Tottenham Marshes have
long been popular for leisure activities. In 1872, with the coming of the
railway, day trips from London became possible. On Bank Holiday Monday in
1877 20,000 day trippers travelled to Bruce Grove Station to spend the day
on the marshes and to go dancing at the Ferry Boat Inn in the evening.
Ferry Boat Inn 1886
In 1882, a group of football players formed a club, which they called Tottenham Hotspurs after Harry Hotspur who owned much of the land in Tottenham at the time. They played on the public football pitches on the Tottenham Marshes. By the end of the century, they were able to rent their own ground.
In the 1920s, Tottenham Marshes had tennis courts, miniature golf, cricket, football and an open air swimming pool fed from the river. However after the war, from 1945, the area was neglected and used for gravel extraction and as a rubbish dump.
An Act of Parliament in 1965 created the Lee Valley Park Authority whose job is to improve the Lee Valley for people and for wildlife and to provide opportunities for a range of leisure activities. In 1972, they bought Tottenham Marshes and are now, at last, improving them for people and wildlife. Artists and local schools have been involved in creating ceramic information boards and pictorial maps for the site.
Markfield Park contains
the remains of an old sewage works, including a beam engine, built in 1886,
which has been restored and is now open to the public.
back
to top
Markfield
Beam Engine Museum
The park also has mosaics about the river made by pupils from Gladesmore School
and occasional festivals with river-based activities are held there.
Volunteers work with the Lea Rivers Trust to improve the waterways environment by clearing footpaths and rubbish, planting reedbeds and creating other new habitats. They also help operate the Pride of Lea, which offers pleasure boat trips to the public.
Fishing became a leisure activity in the 17th Century and is still popular today. The Lea Valley is good for birdwatching and the towpath provides a traffic free walking and cycling route with the railway running parallel for those who want to do the return journey by train.
See local
map for further information about centres and activities
back
to top