Porter's Field

The area from the ice rink to the line of Black Poplars, from the Lea to the Sustrans path, is known locally as Porter's Field. For many years now it has hosted very large public gatherings. Circuses also regard it as one of their traditional visiting grounds. It is uniquely suited for all year use because after the Second World War a lot of bomb damaged masonry was dumped there, raising the ground level and dramatically improving the drainage.

Porter's Field. The building in white is the ice rink.

The Lea Bridge Road side of the marshes is dominated by the noisy and smelly Lea Valley Ice Rink (the building in white). Besides the ice rink is the front of the riding stables (which feels like a private area, it even has its own metal entrance).

Anyone who crosses about 100 metres of scrub land between the ice rink and stables, is able to get straight on to the Lea Marshes. People play football, fly kites, have picnics, watch bats, read books and do a thousand other things there. Thanks to Liberal Councillor Bob Sullivan LVRPA plans to give control of much of this area to the subsidised horses seem to have been abandoned.

But one threat removed and another takes its place. In January 2011 the surveyors were crawling all over Porters Field because its required for the Olympics. Apparently there's going to be a huge marquee covering most of the field and a basketball court. It's only temporary but it will be there for months. And once the Olympics is over there's bound to be some pressure to retain the court.

The stables, the whole area between the Sustrans path and the Flood Relief channel is used exclusively by horsey people, though there is a narrow path under pylons.

See photo of Porters Field in the snow Feb 2012

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