Having passed out of Tower Hamlets yesterday, today I'm continuing my walk along the Greenwich Meridian through Newham. Bear with me, we will eventually reach somewhere you actually recognise. [map][photos]
Greenway [51.532°N 0°W]
The Northern Outfall Sewer passes just north of Abbey Mills Pumping Station, above ground on a brick viaduct, with the Greenway permissive footpath running along the top. In 2004 a rather charming meridian marker was embedded in the tarmac, an analemmaticsundial. Stand in the right place, which varies month by month (for reasons previously explained), and your shadow will point towards the correct time. If the brass numerals around the edge look quirky that's because they were designed by children at Manor Primary School in collaboration with artist Kate Williams. Only if you wander over to read a small plaque on a nearby pillar is it mentioned that the noon line aligns perfectly with the Greenwich Meridian, and I wonder how many of those walking or cycling by have ever realised the full significance.
By coincidence this is also the point where Abbey Lane passes underneath the mighty sewer pipes. I'm reliably informed there's another meridian marker down here, a slab set in the ground, but although I've been back twice I cannot find it. I suspect it's either been removed or has been obscured by rampant vegetation... I need to come back in winter and check.
Rick Roberts Way [51.533°N 0°W]
This is a dull backroad, essentially a ratrun through a light industrial estate, and meridianly unmarked. I mention it partly because the building to the north (now vacant) is St Clements Press where The Guardian used to be printed when it was awkwardly shaped. Meanwhile across the road is the Mercedes Benz service centre which moved from the site ofthe Olympic Stadium, and whose car park now features several weary notices saying no, this is not the entrance to the Covid-19 test centre.
Channelsea Path [51.535°N 0°W]
The ChannelseaRiver once threaded north from Three Mills through almost-the-heart of Stratford, but wasn't compatible with a growing suburb so was covered over. Between the Greenway and Stratford High Street they turned it into a footpath, a meandering stripe of tarmac lined by bogstandard vegetation and with a minimal number of access points. Walking along it requires passing out of human sight for several minutes, and within shouting distance only of the back of the Jubilee line depot, so can be somewhat unnerving. The Greenwich Meridian deigns to cross at the northern end where a concrete block topped with insectlike art has been plonked in the middle of the path. The 'Channelsea Gateway' was created by the same team that installed the Greenway sundial, which makes me think its location is deliberate, but this time the accompanying plaque stays silent on the matter.
The meridian scores a direct hit on Buzz Bingo, formerly Gala Bingo, on Stratford High Street. Perhaps they could introduce a zero ball to celebrate the fact.
Stratford High Street [51.539°N 0°W]
Hurrah, an actual proper meridian marker set into the pavement. This one is located on the north side of the High Street on the bridge above the Jubilee line, specifically the southbound Jubilee line if you want to be really accurate. The slab's been slanted so that the line across the middle follows the correct alignment, and in the centre is Newham's appealingly spiky 1970s logo. Coincidentally this is a letter 'N' which adds reinforcement that the line points north, which indeed it duly does. I understand there are three such plaques across the borough, one in Abbey Lane (that I couldn't find), one here and another further north (that we'll get to tomorrow).
Meridian Square, Stratford [51.542°N 0°W]
Bullseye! An arbitrary line drawn due north from a telescope in Greenwich just happens to pass through one of London's most important transport interchanges. It lines up perfectly with the revamped pedestrian crossing at the southern end of the Stratford Bus Station. It grazes the passenger-free corner of the bus station behind the mess room and staff toilets. It crosses Great Eastern Road on the slant. It passes through newly-introduced Bus Stop P. It ducks beneath the shiny scales of The Shoal. It then runs pretty much perfectly along the row of doors at the entrance to the Stratford Centre (or possibly a few feet further back through Burger King and Subway). Purely by coincidence this shopping mall portal has become a dividing line between hemispheres... outside west, inside east.
But this is not what the nearest meridian marker says. Inexplicably a geographically incorrect line runs across the main piazza, bold as brass, on the wrong side of the supersized pedestrian crossing. Embedded alongside is a ribbed metal rectangle reading Meridian Line 0°0'0"E when in fact this is 0°0'2"W. If the meridian truly ran along this alignment it'd make sense of the piazza being called Meridian Square, as it has been since the millennium when Stratford station was upgraded. But Newham's planners appear to have made a lazy assumption, then compounded it in 2010 when the brass line was added as part of an upgrade to prepare for Westfield crowds. Thirty metres, it turns out, makes all the difference.
The meridian was previously marked by a twirly sculpture called Time Spiral, again in not quite the right place, but this was removed to Maryland ten years ago (and lost its clock faces to boot). The name 'Meridian Square' appears to have been lost more recently. It was officially used on the street signs at the entrance to the taxi drop-off serving Stratford station, but the remodelling of the bus station shifted taxis elsewhere so this particular loop of road has been sealed off. As of last month it lies behind a shield of whitewashed hoardings and will probably never see traffic again. If you'd like to complain about this action you have until Wednesday next week to apply to the High Court for a suspension order.
Bluntly, the marking of the meridian through Stratford is a mess. It is marked where it doesn't exist and it isn't marked where it does. There again, the modern GPS meridian actually runs through the 4-way atrium at the centre of the Stratford Centre, 100m to the east, so you could wonder why anyone is bothering at all.
The meridian passes through the 23-storey Unex Tower on its way into Meridian Square and through the 33-storey Legacy Tower on its way out, so I suspect that's the Greenwich Meridian laser scuppered.
• Today's 12 photos can be found here
• Tomorrow we continue from Stratford station
