Visitors LOVED Lee Valley Regional Park
Date Published: 09/08/2010
Families went Wild about Wetlands
Over 9,000 visitors took part in Lee Valley Regional Park’s Love Parks Week festival from Saturday 24 July to Sunday 1 August.
The Regional Park hosted 19 events, ranging from jazz concerts in historical gardens to Horseball (just like basketball but on horseback), athletics, outdoor theatre, family nature days, a birds of prey display and much more. Each event took place within the Park’s 10,000 acres, winding 26 miles along the banks of the River Lee in Hertfordshire, down through Essex and North London to East India Dock Basin on the River Thames.
Local highlights included:
Wild about Wetlands Day
Over 700 visitors took a trip to Waltham Abbey Gardens on Tuesday 27 July for some free family fun.
The annual family wildlife event was packed with families trying their hand at pond dipping, wildlife games and quizzes, drawing competitions, wildlife themed arts and crafts and mini beast safaris.
Lee Valley Regional Park mascots, LeeVs Woody and Blossom and Petunia the Pig were particularly popular with the children, along with face painting and clay modelling.
The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and local playgroup Sure Start also provided activities on the day.
Jazz in the Garden
Myddelton House Gardens were awash with sweet music on Sunday 1 August as BBC Jazz Singer of the Year, Anthony Strong and his band entertained 180 visitors in the stunning surroundings of Myddelton House Gardens.
Throughout two 45 minute sets Anthony and his band played music from his latest CD as well as classics from Cole Porter and Sinatra while the audience relaxed, toe tapped and made the most of the warm summers evening with a picnic.
Don’t miss the next evening of outdoor entertainment in Myddelton House Gardens, Strings in the Garden. The Bloomsbury String Quartet will perform a selection of popular classic works in the beautiful surroundings of Myddelton House Gardens. Why not bring a picnic, a rug and a bottle of wine! Close to London, the gardens offer a diverse plant collection, beautiful carp lake, conservatory, rock garden and a number of historical artefacts. The Gardens are also home to a National Collection of Dyke Medal winningIris (the highest award that is given to Iris).
Ride the Park, Rivers and Olympic Venues
On Sunday 25 July, 51 keen cyclists from across the region joined Lee Valley Regional Park’s North Ranger Chris Aspin and Countryside Assistant Justin Reed to enjoy an Olympic-themed cycle ride through the Regional Park.
The 35 mile route saw the group leave Pindar Car Park, Cheshunt and travel through River Lee Country Park to the Lee Valley White Water Centre and south, on the towpath past Tottenham Marshes and Three Mills, before reaching the Thames.
After stopping for lunch the group joined the new cycle super highway to Limehouse and then cycled onto Stratford to look at the progress on Olympic Park from the View Point on the Greenway before heading back through the Regional Park to the start point.
Rivers, Heritage and Lakes Ride
The last of Lee Valley Regional Park’s summer guided cycle rides saw 39 riders join the Regional Park’s North Ranger Chris Aspin and Countryside Assistant Justin Reed for a 25 mile ride.
Starting at Pindar Car Park, Cheshunt the route continued towards Stanstead Abbotts, through River Lee Country Park and took in the historic Rye House Gatehouse.
After stopping for lunch at Stanstead Riverside, the group then tackled the steep climb of Clayton Hill, Nazeing on their journey south, popping in for refreshments at Lee Valley Park Farms, Waltham Abbey. A final loop of River Lee Country Park took the riders past the Lee Valley White Water Centre before heading back.
Commenting on the success of this year’s Love Parks Week festival, Events Manager Naomi Chant said “It’s fantastic to see people out enjoying their local spaces and facilities. This year’s festival has been our biggest yet with 19 varied events and activities and it’s a great opportunity for us to showcase the many different types of great days out that people can enjoy in the Regional Park. We hope that many will come back and enjoy the rest of the summer holidays with us”.