At the far end of Coppermill Lane
Many of the changes from urban to rural scenes are at ground level but this one is overhead – quite suddenly you become aware of the wide open sky above because you have left behind the busy streets and you are now heading for the countryside in the middle of East London.
You can now hear the leaves of the trees behind the fence, alternating green and copper in colour when they are in leaf, rustling. And in the water, moss and algae soak up pollutants, like sponges and along with the leaves they purify the air.
At last the road narrows into a rural lane and the transformation from town to country is complete.
Coppermill Lane is about a mile long and in days gone past people travelled along here to reach the mills by the river to grind their corn.
It is not clear if this is still Coppermill Lane – it started as an urban road and has now transformed into a rural track where there are no street name signs.
As you reach its far end it is time to choose which way to go – join the path into Walthamstow Marshes which branches off on the left, enter the Wetlands on the other side or continue along the lane. Whichever direction you settle on, you can continue your country walk for many more miles.
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