IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
First Avenue, LONDON, E13 8AP

By the 1850s the River Thames in Central London was a vast open sewer and “The Great Stink” of 1855 brought matters to a head. The smell was so strong that curtains soaked in calcium chloride had to be hung over the windows of the Houses of Parliament facing the river. The Government finally acknowledged the problem and established the Metropolitan Board of Works. Their first task was the provision of a proper sewerage and drainage system. The Northern and Southern Outfall Sewers were constructed between 1860 and 1865, the former carrying sewage from northern London to the Northern Outfall Works at Beckton. The Greenway has been opened up on top as a footway and cycle track and runs all the way from Victoria Park to Beckton. The Capital Ring follows most of it. Here it is seen from Balaam Street.

The Greenway provides a traffic-free walking and cycling route for a few miles through one of the most densely populated areas of east London. It runs from the Old Ford to Becton, over the top of the Northern Outfall Sewer. The many road crossings are protected with lights and are gated to prevent motorised access. Here Greenway crosses Balaam Street, Plaistow.

Former Grade II listed public house on the junction of London Road (on the left) and Chesterton Road. See http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-479937-the-earl-of-derby-public-house-greater-l for more details about the listed building.