A Tour of East Marsh

East Marsh is part of Hackney Marshes. Like

the rest of Hackney Marshes, it is Common

Land and Metropolitan Open Space. It lies

on the east side of Hackney Marshes, on the

east bank of the Old River Lea.

Hackney Marshes were Lammas Lands.

Owners of Lammas rights could grow crops

for part of the year and the Commoners

were allowed to bring their animals on for

the rest of the year. In 1894 the Lammas

rights were purchased and the Marshes

presented to the people of Hackney for recreational use ‘in perpetuity’.

After the Second World War, rubble from buildings destroyed by bombing was dumped on

Hackney Marshes. It raised the level of the Marshes, making them less liable to flooding. The rubble can be seen along the banks of the River.

As its runs along East Marsh, the Old River Lea is tidal and appears to flow upstream

when the tide comes in. The level of the River also varies with weather conditions: water

running into the River upstream can raise its level substantially. It is not unusual for the

river to flow over its banks onto Hackney Marshes.

Sports on East Marsh.

Like the rest of the Marshes, the grassland

of East Marsh is laid out for football in the

winter, cricket and athletics in the summer

and is used by local amateurs and schools.

East Marsh is home to Hackney and

Leyton League which plays on unday

mornings.

Football on a winter Sunday morning. On

the left are ash trees along Ruckholt Road,

A12 and Canary Wharf and Docklands on

the right.

Biodiversity and East Marshes.

East Marsh provides a variety of wildlife habitats.

Grassland: gulls and starlings feed on insects and worms, wood pigeon on seeds,

butterflies on flowers, and rabbits on the grass. In the winter fieldfare and redwing are

frequent visitors. The gulls move in once the footballers leave East Marsh.

Trees, shrubs and woodland: the grassland is surrounded by a fine collection of trees,

some planted when the Marshes first came into public ownership in 1894, including three

rare mature Native black poplars.

Native Black poplars with Spitalfields

Fruit and Vegetable market behind.

Since then other trees have been

planted, including some unusual and

specimen trees. Birds such as

starlings, green woodpecker, chaffinch

and blackbird roost and nest in the

trees. The shrubs under the trees

provide cover for birds such as wrens

and dunnock and for animals such as

squirrels and fox.

The juxtaposition of these two

habitats is valuable for birds such as

song thrush and green woodpecker

which feed on grassland and shelter and nest in the mature trees.

Open Water of Old River Lea: birds which use the river are cormorant, heron, mallard,

coot, moorhen, gull, and kingfishers which nest and fish along this stretch of the Old

River Lea. In the winter the River is used by visitors such as teal, tufted duck, little grebe,

and gadwall. On December 1st 2004 over 50 teal were reported along the river.

River Bank: trees and bushes along the river bank provide shelter, and grasses and

plants along the bank provide feeding spots for the birds which nest, over-winter and migrate through the Lea Valley.

The river, river bank and wooded areas along the river are part of Lea Valley Site of

Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. This is because of its contribution to

the green corridor of the Lea Valley, which are especially important for migrating birds.

Trees of East Marsh.

There are over 300 trees on East Marsh. Of these, 121 are mature and their trunks have

a diameter of more than 20 cms or 8 inches. They are: Norway Maple (13); Acer

Negundo/ Maple leaf ash (1); Field maple (1); Prunus or cherry (5); Lime (12); Horse

chestnut (11- including one Indian horse chestnut); Hornbeam (1); Malus or apple family

(1); Pear (4); Ash (9 including common ash, single leaf ash, narrow leaf ash, Westoff

Glory and Raywood ash); Black Poplar (7); Lombardy Poplar (1); Western Balsam Poplar

(19 (including some unusual weeping Balsam Poplars); Aspen (2); Tree of Heaven (1);

Zelkova or southern beech (1); Willow (crack) (5); Alder (3) and a row of 24 ash along

Ruckholt Road. This row of mature ash is also, as far as we have been able to ascertain, unique to Hackney.

A Walk round East Marsh.

The walk starts at bridge from Hackney

Main Marsh over the Old River Lea. There

is a great view from the bridge up and

down stream. The bridge is a good place to

watch for kingfisher and other water birds.

Trees on East Marsh along the bank of the

River include the dark red Raywood ash in their autumn colours.

Walk upstream (turn left on East Marsh).

In front are a great variety of trees planted over

the over twenty years ago when the Marshes were

managed by GLC. These include:

Mulberries are now mature enough to produce

fruit. There are both white and black mulberries.

The black fruit is good to eat and especially poplar with blackbirds.

Horse chestnut with white and pink candles.

On the right of red horse chestnut is one of several Trees of Heaven. Its leaves are some

of the last trees to come out in the spring.

There are many kinds of Poplar tree on East Marsh. One unusual variety is weeping version of Western Balsam.

Here in autumn sun with, on left, horse chestnut and Raywood ash. In the summer

Raywood ash is a very intense green (photo).

Aspen. (right) In February the aspen is covered in long catkins which come out before the leaves.

The Lead Mill Stream ran along the edge of East Marsh. Now the only sign of the stream

is a sluice gate opening on to the Old River Lea. The Lead Mill stream took water from the

Lea to Temple Mills. It was once such an important stream that it was the boundary

between boroughs of Hackney and Waltham Forest.

Along northern edge of East Marsh is Spitalfields Fruit and Vegetable market, with a blue and yellow building at its centre.

In front of the long Spitalfields building is an alder tree. In winter alders keep their cones

and catkins and are a good source of food for birds.

Spitalfields market moved in 1990 from its site close to Liverpool Street to what was once

railway engineering works and sidings.

Along the Spitalfields edge of East Marsh are many mature trees.

In this photo, taken in spring and looking towards the Old River Lea, there is: white

blossom of mature pear tree, dark trunks and branches of Native Black Poplars, grey of Grey Poplars, Lighter green of hybrid black poplars and yellowy green of Norway maples.

Native Black Poplars planted in 1890s when East Marsh came into public ownership tower above Spitalfields buildings.

Black Poplars are rare trees, and have been designated as a London Flagship species by

GLA. Their buds and their leaves when they first appear are red (right)

There are fine mature pear trees along Spitalfields edge.

There are many variety of Ash including the less common, narrow leaved ash.

Its leaves, like those of its cousin,

Raywood ash, are an intense green. There are also some single leaf ash trees.

When Spitalfields site was developed, a

thick belt of shrubs and trees was planted, such as bird cherry.

The bird cherry (right), with its white

flowers, is growing under the Black Poplars.

Willows produce pussy willows in the spring.

There is now a thick layer of trees and bushes including: poplar, field maple, holly,

viburnum and dogwood. These shrubs and young trees provide shelter for birds, animals and insects.

Ruckholt Road lies to the east of East Marsh. The road and Temple Mills bridge were

enlarged in 1960s when a row of ash trees were planted along Ruckholt Road to protect

East Marsh from noise and air pollution.

Along the bank of the Old River Lea are willows and rowan trees.

Here the red of the rowan contrasts with the yellow of Norway maple in the background.

Return to the East Marsh bridge along the bank of the Old River Lea as it curves through

Hackney Marshes.

On the top of the river bank the grass grows longer allowing flowers to grow. These

include: bluebells, teasel, white campion, meadow cranesbill and knapweed.

Some of the trees down stream of the bridge are similar to those upstream- mulberry,

nothofagus or southern beech, horse chestnut, silver birch, field maple, alder, aspen, ash leaf maple, oak, poplar and hornbeam.

There are also several prunus or cherry trees.

These have beautiful blossom in

spring. The trunk of this tree with

stunning pink blossom is at a strange angle - a result of storms in 1987.

The leaves of cherry trees turn yellow and red in autumn.

There is a small cherry tree which flowers in winter.

Willow leaved pear trees have white blossom in spring, willow shaped leaves, and fruit like pears.

On East Marsh there are two varieties of nothofagus or southern beech trees. We think

these are the only southern beech trees in Hackney. Their leaves are similar to more common beech trees but their seeds differ.

There are several kinds of lime trees.

When they first appear in spring,

their leaves really are lime coloured.

Bees are attracted by the pollen in

their flowers.

Near the bridge at the end of this walk round East Marsh, is a row blackthorn and wild

plums. Their blossom is a stunning white early in the year.

East Marsh trees are under threat from an Olympics Bid.

East Marsh would be used as a coach park, connected to Main Olympic Precinct by a huge

land bridge. Creating the land bridge and entrance to coach park would mean the loss of most of the ash trees along Ruckholt Road.

Planning permission has been been given for the coach park which would cover the whole

of East Marsh in tarmac. This would mean cutting down all the trees- from 110 year old black poplars to 15 year old winter flowering cherry.

The Olympic Bid Company, London mayor and local politicians argue that the use of East

Marsh is only 'temporary'. They ignore the loss of the trees, shrubs and bushes, and the

grassland and the animals, birds and insects they support. For the trees cut down, the wildlife they support, and for people who enjoy the wildlife, the loss is permanent.

All for a few weeks of sport . . .