Beckton parkrun

Historically the area that we now know as Beckton, East London, was known as East Ham Levels. It was for most of its history uninhabited marshland alongside the River Thames. The first development in the area came following an outbreak of cholera (1853) followed by the Great Stink (1858) in London. The city was growing and London's drains were not designed to cope with the increasingly popular 'flushing toilet'. So in 1864 the Northern Outfall Sewer was constructed. This used gravity to direct sewage from London through to Beckton where the sewage was deposited in the River Thames. This of course polluted the river, and from c.1889 the decision was made to treat the sewage before releasing it via Beckton Sewage Works. It is still in operation and the sewage works is currently the largest in the country and the 7th largest in Europe.

In 1868 the Gas Light and Coke Company began construction of a gas works on the land adjacent to the sewage works. This was built to extract gas from coal, and the plant also processed the waste products into a whole host of other products including fertilisers, dyes and creosote. The plant covered an area of around 500 acres and was given the name Beckton after the name of the company's governor Simon Adams Beck. An area to the west of the plant was developed into housing for workers and this became New Beckton. Much of the adjoining land was used as allotments for the local residents. During the Second World War, part of the marshland was used an a Prisoner of War camp. By 1949 it was the largest gas works in the world, and continued to operate until the mid-seventies when it could no longer compete with the cheaper North Sea Gas and closed down for good.

The now disused gas works was used on a few occasions as a filming set. Notably for Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, and Nineteen-Eighty-Four based on George Orwell's book. It was also used as a set for music videos including The Smiths' 'The Queen is Dead' and Oasis' 'D'you Know What I Mean?'. The next phase of Beckton's development came as part of the London Docklands project. Much of the land of the former gas works has been repurposed as large retail and business parks largely known as Gallions Reach, plus new housing has been built. Some of the gas containers are still standing.

The toxic waste material from the site was piled high and after closure this posed a health risk. The solution was to cover the huge slag pile with soil, around half a metre in depth, to seal the hazardous material inside. It is said that the soil used to achieve this came from the construction of the basement of the British Library's building over at St Pancras. In the mid-eighties the huge mountain of toxic waste (known locally as Beckton Alps) became home to a dry ski slope, and this was in operation through until the early-2000s when it closed for refurbishments, but never re-opened. Part of the site has now been designated as a site of nature conservation interest, while some parts remain closed for safety reasons.

Some of the former marshland and allotments in-between the new housing has now been developed into a series of parks in the west of Beckton and into the adjacent ward of Custom House. These open spaces consisted of King George V Playing Fields, Beckton City Farm, New Beckton Park, Beckton District Park (North) and Beckton District Park (South). Sadly Beckton City Farm closed during the Covid-19 lockdown and never re-opened, the final nail being a council vote in 2022 which confirmed its permanent closure. We were lucky enough to have visited the farm back in 2013 during our first visit to the area, which was of course the visit Beckton parkrun.

The parkrun takes place within the southern part of Beckton District Park (South) and the meeting point for the event is outside the Will Thorne Pavilion (very distinctive building with pyramid-shaped roof features). The pavilion is named after Will Thorne who was a local resident. He worked at Beckton gas works and eventually went on to become a Labour MP. He was one of the founding members of the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers (now GMB). The adjacent car park also bears his name and this is accessed from Stanstead Road. If visiting on a weekend there is no charge to park here. There is a different arrangement between Monday and Friday.

Public transport travel options to reach the venue are limited but still sufficient. The best option is to use the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and alight at Royal Albert Station which is about 600 metres away from the meeting point. If you fancy a slightly longer walk, Beckton Park DLR Station can also be used and is about 1km away. The closest mainline and underground stations are too far away to be considered as viable options. The 376 bus stops on Stansfield Road, right next to the meeting point. There is also a number 300 service and this stops a little further away. There are toilets (not open to the general public) located in the pavilion which are opened when the run director arrives.

