Today I walked down to Islington, about two hours to get there. Most of the way is, for me, a well trodden path down Green Lanes. But the New River Walk in Islington was a bit of a revelation - so beautiful, albeit a very narrow strip of park. Lots of very mature vegetation over the little river with huge early Victorian houses behind.
No idea what this yellow blossomed shrub is, but it was quite spectacular against a very grey day.
This little round hut was apparently built for a ranger to keep out anglers and bathers from the New River who could contaminate the water supply, the purpose of the New River being to provide fresh clean drinking water, not clean people.
Nice to see snowdrops and crocuses out. Spring is not so far away....
St Mary's Church
Islington Green itself is rather disappointing. The streets and houses leading to it are very fine, but the Green is rather a mess surrounded by a hotchpotch of commercial buildings of all ages. Only a couple of nice Georgian buildings surviving - this pair below and a terrace across the road, further below.
The Waterstones is not very exciting, but was once a music hall
But the main reason to visit the Green is for the statue at the end of it. Sir Hugh Myddleton, a goldsmith who turned his hand to the great civil engineering project of the seventeenth century, constructing the New River. Nearly bankrupted him, but he got support from King James, and eventually it was a profitable enterprise. And now offers me some nice walks. Thanks Sir Hugh😀
No comments:
Post a Comment