Highams Park to Snaresbrook

I had heard that the façade of the Walthamstow Stadium, the old greyhound track, had been restored. Possibly one of the most photographed clock in London outside of the usual tourist attractions, it was a visit I had to make.

The nearest station is Highams Park. Which, as luck would have it, has a clock right next door.

This is one of the Millennium clocks installed by Waltham Forest council - we will come across another one later.

Crossing the Greenwich Meridian, we move west towards the stadium itself. Unfortunately this now forms the pretty façade to what probably will become a boring mass of flats, shops and offices. But at least the greyhound and its clock are still there.

You can see the clock and the lettering beneath is wired to light up at night. Not sure if this aspect still works or is still used, but it will be worth another visit if it is.

 

South now along Fulbourne Road, until we come to Cedar Wood House, home of Waltham Forest Council housing department. This rather unassuming but rather pleasing building is adorned by a timepiece which nicely fits in with the overall design.

 

I would like to give credit to the council, but a little bit of research shows that these were originally offices for ASEA, a locally-base engineering company.

Continuing south, we move into Wood Street. And opposite the library is another Millennium Clock.

If you have been following this blog for a while you might be thinking, hang on, I recognise that. And indeed, the same clock was featured in my posting "Walthamstow" of 24 June 2012. This is not a deliberate attempt to squeeze more out of the same clocks, more a case of not recognising I had reached the same place of an unfamiliar part of London by a different direction.

Definitely in new territory for me, this is one of the entrances to Wood Street indoor market.

Just down the road is the Thames Roofing and Building Supplies yard by Wood Street station.

I thought that Whipps Cross hospital might yield a nice clock tower, but it was not to be. My disappointed was soon overcome, though, by this boathouse by the lake opposite, part of Epping Forest.

And so after a nice long walk, it was time to catch the Underground at Snaresbrook station.

Hornsey, Crouch End and Finsbury Park

Today's post is entitled Hornsey, Crouch End and Finsbury Park because it takes in a walk starting at Hornsey, passes through Crouch End and finishes at Finsbury Park, the first and last points being the eponymous railway stations. See, coming up with titles is easy.

Leaving the unimpressive edifice which is Hornsey station, our first clock is spotted on St Mary's Tower.

I often seen this church tower as it is clearly visible from the East Coast Main Line, and I have always assumed that it was clock-less. But this cunning church has arranged it so that the dials are only on the sides which face away from the railway (obviously assuming that the trains would always be running to time).

This is the west facing dial:

 

And here's the east facing one:

The tower is all that remains of the building that originates from the1500's. A new church, ironically now demolished, was built in 1868.

Another church now - this time Holy Innocents on the corner of Tottenham Lane and Rokesley Avenue.

 

The white line, by the way, is not some laser defence system installed in the tower nor the ingress of a divine presence, but merely an aircraft contrail.

Holy Innocents was built in 1876-77.

The main purpose behind this trip was to see the Crouch End clock tower. So here it is.

The tower was built in 1895, and is dedicated to Henry Reader Williams, a local politician and benefactor.

 

The tower has several interesting features, including some nice old road signs:

.....a bust of HR Williams

(by Alfred Gilbert, whose most famous work is 'Eros' in Piccadilly Circus)

....a weather vane:

.....and a drinking fountain:

This estate agents is on the corner of Stroud Green Road and Tollington Park.

And finally to the small bus station by Finsbury Park station: