Stage

Introduction

Directions

This is a ride around the communal and public open spaces of Hackney. It makes extensive use of Hackney's network of cycle routes.

Although you could do the whole ride in a couple of hours, it will more likely take between half a day and whole day, depending on how many short cuts you take, how many gardens you stop at and for how long. The distance varies between 8.6 and 12.9 km, depending on whether you take the optional loop to Victoria Park. (Section 2).

The ride starts and finishes at Hackney Central Station. It can also be started and finished at London Fields Station (not open on Sundays) or at Hoxton Station (see Section 4). For a longer ride, it can be combined with the Bloomsbury - Shoreditch Ride, which adds 12.7 km to the distance.

Description

Although Hackney is now engulfed by London's built-up area, 200 years ago it was on the edge of the city and ripe for development. Projects such as the de Beauvoir Estate and Albion Square were up-market developments which included communal gardens. Later development was denser, creating the need for public open spaces such as London Fields, Victoria Park and Well Street Common. More recent times have seen the creation of additional parks and gardens, such as Haggerston Park and Hackney City Farm.

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