Waltham Abbey GardensAbbey View, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 1XD

Fishers Green & Lee Valley Park Farms Stubbins Hall Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 2EF

Broxbourne Old Mill & MeadowsMill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 6LX

Open spaces and sporting places

Open spaces and sporting places

Open spaces and sporting places

Stretching between Waltham Abbey in Essex and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire this 1,000 acre park has been transformed from old gravel pits to an inspiring country park for all the family to enjoy.

This unique patchwork of lakes, waterways, green open spaces and countryside areas all teem with wildlife and much of the area has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

On a walk through the beautiful country park you can see Lee Valley White Water Centre, host venue for the London 2012 Olympic Canoe Slalom events, and open for you to enjoy until 30 September 2011. Not far from this centre there’ll even be a Disc Golf site for you to try (coming summer 2011).

There are four main access points and car parks for the Country Park.

Situated centrally within the country park and easily accessible by car or train, this is a great place from which to start exploring River Lee Country Park. Four way-marked trails start from Pindar car park, guiding you to discover orchids, grasshoppers and water-lillies or what lurks around Bowyers Water. A fifth trail from Cheshunt Country Walk focuses on waterbirds.

Alternatively you can find your own route among the large network of surfaced paths, you may even come across our Poetry Trail near Bowyers Water or our Dog Agility Course just north of Cheshunt Country Walk car park. The open spaces make it an inviting place to enjoy a picnic on nearby benches or play a ball game on the short grass areas next to both car parks.

For a more active day out why not test your map skills on our orienteering course, maps are available from YHA Lee Valley and the Information Service. Refreshments are available and the YHA Lee Valley offers a great base if you want to extend your stay. Next door, the Herts Young Mariners Base offers courses and activities in a range of outdoor pursuits including water sports, caving and climbing.

Waltham Abbey Gardens offers relaxing surroundings rich in history. It’s the reputed burial site of King Harold, after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and contains the remains of one of the largest Augustinian Abbeys in the country. Information panels around the site tell you more about the surviving architecture and the tranquil rose gardens and orchard offer a peaceful retreat.

Adjacent to the site is the historic market town where you’ll find shops, places to eat and public toilets as well as the church which dates back to the 12th century.

A walkway links from the gardens to Cornmill Meadows Dragonfly Sanctuary. Laced with pools, ditches and ponds on one side of the river and a matured tree nursery on the other, the site supports over half of Britain’s native species of dragonfly, a way-marked trail leads you around the site. The waterbodies also attract large numbers of birds which can be viewed from the Wake Hide.

The Greenwich Meridian Line runs through the site, watch out for the markers as you explore.

Fishers Green is the ideal starting point for anyone wanting to discover the wildlife of River Lee Country Park. A number of bird hides are in easy walking distance of the car park affording picturesque views of a variety of habitats including lakes, wader scrapes and farmland. The Bittern Information Point on Seventy Acres Lake is a great place to try and spot the elusive Bittern in winter and becomes home to a large colony of Common Tern in summer. A way-marked trail around the lake tells you about the secretive Otters who live in the area and the large riverside picnic site is the ideal place to sit and unwind.

Adjacent to Fishers Green is Lee Valley Park Farms (seasonal opening), offering visitors two fantastic experiences. You can go from petting our cuddly creatures and exploring play areas to seeing our dairy cows being milked. A great day out, in a welcoming safe environment, kids can enjoy the fresh air and learn cool stuff about farming and animals. The Orchard Café serves freshly prepared food throughout the day.

A surfaced path links the farms to the country park providing a range of activities for a great day out, whatever you enjoy.

Situated at the top of the country park, Broxbourne Old Mill & Meadows combines history, conservation and leisure, all within easy reach by road and rail. The Mill that used to stand on the site was first mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086, not much remains today but the mill wheel can still be seen working most weekends. Everyday there’s also refreshments provided on site. You can hire cycles between April - October (Wednesday to Sunday) and a model railway club opens their

doors to the public at weekends. If you enjoy fishing, a day ticket fishery operates during open season.

Why not head down the towpath to Silvermeade where you might be lucky enough to catch site of the shy Water Vole along one of the ditches. Or if you fancy navigating the river you can hire a boat from the nearby Lee Valley Boat Centre and with riverside chalets also available you can stay for longer to take your time to explore the area.

