Comments on: Scything On Walthamstow Marshes

By: Greg Tingey

Greg Tingey — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 07:37:36 +0000

Walthamstow Marshes always appeal as I pass over on the train – or less often these days, cycle across & down them. In Spring or Autumn, sometimes the train is suspended over a white sea of mist in the morning’s low sunlight.
Pity I didn’t know about the event – I learnt to use a scythe over 30 years ago …
The wildlife alone deserves several write-ups – “Count the Egrets” is a good game to play on a morning Walthamstow – Liverpool St train, because white Little Egrets have moved in (the first one was seen early in 2014) & they are now a regular occurrence.
Other things you might not expect, but live down there:
Rabbits, Weasels, Terns, Kingfishers, Great Crested Newt.
I’ve not seen the last, but all the others will show up on the right day or conditions.

By: Jill

Jill — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 10:29:39 +0000

I had no idea the Hackney Marshes were still open ground – hooray! I’m sure my dad (a big Hammers fan) used to talk of a West Ham training ground in the Marshes? Well done to all the scythers, it looks incredibly difficult.

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 08:44:17 +0000

Very very interesting. My son forwarded this to me from USA. There was scything at Forty Hall last week. My grandfather could scythe.

By: Vintage Jane

Vintage Jane — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 08:01:13 +0000

Another example of great community spirit!

By: Melvyn Brooks

Melvyn Brooks — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 07:17:06 +0000

Marvellous story. Thanks
In 1875 John de Morgan pulled down a fence that cut off a triangular piece of land that is now occupied by the Mossbourne Academy. That piece of land was part of Hackney Downs and had been bought by the Grocers’ Company for their school. de Morgan objected to this common(Lammas) land being cut off from the main portion of Hackney Downs. Thus he pulled down the fence. The Grocers’ Company were forced to erect a more substanial dividor to protect their new school.
This wall remains and is all that remains of Hackney Downs (formerly The Grocers’ Company’s) School. Melvyn Brooks Karkur Israel

By: Valerie-Jael

Valerie-Jael — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 06:19:17 +0000

Good to see that the Marshes are still there and haven’t been built over, and wonderful that people are learning the old traditions again. Valerie