East London Food & Culture

Why I love Wanstead Flats in winter

The stretched-out sky gives my mind some space before the onslaught of screens begins, says Tim Sowula

The Flats at sunrise. Photo: Tim Sowula
The Flats at sunrise. Photo: Tim Sowula
Getting out to work in the morning is hard for most of us. Even harder when that involves little children. And a real hassle on a freezing morning when we have to find hats, gloves, scarves that are not only much smaller than ours but likely to have been left in random locations (kitchen bin, behind the sofa, in the washing machine). Just shutting the door, keys in hand, feels like a significant achievement.

Yet I consider myself extremely lucky to have the perfect antidote, thanks to the nursery run – which at this time of year takes place as the sun rises over the frost-covered grass – across the historic Wanstead Flats.

Half the size of Hampstead Heath, the flats are a treasure trove, containing, on any given day, ancient oaks, scrubland, skylarks, grounded kites, dogs, historic planted avenues, the next generation of premiership footballers, and the remains of a stately home that more than rival north London’s famous Kenwood House.

What else? Cattle grazed in its enclosures until 1996, and military troops (both English and German) have camped there. In the summer you’d think it might sink under the weight of blackberries.

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And best of all, quite literally pancake flat, this slice of countryside allows for a great big view under a stretched-out London sky, giving my mind a bit of space – before I squeeze it back into the daily minutiae of screens and small print.

Follow Tim on Twitter @timsowula

What do you love about the Flats?

7 thoughts on “Why I love Wanstead Flats in winter”

  1. One thing I love about the Flats are that people from 3 different boroughs and neighbourhoods feel a sense of it being theirs, with diffefent views from each. Although under a 4th boroughs control – the City

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7 thoughts on “Why I love Wanstead Flats in winter”

  1. One thing I love about the Flats are that people from 3 different boroughs and neighbourhoods feel a sense of it being theirs, with diffefent views from each. Although under a 4th boroughs control – the City

Leave a Comment