STIG AROUND TOWN : HACKNEY MARSHES

22.08.2014

If like us, you live and work in East London, you’ve maybe had enough of current park etiquette, all BBQs and fighting for space with the neighbouring party’s boombox – then we have a suggestion: get out of the park and into the marsh.

Specifically, we’re talking about East London’s Hackney Marshes, nestled between the Olympic Park and an unremarkable train depot. It’s a massive green space (one of the largest in London), filled with scrubby bushes, hidden corners and acres of open grassland.

What we love about the Marshes really is that they are a little slice of countryside that’s not only easily accessible from the city, but actually within it. We’ll try not to all too Iain Sinclair now, but this place holds a real magic – a sense of otherworldliness and mystery that’s vast and invites constant exploration. Having an entire playing field to yourself in the day is just as fantastical as sharing the sunset-blush skies at night with a group of mates.

It’s this blend of freedom and space, magic and reality, that has seen us frequenting the marshes increasingly regularly this summer when we actually get a moment outside the studio. The Marshes are the kind of greatly underused place that exists across the globe, and one that we reckon is ripe for exploring. So get on your bike, pull on your trainers and get out there: there’s a world of open space to be discovered.