Beckton District Park (South) is split into two by the pavilion and the car park; on one side there is an undulating section featuring wildflower meadows and woodland which is used for nature conservation. The other part contains a a small pond, a playground, and some large open grass areas which are used for sports pitches (mostly football).The parkrun takes place over a flat, two lap, anti-clockwise, multi-terrain course. The surfaces underfoot are split between grass/mud and tarmac/brick paths. The course is fine for those wishing to take part with a running buggy, although the grass sections may be a little more challenging during wetter periods. You can see the course in more detail by looking at my GPS data or in this fly-by video.

The briefings, especially the first timers one, are the most intimate and detailed you will find at any parkrun. They take place just outside the pavilion, and the start is just on the main path next to the playground. The two laps are not identical, but the differences occur towards the end of each lap. The first part of the course is on the tarmac path that runs adjacent to Stansfield Road, but this changes to grass after a couple of hundred metres when the route passes around the perimeter of the first sports fields at the far southern end of the park. The off-road theme continues as it passes through a gap in the treeline and into a second, smaller, sports field where again the route again follows its perimeter. The grass sections are very well marked with arrows and small flags. The surface underfoot changes back to tarmac upon reaching the south eastern tip of the course.

The tarmac path, which sometimes has quite a pronounced camber, leads the participants around to an out-and-back section. This takes place on a perfectly straight pathway called the Beckton Corridor. It once formed part of the railway line that ran to the original Beckton railway station which was located within the Beckton Gas Works. In total the gas works apparently contained 77 miles of track within its boundaries. It operated as both freight and passenger line until 1940 when bombing from the blitz temporarily cut the Beckton branch off from the main line. Post-war the line reopened, but only to freight trains. It closed for good in 1970.

The turnaround point is at the tall black post about halfway along the path - it has a turnaround sign on it (see photo below). The end of the out-and-back is where the two laps differ. On the first lap the course goes around the edge of the pond area, partly on a woodland-style path, before joining another path which leads back towards the pavilion.

The second lap starts by passing the playground and then rejoins the original lap. When reaching the pond at the end of the out-and-back section on the second lap, the course continues straight on and passes through the park's central avenue of trees, which is very pleasant indeed. The very last thing to do is a sharp right hand turn at the end of the avenue onto the grass where a cone-lined zig-zag takes the participants into the finish, which is outside the playground and pavilion.

Barcodes and finish tokens are scanned back outside the pavilion. As there is no cafe at this venue, but the team actually organise their own tea, coffee and water. You may even find some biscuits or cakes on the table too.

Beckton parkrun is quite famous for being one of London's smallest events and I'm pretty sure that it may even be the capital's smallest. As of April 2023, the average number of attendees was 48.5. When I first visited in November 2013 (event 76) there were 19 participants and on our second visit in April 2023 (event 502) there were 65.

The run director pointed out to me that a large percentage of the participants each week are first-timers or tourists and out of the 65 present at event number 502, 25 were first-timers (38%). So on an average week, it is safe to expect somewhere in the region of 40-70 participants. However due to the event's close proximity to the ExCel Centre, the numbers do increase on the weekend of the London Marathon (but nothing like the increase seen by their neighbour Victoria Dock parkrun (blog7t write-up)).

So with the parkrun done and dusted we would have really liked to repeat our 2013 visit to Beckton City Farm, but sadly, as I mentioned above, it has now been permanently closed. Our post-parkrun activities this time consisted of some time exploring the pond area of the park which features lots of bird boxes, wooden benches and other quirky arty things. We also managed to see the pond's resident ducks and terrapins.

We then headed over to Royal Albert Dock where we spent a good hour watching planes land and take-off from London City Airport. Our morning out in Beckton had been brilliant, and a big part of that was the fantastic welcome we received from the amazing team at Beckton parkrun. It is often said that parkrun is a family and this event just captures the essence of that perfectly. Thank you so much for having us.

