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.

Cookham

Cookham was home to the artist Stanley Spencer (1891 - 1959), and currently home to the museum named after him. So it is time for a visit.

Getting to Cookham by train involves joining the branch line at Maidenhead. Waiting for the connection gives you time to look across at the local clock tower. Although the view doesn't place it in its best light - it looks more like a watchtower in a prison from this angle. A closer inspection with more flattering photos will have to wait until another day.

Cookham is on a single track branch to Marlow, and if it wasn't for the shine of the rails you might think from this view looking north of the station that the line was disused.

 

 

The station itself is graced with a millennium clock (they seemed to be all the rage about 15 years ago, I wonder why you don't get so many now?!).

The bracket comes with a swan theme - they are big on swan upping in these parts.

Onwards to the gallery (www.stanleyspencer.org.uk). And apologies - on checking on Street View back home, it appears that I have walked right past a clock on the gable end of a nail bar near to the Kings Arms.

The churchyard of Holy Trinity is the setting for The Resurrection, Cookham of 1926, one of Stanley Spencer's most famous works. Luckily for me the church also has a clock.

It is not that uncommon to see sundials and mechanical clocks located next to each other - one assumes that the sundial came first, and then augmented by the mechanical clock which is easier to read, doesn't rely on it being a sunny day, and can be adjusted to British Summer Time.