Parks and open spaces in Tower Hamlets

Mile End Park, south of the Mile End Road

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in spite of being close to the centre of London and perhaps retaining the idea of it being the docklands area, has over 100 areas of parks and open spaces within its boundaries. These range from the huge (Victoria Park) to small gardens and squares. In common with all the London boroughs, these green spaces provide "lungs" for the leisure pursuits of the inhabitants.

Principal parks and open spaces

The principal parks in Tower Hamlets are:

• Victoria Park: 86.18 hectares (213.0 acres),^[1] created 1884
• Mile End Park: 32 hectares (79 acres),^[2] (stretches from Limehouse to Victoria Park along the Regent's Canal; international athletics stadium
• Mudchute Park: 13 hectares (32 acres),^[3] which includes the largest urban farm in Europe
• The Olympic Park is partly in the borough

Smaller parks within the borough include:

• St Mary's Park in Aldgate
• Bartlett Park in Poplar
• Island Gardens: small 1.12 hectares (2.8 acres).^[4] Thames Riverside Park
• King Edward Memorial Park: 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres)^[5] in Shadwell
• Grove Hall Park, off Fairfield Road, Bow
• St George's Gardens around the Nicholas Hawksmoor church of St George in the East
• Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and Ackroyd Drive Local Nature Reserve

Water

Tower Hamlets is a riverside borough, and one of the largest open spaces is the Thames itself. A sign posted riverside trail exists from Tower Bridge, in the west, around the Isle of Dogs, and leaving the borough at the crossing of the River Lee. Although planning procedures have tried to open and protect access to the river, often private developers have locked gates and otherwise prevented access to what should be public areas. There are otherwise, public stairs providing access to the foreshore.

• The River Lea forms the eastern boundary of the borough. The towpath is suitable for walking and cyclists. It can be readily accessed from Three Mills (near Bow) and provides access to Hackney Marshes and the Lee Valley Park.
• Limehouse Cut is a canal running through the borough from the River Thames at Limehouse Basin, joining the River Lee Navigation, at Bromley-by-Bow.
• The Regent's Canal enters Tower Hamlets from the London Borough of Hackney, and meets the Thames at Limehouse Basin.
• The Hertford Union Canal links the Regent's Canal to the River Lee Navigation at Old Ford Lock. It forms the southern boundary to Victoria Park.

City farms

• Mudchute farm
• Stepney City Farm (Formerly Stepping Stones farm, established 1979)

External links

• Parks in Tower Hamlets
• Mudchute Park and Farm
• Stepney City Farm

References=

1. ↑ Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets Council
2. ↑ "Park It! London" (PDF). green-space.org.uk. www.park-it.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2013. 
3. ↑ "Mudchute Park and Farm". London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Retrieved 25 September 2013. 
4. ↑ "Tower Hamlets Council Isaln gardens". Tower Hamlets Council. Retrieved 25 September 2013. 
5. ↑ "King Edward Memorial Park Management Plan 2007-2017 Revised January 2008". Tower Hamlets Council. 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2013. 

London Borough of Tower Hamlets Districts Bethnal Green Blackwall Bow Bow Common Bromley-by-Bow Cambridge Heath Canary Wharf Coldharbour Cubitt Town Globe Town East Smithfield Fish Island Hackney Wick Isle of Dogs Leamouth Limehouse Mile End Millwall Old Ford Poplar Ratcliff St Katharine Docks Shadwell Spitalfields Stepney Tower Hill Wapping Whitechapel Attractions Brick Lane Christ Church, Spitalfields Fournier Street Museum of Childhood Museum in Docklands Ragged School Museum St Katharine Docks Tower Bridge Tower of London Traitors' Gate Whitechapel Art Gallery London Olympic Park Street markets Petticoat Lane Brick Lane Columbia Road Old Spitalfields Roman Road Parks and open spaces Altab Ali Park Bartlett Park Island Gardens Langdon Park Mile End Park Mudchute Tower Hamlets Cemetery Victoria Park Governance London borough council Directly elected mayor Civic mayor/speaker of council Constituencies: Bethnal Green and Bow Poplar and Limehouse Bridges and tunnels Blackwall Tunnel Greenwich foot tunnel Rotherhithe Tunnel Tower Bridge Tube and rail stations Aldgate East All Saints Bethnal Green Bethnal Green Blackwall Bow Church Bow Road Bromley-by-Bow Cambridge Heath Canary Wharf (DLR) Canary Wharf (tube) Crossharbour Devons Road East India Heron Quays Island Gardens Langdon Park Limehouse Mile End Mudchute Poplar Shadwell Shadwell South Quay Stepney Green Tower Gateway Tower Hill Wapping railway station West India Quay Westferry Whitechapel Other topics Council Grade I and II* listed buildings People Public art Schools Category Commons

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