Jan 29: To the end of the Roding

Today I finally got to walk the Roding from Ilford to the Thames. I set off down through South Ilford, retracing part of my route from New Year’s Day. The Roding remained resolutely reclusive until south of the District Line, halfway to Barking.

There is little to be seen until just north of Barking, where a reed-filled stretch forms part of the Hertford Road flood defences. The most attractive part is the Mill Pond in Barking, where a surviving warehouse is a reminder that the Roding was once a working river.

South of Barking the Roding is still a working river, and wharves and warehouses hide it from view. Only in the final stretch, as it flows into the Thames, does it become visible again. Here it is dominated by the handsome structure of the Barking Flood Barrier. Less well known than its Thames counterpart, it is vital for the safety of this part of east London.

Today: 7 miles
2006 total: 42 miles