping lead in vats of urine heated by cow dung). A new watermill was established on the Crown land of the marshes by Prince Rupert for an improved method of boring guns, however the secret died with him in 1682 and the enterprise collapsed.[2]
At the end of the 19th century Hackney was beset by increased demand for building land, both for housing and to extend the factories in Homerton. The marshes had always suffered periodic flooding from the Lea but with the introduction of mains sewerage, a flood relief sewer was constructed beneath the marshes. Most common and Lammas lands were then preserved by an Act of Parliament and passed to the control of the Metropolitan Board of Works, but the marsh remained excluded from the MBW scheme because many of the lammas rights were still exercised, predominantly grazing. This was a period of increasing arguments between landowners eager to build, and groups seeking to preserve the open spaces for recreation.
In 1890, 337 acres of the marshes were preserved by the London County Council, by a purchase of the rights and landowners' interests for £75,000. The marshes were opened to the public in 1893 and were formally dedicated in 1894.[3] The LCC undertook further flood prevention, straightening some of the bends in the River by introducing four 'cuts', the old channels being retained to form islands.[4]
The Eton Manor Mission was founded in 1901 to bring education to the poor of the East End and to teach boys of Eton College some understanding of the poor. On aspect of this peculiar meeting of opposites was through sport on the Hackney Marshes, including running, boxing. A football club, Eton Manor FC, was founded here.
There were few houses on the marshes, but a notable exception was the White House Inn, by a bridge on the old road to Leyton. Originally built as part of a Lea fishery scheme, the pub is now long gone but a bridge remains, rebuilt to supply anti-aircraft batteries during the Second World War.
In the Marshes towards Hackney Wick were low public houses, the haunt of highwaymen and their Dulcineas. Dick Turpin[5] was a constant guest at the "White House," or "Tyler's Ferry," near Joe Sowter's cock-pit at Temple Mills; and few police-officers were bold enough to approach the spot.[1]
Small areas of the marsh have been taken for housing and sports fields and others added. In 1915, 35.5 acres were taken to build the 'National Projectile Factory'. After the First World War, in 1922, this site was used to create the Mabley Green recreation ground. A further 22.5 acres were taken in 1937 for the building of the Kingsmead Estate. The Lesney die cast model factory was built on the Homerton side of the Lee Navigation in the 1940s, having success for many years with their Matchbox brand. The factory was a major local employer and closed in 1990.
Sport
In 1881, men from Homerton College founded the Glyn Cricket Club. Members of the cricket club then decided to form a football section to keep fit during the winter months, this football section was to become the famous Clapton Orient Football Club which for thirty years played its home games at Millfields Road Stadium (1900–1930). In 1946 the Club was renamed Leyton Orient and their home ground is now the Matchroom Stadium in Brisbane Road, Leyton.
Today the marshes provide many pleasant walks, in reach of the inner city, but the most famous use of Hackney Marshes is for Sunday league football,[6] with 88 full-size football pitches marked out. On a typical Sunday, over 100 matches are played by amateur teams in several local leagues.
One of the most well known matches to be played on the marshes is games from The Hackney & Leyton League
London Olympics 2012
Part of the London Olympic park for the Summer Olympics of 2012 was built on Hackney Marshes. This caused some controversy with local residents' groups,[7][8] who expressed concerns that East Marsh was to be tarmacked and used as a disabled coach park for the games. This was a temporary measure and restoration of the pitches was undertaken.
Arena Fields were lost to the Olympic Park and its site has become part of the legacy, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, permanently. This area is being replaced by parkland of comparable size and value on the Middlesex side, though it is not possible to reinstate the loss of mature and varied trees or to compensate for the disruption caused to wildlife by construction.
In music and literature and on film
The celebrated cockney music hall performer Gus Elen sang a song entitled If It Wasn't for the 'Ouses In Between which included the following chorus:
Oh it really is a wery pretty garden
And Chingford to the eastward could be seen;
'Wiv a ladder and some glasses,
You could see to 'Ackney Marshes,
If it wasn't for the 'ouses in between.
- In 1977, a 15-minute film was made celebrating the football on the marshes, by John Smith, and adapted for television the following year.[9]
- In 1997, Nike presented a selection of FA Premiership players turning out for the Sunday League teams to the soundtrack of Blur's "Parklife".
- The 2005 film Bullet Boy (Saul Dibb) used the marshes and local streets as a location.
- Radio 1's Hackney Weekend was held here on the marshes on 23 and 24 June 2012
Walking and cycling
Nearby, Hackney Wick is on the Capital Ring walking route, much of which is accessible to cyclists.
The River Lea and local canals have a tow path which is accessible for both walking and cycling. The Lea provides a continuous route to Hertfordshire for the particularly determined.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 'The northern suburbs: Haggerston and Hackney' - Old and New London: Volume 5 (1878), pp. 505-24
- ↑ Granger's Biographical History, vol. ii. p. 407. 4to. edit. Dugdale's Baronage, vol. i. p. 559
- ↑ Sexby, Municipal Pks. 361-3; L.C.C. Ceremonial Pamphlets, 21 July 1894
- ↑ Hackney: Public services' - A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney (1995), pp. 108-15
- ↑ The infamous highwayman, Dick Turpin was said to frequent the White House Inn. A ward is named after him at Homerton University Hospital.
- ↑ Hackney & Leyton Sunday League Football website accessed : 12 Nov 2006
- ↑ Protest stirs in troubled east - Paul Kelso in The Guardian February 15, 2005 date accessed: 30 October 2006
- ↑ Hackney Development Forum date accessed: 30 October 2006
- ↑ John Smith filmography accessed 18 July 2008
Outside links
- Maps: