The second Lee Valley Walk in conjunction with the Lee valley Park's 40th anniversary was designed by Eric Wilton, Senior Ranger.

It starts out from the historic site of Waltham Abbey, destroyed by Henry VIII, and moves out along Cornmill Stream before briefly entering an arboretum.

The return route follows Walton's Way, named after Isaac Walton who based much of his famous 17C The Compleat Angler on his experiences fishing in the River Lea.

Although there is plenty of Flora this is a walk which features the Fauna - a rich variety of waterfowl, changing with the seasons - so bring your binoculars!

1. Start
Leave the car park by walking with the wall to the left, passing the remains of a forge on the right and the entrance to gardens on the left. At the end of the wall continue forwards to pick up a paved path which runs in front of Abbey Farmhouse (Church Centre). Reach a circular waymarker on the ground with the Lee Valley swan in the middle, turn right to cross, by a wooden bridge, over the Cornmill Stream and continue under the road.

2. 0.2 miles/ 0.4 km
Once through the tunnel go right with a hedge on the right and a wooden fence on the left. Now go left at the first kissing gate to go across a meadow and rejoin the Cornmill Stream which is now to your right. (The ponds on the left are the remains of the old Abbey Fishponds which the monks used for raising food.

The area now provides an ideal environment for dragonflies - it supports 23 different species out of a total of 43 in the UK.

Dull days with binoculars are good here because the pools also support a variety of waders: Corncrakes; Black-tailed Godwits; Greenshank; Red Shank; Green Sandpiper all of which tend to settle in poor weather.)

Continue through another kissing gate to eventually reach an information board describing the Dragonfly Sanctuary.

3. 0.8 miles/ 1.3 km
Cross a bridge to the right and turn left. (The Leylandii on the right were planted as a windbreak to protect the tree nursery beyond.)

At the end of the trees, at a T-junction, turn left and keep forward along a fence to reach a gate which leads you over a slatted bridge out onto a field edge with a fence to the left.

At the end of the fence continue, slightly left, to go diagonally across the corner of a field to turn right at the edge and continue to a stile into a lane.

4. 1.7 miles/ 2.8 km
Go left along Fishers Green Lane to cross the Old River Lee and the Flood Relief Channel. You reach Hooks Marsh Car Park.

We go left, following a concrete finger post to follow the surfaced Walton's Way with a lake on the right and the channel to the left. (Here both sides of the path support a rich diversity of plants, beyond on the Hooks marsh Lake you can often see: Smew; Pochard Goosander; Tufted and many other ducks besides the ubiquitous Cormorants and Herons.)

Continue past two paths to the right. (Later you pass the control sluice of the Flood relief channel, built to protect Waltham Abbey.

This part of the channel provides a particularly good fishery which features Rudd; Perch Chubb; Pike and many others.) Keep forward to eventually reach the main road.

5. 3.2 miles/ 5.2 km
Go left, crossing the road before the roundabout to walk up to the church.

Continue along the right-hand side of the Church crossing the grass by the alleged grave of King Harold to join a path and turning left with it through a wall between pillars.

Take the right-hand diagonal path and stay with it through a hedge onto a paved walkway through a memorial garden.

Turn right at the end to return to the car park.

Factfile

Starting Point/Parking: Abbey Gardens car park, Waltham Abbey (just off the roundabout to the north of the town)

Distance: 3.7 miles/5.9 km

Time: Two miles

Terrain: Flat with good paths except for a muddy stretch across a field

Suitability for Dogs: Good (remember that dogs need to be kept under control at times when birds are nesting)

Stiles: Two

Near: Waltham Abbey

Refreshments: There are many pubs and cafes in Waltham Abbey

Public Toilets: Universal SuperLoo located at Quaker Lane

Public Transport: buses 211; 212; 213; 250; 505

Map and Grid Reference: Explorer 174 383 003

More Information: Lee Valley Park produces an excellent leaflet which describes the general area of the walk - Days out in Waltham Abbey this and the new book of 40 walks in the Lee valley can be obtained by contacting their information service on 01992 702 200 or info@leevalleypark.org.uk