Related links:

The course GPS data (29 April 2023)

The course fly-by video (29 April 2023)

The London parkrun venues (blog7t page)

The original blog7t write-up (November 2013)

Victoria Dock parkrun write-up (blog7t page)

Wimbledon Common parkrun

Wimbledon is a district in the London Borough of Merton, with a population of around 70,000 people. It was recorded as Wimbedounyng in 967 when the original settlement centered on the area that is now Wimbledon Village. The name is said to mean Wynnman's Hill. The area is most well known for its tennis championships which are the oldest and most prestigious in the world. The competition, which has been held since 1877, takes place every July and brings around half-a-million visitors into Wimbledon over its two-week duration.

Elsewhere in sports, Wimbledon Football Club enjoyed huge success in the 1980s when they went from the old English fourth division through the the old English 1st division in 4 years. They also won the FA Cup in 1986 (I saw them play at Wembley in the 1986 Charity Shield against Liverpool). Wimbledon Stadium was a greyhound racing venue, which also hosted Speedway events and Stock Car Racing. The stadium was also used for the music video for Queen's 1978 song Bicycle Race. It is also home to a couple of theatres. New Wimbledon Theatre opened in 1910 and is unique in that it is the only theatre in Britain to have a Victorian-style Turkish Bath in its basement. It has hosted performances by many well known people including Ivor Novello, Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich and, Laurel and Hardy. The second is called Polka, and it is the UK's first theatre dedicated to children. 

Wimbledon was part of the Manor of Mortlake at the time of the Domesday Book, but went on to become a manor in its own right. There have been a number of houses associated with the Manor of Wimbledon, but the first was The Old Rectory which was built in the early 1500's and over the years has been owned by King Henry VIII who gave it to Catherine Parr, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I. In more recent times it was owned by Brian May, lead guitarist in the rock band Queen. It is the oldest inhabited building in Wimbledon which, from what I can see, was last sold for £17.5 million in 2013. It is apparently the area's most expensive house.

Wimbledon also once had a palace which was said to rival the grandeur of Henry VIII's Nonsuch Palace. It stood near to The Old Rectory, but dwarfed it in size. It had large terraces with grand staircases leading up to the palace itself. It survived until around 1720 when it was demolished. The immediate area is now Wimbledon Village which I understand is the most desirable part of Wimbledon to live in. It has a quaint village feel with a selection of boutique shops. The houses, cottages, and mansions are generally valued between £2 million and £10 million.

The earliest known settlement in Wimbledon was an iron age hill fort (the second largest in London), and this was located on what is now Wimbledon Common. The location of the hill fort is marked on maps as Caesar's Camp and is located towards the south of the common, near (or within) the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club. Just to the north of the fort is Caesar's Well, this is a natural spring which is thought may have been in use since the Neolithic period. Wimbledon Common is part of a larger expanse of common land which also includes Putney Heath / Common and, further to the north, Putney Lower Common. They are managed under the joint name of Wimbledon and Putney Commons.

The common has a feature which many would not expect to see in London, a windmill. It is simply known as Wimbledon Windmill. It was constructed in c.1816. In 1864 the Lord of the Manor, Earl Spencer, attempted to gain permission to enclose the common to build a new house and grounds in one part, and to sell off another part for other developments. At the same time, the miller was evicted from the windmill as this was the site the Earl had in mind for his new manor house. The miller stripped the windmill of its working parts when he left. Fortunately permission to enclose the land was refused and the land was preserved. The windmill was repurposed as residential accommodation. It has been restored several times over the years, and became a museum in 1975.

Wimbledon and Putney Commons are one of the largest areas of common land in London and cover 1,140 acres. The commons are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation. They contain particularly important areas of bog land and mature woodland. It also provides ideal conditions for wildlife including the Stag Beetle. By far the most famous of Wimbledon Common's wildlife are the Wombles. These are furry creatures with a pointy nose that live in burrows. They are known for collecting and recycling things that the everyday folks leave behind. They are also organised, work as a team, tidy and clean.

