The Journey of the Ching
Having lived in South Chingford on and off for most of my life, I have often thought that we treat our own river with scant respect. I was also uncertain of her full course, so I undertook in late 2017 to try to follow it. This also reminded me of some aspects of local history of the areas I travelled through.
So I decided to write this poem, to firstly highlight some of the places passed through, and their story, then secondly in the hope that it may encourage people to get out and walk in some of the areas visited. Finally, there is the hope that it may encourage local people to respect the river more, rather than perhaps treating it as a dumping ground.
On this final point, I have to pay tribute to the Love South Chingford group who are doing a wonderful job in brightening up and cleaning up South Chingford. I know some of them have leapt into the river on the supermarket section to remove shopping trolleys and other debris, and have certainly improved its appearance a lot in that area. More recently I have learnt of the Rewilding the Ching Brook Group, who are doing exactly what is required to clean up our little river to make it look its best. Very well done!
In this poem, I have concentrated more on the information I am trying to impart, rather than the quality of the composition.
THE JOURNEY OF THE
CHING
By Richard A Ashen April 2018
The Ching is
not a mighty river, indeed she’s rather small
being merely around 8 km in length from source to far outfall
She starts life as a dampish patch, near
pool that’s rather black
By Pear Tree Plain in Epping Forest close to the Green Ride track
the source of the Ching
Mere ditch
at first, she travels Southish with no flow
with holly as a prickly friend, so small, she needs to grow
before wide hiatus comes to view, through the thinning trees
a massive aneurysm!
but this one’s good, it’s Connaught Waters, a delight for all to see
enjoyed by everyone, a favoured spot, for over a century
Can walk all around, a new car park, ducks, geese, swans, and moorhens
and often there’s an ice cream van, it’s crowded at weekends!
She leaves at the south west corner, via grating that’s water shredding
a respectable size now, for Rangers road she’s heading.
Walkers,
bikers, riders all cross the busy road just here
while she passes demurely underneath close by
on Chingford, Essex border on other side to appear
passing under Rangers Road
Once there, path passes stables, on very slight incline.
She assumes meandering course here for first time
in valley passing under forest canopy again.
Then stays inside the trees, alongside Whitehall Plain
Crossing
Whitehall Lane, her very best section now unfolds
A few hundred metres of twist and turns , with pleasure one beholds
beloved of mountain bikers with ups and downs adjacent to her edge
Kingfishers have been seen here, but new star I will pledge
is brilliant white Little Egret, a stunning little bird.
the Ching meanders through the forest beyond Whitehall Lane
As approach
the Hatch some changes over the years
The cheers have gone but, old football
ground appears
It’s Newgate Street, in truth, no more than path or track
where Chingford Town FC used to play way
back in time,
now new arched entrance to nowhere, behind barriers green
what has happening here, something planners
had not foreseen?
Then
roundabout, where once black horseless carriage stood resplendent in front of pub thus named. Then Wheelwrights, today
modern flats replace, now just memory distant
For first time here she enters suburbia proper, Waterhall Avenue
Then small wooded meanders below Chingford Glade, before through
by beautiful Higham’s Park Lake she flows quietly by
As though not wishing to upstage the tranquil scene we espy
the Ching begins her bypass of Higham’s Park Lake
again, there’s coots aplenty, and Canada geese, and gulls and swans
A wonderful job done here to now restore bygones.
the restored southern end of Higham’s Park Lake
and all the info on the lake
Exit under Charter road, wide here, and flow on behind Gordon Ave, more speed
There’s green spaces here, bridges, allotments, as Vincent Avenue’s accompanied with a wide green sward, past play area opposite Joseph Clarke school proceeds
where wonderful work is done for visually impaired and special needs.
Cross Hale End Road, in scrub , behind Beech Hall crescent,
she now passes under Beech Hall Road, quite pleasant to River walk, under railway bridge where we see unexpected sight,
it’s Jane’s glorious barn owl mural clutching heart in splendid flight!
Jane’s Barn Owl
behind Haldan and Cavendish roads she travels out of sight
behind Haldan Road
appears again crossing under Cavendish Path soon more changes come to light
In days gone by, Stow greyhound stadium ahead we saw
when Tuesday , Thursday, and Saturday evenings we heard some mighty roar
now gone, but parts remain, tote building, white with famous letters red
rear of tote building at Stadium Place
and geyhound kennels, poignant reminder of former times. Now tastefully instead incorporated in Stadium Place developed by L & Q
former Stow greyhound stadium holding kennels at Stadium Place
a café shop, called Hugs with Mugs , where you can have a brew
Apartment groups with appropriate names, like Lingfield, Chesham, Goodwood debut
and house groups with names Norfolk, Brook, and Waltham too
How the world has changed!
In days gone
by she misbehaved on Chingford Road by
stadium’s side, with flooded stream,
but now she helps, accepts water, in revolutionary permavoid drainage scheme.
Under Chingford Road, she enters now the supermarket section
from Sainsbury’s to Morrisons, round
here we need some action.
She shares her bed with all sorts now, but really she’s not keen
romantic or sexy it is not, more fifty shades of green!
Little Egret in the Ching on the supermarket section
After Morrisons, it’s sort of purdah, her future’s now not great
as she’s lost to sight for quite a while under Chingford Hall Estate
Then under
North Circular, quietly out of sight
While up above its constant noise of traffic day and night
Reappears
with new look bestowed, opposite petrol station on Harbet Road
She’s constrained by concrete corset now, all personality repressed
it’s man’s fault that at this end her appearance is not the best
by Banbury reservoir in straight line channel for the final leg , no fun
Before emptying into river Lea, her job now finally done.
the Ching’s outflow into the river Lea
Her lifeblood at last is fully drained, maybe we should feel ashamed?
Her contents discharged to the Lea, then Thames, and finally the sea.
She deserves cleaning up, no dumping ground, she’s suffering from neglect
O Chingford people, pray treat our little river with more respect!
the way to go?
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