Middlesex Filter Bed Nature Reserve, Clapton, London

Ever been out in the country somewhere, and found an old ruin? A few walls, overgrown with grass and bushes. A place to wander, and wonder. This place is like that. It’s tucked away out of site behind a high wall, between waterways and other parks. You can get in through a gate in the wall along the River Lee Navigation, North of Hackney Marshes. Inside old concrete pathways lead you past mysterious stones and great round pits, now full of marsh and young trees. It looks deserted and wild, but is actually well tended as a nature habitat by local conservation volunteers. Once the source of clean water for large parts of London, it’s now a place to relax and watch life go by. If you want to, there are notices to read. There’s also a good chance you’ll see wild birds. On one visit I got to watch a heron perched over the river. Another time I was lucky enough to see a flock of long-tailed tits. These little birds announce themselves by their twittering in the bushes. Look closely and you might just be able to see them, maybe only inches away but hidden in a thicket. They have the most beautiful pink, grey, white and black plumage. There are no facilities within the reserve, but apparently there is a café and toilets nearby: see the signpost at the Southern end. Well off the beaten track, but a magical little place, that I found quite by accident.