In January 2007 Wimbledon Common became home to a free, weekly, timed, 5km event called Wimbledon Common Time Trial. In 2008 the Time Trial suffix was dropped and replaced with the much more inclusive name of parkrun, where it of course became Wimbledon Common parkrun. At the time of its inaugural the only other parkrun event in existence was the one and only Bushy parkrun (blog) (then known as Bushy Park Time Trial), so the creation of this event marked the first step in parkrun's expansion outside of its original home.

My first visit to this event was in August 2013 and I travelled by bicycle from Westminster. There are plenty of bicycle racks in the main car parking area, which is next to the windmill. However due to the large number of people using bicycles, the racks do tend to end up used to their full capacity. Driving to the event is generally discouraged as the Windmill car park can become overwhelmed (for the record, it isn't tiny. At a rough count it must be able to hold a couple of hundred vehicles). If you have to drive, there are three other official car parks on the commons, but they are a bit further away. The car park has a voluntary car park donation scheme in operation, so there is no fixed fee for parking here.

If travelling by public transport, the closest train station is Wimbledon (served by mainline rail and the District Line) but please be aware that it is almost 3 kilometres away. Other options are to use the District Line on the underground and alight at Southfields or Wimbledon Park. However neither of those actually make the walk to the common much shorter. As far as buses are concerned, the service that gets the closest to the parkrun is the 93 which runs between Putney and Sutton. There are other buses that stop a little further away, such as the 85, 265 and 969 which all stop outside Putney Vale Cemetery, which is adjacent to the common.

The parkrun meeting point is just next to the Windmill car park, and there are also toilets here which are advertised as being open from 7am. The briefings take place on the adjacent grass area and the participants then make their way over to the start area, which is a few hundred metres away. An interesting detail is that the entire parkrun appears to take place in the Putney Heath section of the commons rather than on Wimbledon Common, also this part of the commons sits within the adjacent London Borough of Wandsworth. However it does make sense to call it Wimbledon Common as Putney Heath also extends to another area across the main road and could possibly cause confusion as to the exact location.

The route takes place over two-and-a-bit anti-clockwise loops around the northern section of the commons. It is completely flat and features dirt paths underfoot, these dirt paths can turn into a real puddle and mud-fest during the winter and wetter parts of the year, so trail shoes are advisable on this course. There are also areas with protruding stones and tree roots. The course is perfectly fine for those participating with buggies. When I first visited I noted that flour was used to mark the start line and create directional arrows throughout the course, and I was pleased to see that this tradition is still alive. Please note there are no regular directional arrows or other parkrun signage at the venue. I would also note that the official course map is slightly different to the actual course.

The general landscape visible during the parkrun is mostly wooded, but there are a couple of more open heath areas visible at certain points. From the start the course heads back along the path until it reaches the briefing area where a left hand turn means the route joins the Capital Ring path which passes through the common. At the end of this path the course again turns left and follows the path which runs alongside the A219 road which is also known as Wimbledon Park Side. If visiting at wetter times of the year, this is where the first sections of proper mud are found. One of the common's many ponds can be found adjacent to this path - this one is called '7 Post Pond'. The pond was dug to extract gravel and was subsequently used to dip wooden cart wheels to swell and secure them to their rims.

Another left hand turn takes the route towards and past Wimbledon Common's largest lake. This one is called 'Kingsmere'. It is rich in wildlife including fish and features a small island (created from the spoil from dredging) which provides a safe nesting area for many of the water birds that reside here. The paths along here hold onto a lot of water so this is where most of the very large and deep puddles can be found. The course continues with another left hand turn which brings the route back round to the original start area. The lap is then repeated and the finish is found next to the original briefing area.

The course had three marshals during our 2023 visit and they were positioned at the left hand turns. I will note that two of the marshal points had been stood down by the time we went around the second lap, I'm not sure if this was a one-off or if it happens every week. So if you happen to be further back in the field, it is worth being prepared for this. As always I had recorded the GPS data of the course and also converted this into a fly-by video, so they are both available online for information.

