Comments on: Along The Black Path https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:07:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: John Churchill https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/#comment-1277055 Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:07:29 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=173374#comment-1277055 I was first introduced to the Black Path some years ago by the ever lovely and much missed Katy Andrews. A force of nature on the marshes. She organised the summer Lammas picnic and beating the bounds on Rogation Sunday. A tireless champion of the marshes she did much to protect this magical area against ‘development’ and inspired others with her enthusiasm. Her ashes are close to the black path and that ancient boundary line of black poplars.

]]> By: Adele https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/#comment-1276801 Mon, 01 Apr 2019 12:57:52 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=173374#comment-1276801 Fascinating. Had no idea this path existed.

]]> By: Pauline Taylori have a fantastic https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/#comment-1276787 Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:19:21 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=173374#comment-1276787 Thank you for sharing this GA it is all such ‘home ground’ for my grandparents and great grandparents, they would all have known it so well. My aunt, born in a house in Powerscroft Road, used to tell me so many stories of visiting her grandparents in Spring Lane, beside the River Lee. They were married from addresses in Old Street before moving to Hackney where my great grandfather bought and farmed land which later became part of Springfield Park, how it all must have changed. My grandfather, the youngest of four children, was a great sportsman, rowing, swimming and skating as well as boxing and I have a fantastic photo of him and all the members of the Tiger Rowing and Athletics Club which was one of the many on the river Lee at the time, in the late 1890s, I also have the Gladstone Medal which he won in the single sculls in 1898. Oil paintings in the family, which used to hang in my grandparents home, show the view across the river Lee from Spring Lane towards Walthamstow, then a very rural view indeed. I have walked along Spring Lane, as it is now, once, but all the houses have long since been demolished as they became subject to flooding, but Coppermill Bridge, over the river, is still there I believe and this is shown in the paintings.

I am so grateful to you for venturing away from Spitalfields into Hackney and I envy you your walk but, looking at the photos, I can be with you in spirit and it brings me so much pleasure so thank you again.

]]> By: Milo Bell https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/#comment-1276772 Mon, 01 Apr 2019 10:07:51 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=173374#comment-1276772 I’ll be staying with a mate of mine who lives in Walthamstow later in the year. That walk will make a great excuse to scuff along, swapping memories and popping in the odd pub…
How long did it take you?

]]> By: Phil maxwell https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/#comment-1276763 Mon, 01 Apr 2019 09:44:24 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=173374#comment-1276763 I’m exhausted! Great journey.

]]> By: Paul Loften https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/#comment-1276738 Mon, 01 Apr 2019 07:54:56 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=173374#comment-1276738 Thank you for this brilliant and most descriptive tour of an area that I know so well from my childhood. From the age of 8 till 12 I lived at Cecil House which was part of an old housing estate on Millfields which no longer stands . It stood a stones throw from the River Lea . Of course at that age I was not aware of Chaucer or the Black Path but I can follow precisely every place that you mention with a clear picture of how it was then . Sadly at Millfields I am . haunted by a memory of an event with a much loved dog that once followed my friend Peter and I,in a lift to the top floor of the newest block,which stood nearest to the river.We went up there as it gave us both a panoramic view of the Lea , Marshes and the James Latham woodyard. I tried to stop Patch getting in the lift with us but he rushed in as the door closed. When the lift door opened he instantly jumped over the top floor balcony. it happened so quick we couldn’t stop him.I remember trying to grab him as he rushed out. It still brings tears to my eyes and a terrible sadness when I think of it.
Every spare moment was spent on the marshes birdwatching , playing football, and swinging on ropes suspended from trees across the river. Later on at school I read Chaucer for O level English Lit but had no idea that he was so close to our lives until this morning ,when I read your wonderfully descriptive account of the walk along the Black Path . I wish our teacher at school could have introduced this aspect to our lessons. I am sure it would have helped in deciphering his Old English verse.

]]> By: Greg Tingey https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/01/along-the-black-path/#comment-1276728 Mon, 01 Apr 2019 07:02:20 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=173374#comment-1276728 Time from here to the “Bell” … 8 minutes
Time from here to the “Old Rose & Crown” … 7 minutes
Time from here to the clock-tower wit heraldry … 5 minutes
Time past there to L Manze’s … approx another 8 minutes ….

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