Wanstead Park and Flats should have contributed a lot to the sanity of people over the interval of the pandemic.
Over the darkish days of lockdowns, a stroll within the park or throughout the Flats, as a part of day by day train, provided a welcome respite.
Many people appear to have found the realm for the primary time over this era.
Local people are notably protecting of their open house and rightly so.
The latest improbable show of bluebells in Chalet Wood drew people in from far and broad.
Not that a few years in the past the bluebells had been a reasonably effectively stored secret however with the arrival of social media, the excellent news has unfold far and broad. People have come from throughout to see the flowers, most stick with the paths and respect the realm, just a few appear to assume the foundations are for others.
Another latest success has been the fencing off of a small space of the Flats to assist defend the nesting skylarks. The inhabitants has been dwindling over latest years, so it’s hoped this additional safety will assist the birds prosper.
And there’s extra to come back with the Long Horn cattle returning to the park in August.
Three Long Horns grazed within the park for a few months final summer time, proving vastly in style with the general public. Their return is eagerly awaited.
Another improvement has been the wild flower area planted on the Flats, close to the City of London cemetery, the place the short-term morgue stood, early final yr. A becoming pure memorial to that grim interval.
The Corporation of London have plans for future developments. There is an ongoing session on biking within the park. The three choices being to maintain issues as they’re, ban biking altogether or enable biking all through the park.
I’d favour the third choice however want to see some restoration of paths, in order that cyclists and pedestrians can co-exist with out tearing up the terrain, one thing that has occurred as a result of heavier footfall over moist intervals.
There are different excellent points in want of consideration such because the the lakes within the park and a few of the entry factors.
It would even be good to see the rewilding efforts proceed, with solutions like extra wild flower areas across the brick pit space (adjoining to Aldersbrook Road between Blakehall and Park Roads) acted upon.
There is way occurring and tons to be completed however that is additionally a time to offer thanks for our improbable open areas in Wanstead and to those that have maintained them, and by extension us, over these troublesome occasions.