The finish token and barcodes are scanned right next to the finish line and the post-event refreshments can be had at the Windmill Tearooms. We didn't go in to sample what they had, but they are an independent business serving tea, coffee, cakes, breakfast and some homemade food dishes that sound delicious. It has been run by the same family since 1969. There are many more areas to explore on the commons plus there are a few war memorials and loads more hidden areas to discover. However my son had made me run through every single puddle so our feet were soaked through. We didn't fancy wandering around with wet feet, so we decided to head off home. If we hadn't headed straight off, I would have liked to have popped into the Wimbledon Windmill Museum, which is free-of-charge but sadly doesn't open until 2pm on Saturdays.

The results were published later that morning and 367 people had taken part in event number 786. Attendances generally hover around the 400 mark so it was around the expected figure.

A final thank you goes to all of the volunteers that put the event on and made us feel welcome.

Related links:

GPS data of the course (15 April 2023)

Relive Course Fly-By Video (15 April 2023)

The London parkrun Venues (blog7t page)

My write-up from my first visit to Wimbledon Common parkrun (2013)

Barking parkrun

Barking is an area within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It has a population of around 50,000 people. It's name originates from the Anglo-Saxon word Berecingas, which would have initially have been linked to a settlement linked to a man called Bereca. The town's name was recorded in the Domesday book as Berchingae. The area formed part of the Manor of Barking which covered Barking, Ilford and Dagenham. For a long period. it was held by the Nunnery of Barking.

The Nunnery was based at Barking Abbey, founded in 666AD, which was one of the most important nunneries in the country. The Abbess of Barking held the title of Lord of the Manor, and had precedence over all other abbesses in the country. In its early days, the abbey was a 'double house'. So called because nuns and monks both resided here, only in separate, identical buildings. The Vikings destroyed the original building in 871AD. It was rebuilt during the 900s as a single-sex Benedictine Nunnery. William the Conqueror resided at the abbey for a short period after his coronation while the White Tower (the oldest part of the Tower of London) was being constructed.

At the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Barking Abbey was in control of 19 manors. By 1541 the abbey had been demolished, just like many others. Some of the building's lead and stone was used for repairs to Greenwich Palace, and in the construction of Henry VIII's manor house in Dartford. The Manor of Loxford sat just to the north of central Barking and was one of the manors included within the abbey's demesne. The grounds had a house called Loxford Hall, which is still standing, but is currently being repurposed as flats. Within the grounds was Loxford Water, a tributary of the River Roding. Loxford Water was dammed in 1898 to create a lake, and this now forms the northern border of Barking Council's first public park.

When it first opened in 1898, the park was called Barking Town Urban District Council Recreation Ground. It had a bandstand, gardens, bowling green and tennis courts. Over the years additional features were added such as a miniature railway, putting green, paddling pool, lido, and football pitches. Not all of these have survived to the present day. For example, the lido fell into disuse in 1988 and sat derelict for just over 20 years, before a multi-million pound redevelopment of the park saw the pool filled in and the space repurposed as a splash park. The park's name is now simplified to Barking Park, and has gained a skate park, indoor bowls club, a children's sand-based play area and a cafe. In July 2012 the park became home to Barking parkrun.

I originally visited Barking parkrun on 29 December 2012 and I remember being given such a warm welcome. I had always intended to revisit, but it wasn't until April 2023 that I finally got around to it. On my first visit I travelled by tube and alighted at Barking Station. This station is served by National Rail, London Overground and London Underground, so there are plenty of options. The park is less than a kilometre away from the station. The 5, 62, EL2 and EL3 buses all stop right outside the park.

If travelling in a vehicle, there are two car parks to choose from. The first is accessed from Longbridge Road which is the main road that passes the southern border of the park. I understand this car park is free for up-to 1 hour, but there is a fee for anything over that. The second car park is over on the eastern side of the park next to the allotments and can be accessed from South Park Road. This car park is free of charge. Should the car parks not suffice or not be available, the adjacent residential roads have restrictions Monday to Friday, but seem to allow parking at weekends. For any cyclists, there are a few cycle racks in the central part of the park (outside the toilets, and outside the splash park).

