Olympic refurbishment is now being felt as far north at Waltham Cross where £2.6m is being spent on improving the railway station.

This is of course because of its proximity to the Olympic white water centre but it will be a lasting legacy for those on the Lea Valley Walk wanting to break off at Waltham Abbey. Work should be completed by the end of this year.

See pages 89-90

Stanstead Abbotts old church is now open on summer Sundays from 2.30pm to 5pm.

It is best approached up the toll road from Rye House.

See pages 74-75 & 80.

Myddelton House garden, a diversion off the Lea Valley Walk, is now open with no admission charge.

The grounds of the Lee Valley Park Authority have been restored following a two year Heritage Lottery Funded project. There a new visitor centre and tea room.

On election day last week the Duchess of Cornwall made a little reported visit to the garden which is famous for being looked after by a member of her family Edward Augustus Bowles.

He lived in Myddelton House from 1865 to 1954 and introduced the unusual and exotic plants. The 108 year old Wisteria flowers this month.

The gardens are open daily from 9.30am to 6pm; free.

See pages 97-98.

The death of Michael Peet, Rector of Bow, has highlighted the 700th anniversary of the church on the edge of the Lea Valley.

The church, in the middle of the road just before the Bow Flyover, was attended by George Lansbury whose funeral was held there in 1940. He will be remembered with the unveiling of plaque in the church on Saturday 7 May, just two days after the rector’s funeral.

The Bow Church 1311-2011 anniversary year the church will be open on the first Saturday of the month until November.

The 700th anniversary is being kept on Thursday 17 November.

The night before there will be a peal of bells. This is important for it is sometimes claimed that those born between the sound of Bow Church bells and St Mary-le-Bow bells in the City are cockneys. Of course those Bow Church bells could be easily heard across the River Lea before the days of heavy traffic.

Michael Peet was born at Brocket Hall in the Upper Lea Valley.

See pages 45 and 177-118.

The Lower Lea will change with Olympic improvements to the landscape but The Guardian has a disturbing report about a threat to water traffic and river residents.

The towpath between Hackney Wick and Three Mills is likely to be closed on two stretches from next Monday 21 February.

First, path resurfacing from Hackney Wick to just below Old Ford Lock will mean that a diversion will be in operation. So far there is no temporary way marking but the best route is:

Having passed under the road at Hackney Wick cross the White Post Lane road bridge to take the towpath on the far side. This leads round into the Hertford Union branch. After a few yards take the ramp and cross the bridge.

Once on the far side on Fish Island go ahead to go right into Wyke Road. Where this bears left keep ahead down Smeed Road. At the end by the peanut factory go right to find steps leading up to the the start of the Greenway.

Follow the Greenway towards to the Olympic site. On crossing the river go right down a ramp to rejoin the towpath.

(But keep ahead on the Greenway to enjoy more Olympic views and visit the View Tube Cafe.)

Second, having crossed the main road at Bow, where you also go under the flyover, it may be necessary to stay on the road and take not the first left but the second to reach Three Mills beyond Tesco. This diversion is to allow work on building a path in the tunnel under the road and save walkers from dodging traffic above.

All work should be finished by 26 June.

See pages 114 to 119.

Starting on Monday

Reading about BBC television presenter Kate Silverton recalling in The Guardian her Saturday job at Philpott’s in Waltham Abbey makes me want to go back there now.

The tea shop is in the churchyard of the ancient abbey. Apparently Kate used to bake the scones.

See page 96.

The Lee Valley Leisure Complex is heading for a relaunch as a ‘regional leisure destination’ reports publicpropertyuk.com.

The centre opened opened in 1973 as the Pickett’s Lock Centre and includes a cinema as well as a bowls hall and other facilities including the golf course.

It’s not easy to access from Pickett’s Lock so maybe a link from the Lea Valley Walk towpath could be included in new plans.

Southwark Lib Dem councillor James Barber is not happy about every household having to pay £3 a year with the council tax to maintain the Lea Valley Park -or the Lee Valley Regional Park to use the official name.

He says that it looks a lovely park from pictures for those that live near it.

But he adds: “Trouble is I’ve yet to meet anyone in Southwark who’s heard of it, let alone know where it is, can tell me its purpose, let alone realise that they are paying for it.”

This is not the time to cut the tax. Southwark residents now live very close to the Lea Valley. It takes just 9 minutes from Bermondsey to Canning Town on the Jubilee Line.

By 2012 the continuous path from the source of the River Lea near Luton will have been extended south from the Olympic Park to East India Docks via Bow Creek at Canning Town.

The Lea Valley north-south green corridor contains much of England’s history from the tomb of King Harold who died at the Battle of Hastings to the invention of the Thermos flask at Ponders End.

The park is an investment which we should all enjoy. For those who cannot walk too far there will even be a waterbus service from next year.

Olympic benefits will soon be seen.

A waterbus serving the Olympic Park will be launched by next spring says British Waterways.

Water Chariots will operate the service between Old Ford Lock and Limehouse Basin with a pick up stop at Three Mills. City Mill Lock is being restored for the Olympic Games. A new lock and water control structure is being built at Three Mills.

This will certainly benefit walkers. There are also plans to build a floating towpath to make the route more continuous.

see pages 115 to 125.