Pindar & Cheshunt Country Walk Windmill Lane, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire EN9 1XQ

Open spaces and sporting places

Open spaces and sporting places

Open spaces and sporting places

River Lee Country ParkAcres of fun for everyone

Our Holstein Friesian cows

Marsh Orchid

Water Vole

Rive

r Lee

Cou

ntry

Par

k

CANNING TOWN

7

8

9

10

11

12

Myddelton House Gardens (EN2)

5 Cornmill Meadows Dragonfl y Sanctuary (EN9)

Waltham Abbey Gardens (EN9)

Gunpowder Park (EN9) Lee Valley White Water Centre (EN9)

Lee Valley Campsite (E4)7

6

8 Lee Valley Athletics Centre (N9)

Lee Valley Golf Course (N9)

Lee Valley Camping & Caravan

Park (N9)

9 Tottenham Marshes (N17)

10 WaterWorks Nature Reserve &

Golf Centre (E10)

Lee Valley Riding Centre (E10)

Lee Valley Ice Centre (E10)

Walthamstow Marshes (E10)

11 Three Mills Island (E3)

12 Bow Creek Ecology Park (E16)

East India Dock Basin (E14)

3 Lee Valley Park Farms (EN9)

Fishers Green Car Park (EN9)

4 YHA Lee Valley Cheshunt (EN8)

Herts Young Mariners Base (EN8)

Where to fi nd us

1 Rye Meads Nature Reserve (SG12)

Rye House Gatehouse (EN11)

2 Lee Valley Boat Centre (EN10)

Lee Lady of Valley Mooring (EN10)

Old Mill & Meadows (EN10) Broxbourne Riverside (EN10)

London

Southern Hawker Dragonfly

Bittern

www.leevalleypark.org.uk

Free map

For more information on the Regional Park call 08456 770 600www.leevalleypark.org.ukJune 2011

River Lee Country Park

Waltham Abbey Gardens

House / Residential Area

Public House

Glasshouse / Nursery

Bird Viewing Hide

Car Park

Coach Park

Toilet

Disabled Toilet

Picnic Area

Refreshments

Lee Valley Cycle

Orienteering Course

Train Station

Angling Car Park

Take Care

Step

View Point

A large network of pathways makes it an ideal place for walkers, runners and cyclists to explore. With well surfaced pathways running throughout the country park that are suitable for wheelchair users and buggies, this green open space is ideal for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. The pathway network includes part of the Sustrans National Cycle Network – Route 1, the Lee Valley Pathway and the Lea Valley Walk.

Why not pick up a copy of our Get Active booklet, which lists 40 different routes throughout the whole of the park or our Explore guide to discover what else you can do in the Regional Park.

Broxbourne Old Mill & Meadows

Pindar & Cheshunt Country Walk

Lee Valley Park Farms

Fishers Green

Public Transport River Lee Country Park is easily accessed by train with stations at Broxbourne, Cheshunt and Waltham Cross on the London Liverpool Street to Stansted line

Traveline 08712 002 233

London Transport Travel Information 08432 221 234

Please help us look after you and the country park by:· not playing, jumping or swimming

in any of the open water spaces· not going onto the ice in

any circumstances· taking your litter home

and recycling it· keeping dogs under control

and picking up after them· being respectful of other park users· observing the byelaws of

the Regional Park.Please note that not all the pathways shown are managed by Lee Valley Regional Park.

(Start point)

(may not be open all year round)

(Permit Holders Only)P

Key to map symbols Themed trails

Orchid Discovery Trail – 2 miles (3¼km)

Grasshopper Trail - ½ mile (800m)

Water-lily Wander – 2 miles (3¼km)

Waterbirds Discovery Trail – 4 miles (6½km)

Dragonfly Discovery Trail – 2 miles (3¼km)

Otter Discovery Trail - 1¾ miles (3km)

Bowyers Water Trail – 2 miles (3¼km)

In the Country Park there are six way-marked trails. The start points are all indicated by a route marker on the map above. Why not take the time to explore the:

Shared Use Path

Other Paths

British Waterways Towpath & Lea Valley Walk