Upon entering the park from the main road, the first impressions can be that it is quite barren. However once in the central hub, the park's main features and the meeting point for the parkrun can be found. This central hub is also where the toilets are. On the day we visited in April 2023, they were already open when we reached them at 8.25am. The first-timers briefing takes place at the meeting point, followed by the full briefing at the start line, just next to the tennis courts. At 9am the parkrun gets underway. The course consists of two anti-clockwise laps, and underfoot is 100% on tarmac so road shoes will always be the type to go for. It is also nice and flat. Buggy runners and wheelchair athletes should have no problems on this course.

The lap starts by heading east away from the central hub, passing the children's play area and the splash pool on its way to the easternmost point next to the allotments, where the elevation drops ever-so-slightly as the course meanders along in a very pleasant way. At this point there's an almost-180-degree turn and the course then follows the bank of the lake for the next 700-or-so metres. The lake is home to the usual wildlife such as ducks, Canadian Geese and Swans. During the 1950s and 1960s, a converted paddle steamer called Phoenix II used to take passengers on trips around the lake. These days, the lake is still used for pleasure boating; at present there are unicorn themed pedalos available for hire.

At the end of the lake, the course effectively does another 180-degree turn and enters the formal Victorian Ornamental Garden area of the park where the elevation rises ever-so-gently. It is landscaped with various trees, plants, flower beds and meandering pathways. In 2012 45,000 new plants were planted as part of the park's refurbishment. This area also features the Men of Barking Memorial Wall. The memorial was unveiled in 1922. As the name suggests, it was put in place to mark the efforts of local people who served in the First World War. This was later updated to also include the Second World War. It is a beautiful looking memorial and well worth a visit. The bandstand is sadly no longer present in the park having been removed, possibly sometime around the 1970s (I can't find the exact year).

The final section of the lap features a pizza-slice-shaped (a circular sector?) loop of the south-western open grass area which ends with a nice stretch along the central tree-lined avenue. At the end of this avenue the first lap is done and the full lap is simply completed a second time. At the end of the second lap, the finish funnel can be entered and with that, the 5k course is complete. Barcode scanning is done right next to the finish line. I should add a special mention to the marshalling and the detailed positioning of signs and cones around the course - both done to perfection! For post-parkrun refreshments, there is of course the onsite cafe called Big Friendly Coffee which serves everything you'd expect from a park cafe. The official post-parkrun refreshments venue is the Daily Munch cafe which is just to the east of the park, on Upney Lane.

After the parkrun, we spent some more time exploring the park. We then took a walk into the town centre to see Saint Margaret's Church, where famous explorer and cartographer Captain James Cook was married in 1762, and the site of Barking Abbey plus one of its remaining gates called the Curfew Tower. Back in the park, we would have liked to have had a ride on the miniature train however, it is only open from Easter until the end of September, so we were a week early. As we were exploring, our parkrun results came through and 116 people had taken part in event number 492. This day was also a special occasion for us, as our son completed his 50th 5k parkrun, and he managed to do this before his 5th birthday. So I think that puts him in quite an exclusive club.

I had recorded the course with my Garmin and the course data can be viewed on Strava. For the record it is exactly the same as the course I ran on my first visit in December 2012. I also used that data to create a course fly-by video using the Relive app on my phone. We left after having a brilliant morning out in Barking. The team had yet again been so friendly and kind, even giving our son a mention during the briefing to highlight his milestone. I'd like to add a very special thank you to all of the volunteers and other participants for their support and hospitality.

Related Links:

GPS Course Data (1 April 2023 / Event 492)

Relive Course Fly-by Video (1 April 2023 / Event 492)

The London parkrun Venues (blog7t page)

My blog from my first visit (29 December 2012)

Barking parkrun Event 492 Report (April 2023)