The Green
London Way
Walking the city's history and wildlife
New
and completely revised edition
Including
a new walk round Stratford and the Olympic site perimeter
'More
than ever now, as edgeland becomes a value to be fought over, we need the
sanity and the calm informative voice of walkers like Bob Gilbert. This is
more than an elegy, it's an inspiration: open your eyes, see what is there
and not what you are told is there.'
Iain Sinclair
The Green London Way is an alternative approach to the exploration of London. The book describes a hundred mile walk circling the capital, but, uniquely, also offers insightful histories of London's people and a commentary on its abundant local wildlife.
The walk, divided into manageable sections, each with maps by Graham Scrivener (the 'urban Wainwright'), traverses London's tow paths, woodlands and commons, examining links between local human history and the landscape on which it is founded. This updated version of the text also incorporates discussion of the rapid developments in London in the past twenty years, analysing the features which have recently changed the face of the city.
Bob Gilbert provides
a wealth of information about the plant and animal life of London, including
some surprising instances of rare species. In terms of wildlife, landscape
and history, The Green London Way is full of discoveries for any walker
or reader, and provides a new awareness of Greater London.
Bob Gilbert is a long-standing campaigner for the protection of urban
open spaces and public access. A pioneer of inner city conservation, his varied
career has also ranged from stand-up comedian to Director of Sustainability
at a London local authority. Now living with his family in the East End, he
continues to write widely on green issues and has an especial interest in
urban ecology and the wildlife of London.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
List of Maps
Sources
Introduction to the New Edition
The Green London Way: An Overview
Walk 1: Stratford to North Woolwich
Walk 2: Abbey Wood and Shooters Hill
Walk 3: Woolwich to Greenwich
Walk 4: Greenwich to Forest Hill
Walk 5: Forest Hill to Crystal Palace
Walk 6: Crystal Palace to Balham
Walk 7: Balham to Wimbledon
Walk 8: Wimbledon to Richmond
Walk 9: Richmond to Kew Bridge
Walk 10: Kew Bridge to Hanwell
Walk 11: Hanwell to Greenford
Walk 12: Greenford to South Kenton
Walk 13: South Kenton to Brent Cross
Walk 14: Brent Cross to Hampstead
Walk 15: Hampstead to Finsbury Park
Walk 16: Finsbury Park to Clapton
Walk 17: Clapton to Victoria Park
Walk 18: Victoria Park to Stratford
Index
Review of The Green London Way:
‘full of discoveries that will enchant any walker or reader. And by actually walking the Green London Way, I left the capital with a whole new awareness of Greater London’
John Every, Resurgence
Visit The Green London Way website
Paperback, 217pp, All rights L&W
ISBN: 9781907103452
Publications date: March 2012