53-580: High Voltage was a music festival, held twice in Victoria Park, London . The event hosted artists from various strands of rock music, including classic rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. The first festival was held on 24 and 25 July 2010. The second took place on 23 and 24 July 2011. The festival was not held in 2012 to avoid clashing with the London Olympics , and it did not return in 2013. The set times for 2011 were announced on 18 July 2011. There
106-405: A bomb made a direct hit, trapping around a hundred inside and killing fifteen. Much of the park was taken to be used as part of the war effort, which much of the earth being used for allotments, military stations and barrage balloon sites, even the park railings were melted down to be re-used. More controversially, anti-aircraft activity in the park has been implicated in the crowd panic that caused
159-471: A fall of 8 feet 11 inches (2.7 m) The tail of the lock passes under Cadogan Terrace. 51°32′21″N 0°01′39″W / 51.539082°N 0.027568°W / 51.539082; -0.027568 The lower lock has a fall of 3 feet 9 inches (1.1 m). It is just 0.13 miles (0.2 km) from the junction with the River Lee. A now demolished public house, The Mitford Castle, by
212-517: A joint management board, was part of both boroughs. Since 1994 Tower Hamlets has run the park alone. In recent times, Victoria Park became noted for its open-air music festivals , often linked with a political cause. In 1978, Rock Against Racism organised a protest event against growth of far-right organisations such as the National Front . The concert was played by The Clash , Steel Pulse , X-Ray Spex , The Ruts , Sham 69 , Generation X , and
265-534: A national vote to find the public's favourite Green Flag Awarded park, beaten only by Margam Country Park in south Wales from a field of 1,448 qualifying open spaces. In 2014 Victoria Park reinstated itself as the most popular park in the UK, with over 13,000 votes in the Green Flag Peoples Choice Awards. The park also was once again rewarded both Green Flag and Green Heritage status. In August 2015 it
318-463: A pagoda was put in London's Hyde Park as an entrance to its Chinese Exhibition, and when the exhibition finished it was moved to Victoria Park's island in the west boating lake for ornamental purposes. The original architect for the park, Pennethorne, designed a bridge to the island that matched the style of the pagoda; this was never built, however, and during WW2 the pagoda suffered much damage. The pagoda
371-521: A prophet, a man who professed to be inspired by the Holy Ghost; but this prophet ended by being locked up in an asylum, where he will have to convert the doctor before he can recover his liberty. The tradition of public speaking in the park continued until well after the Second World War, and was still later reflected in politically oriented rock concerts, such as those held by Rock Against Racism and
424-504: A scene: On the big central lawn are scattered numerous groups, some of which are very closely packed. Almost all the religious sects of England and all the political and social parties are preaching their ideas and disputing [...] On this lawn the listener, as his fancy prompts him, may assist on Malthusianism , atheism, agnosticism, secularism, Calvinism , socialism , anarchism , Salvationism , Darwinism, and even, in exceptional cases, Swedenborgianism and Mormonism . I once heard there
477-617: Is used as a concert venue and hosts many festivals each year. The park is approximately a mile away from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park . Owing to its proximity to the Olympic park, it became a venue for the BT London Live event along with Hyde Park during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The park underwent a £12 million refurbishment in 2011 and 2012, and many of the park's old features have been reinstated or repaired. It has won
530-641: The Anti-Nazi League in the 1970s and 1980s. And it is still not uncommon for marches or demonstrations to begin or end in Victoria Park. On 26 June 2014, a campaign to revive the Speakers' Corner at Victoria Park was launched at a democratic theatre event held in Shoreditch Town Hall . Hosted by The People Speak , a participatory campaign and events group, 66 audience members deliberated over how to use
583-502: The Bethnal Green tube disaster of 1943. Some eyewitness accounts have led to the suggestion that, after several air raid alerts, the panic run for shelter was caused by a gigantic explosion of noise from the direction of the park. A BBC documentary on the event suggests that this was due to the first firing of the new Z-Battery anti-aircraft rockets. The UK Ministry of Defence, however, disputes this account. The war destroyed many of
SECTION 10
#1732852517384636-517: The Bishops of London , and was pulled down in 1845 to make way for Victoria Park. The land had originally been parkland, associated with the Bishop's Palace, but by the mid-1800s had been spoiled by the extraction of gravel, and clay for bricks. The park was opened to the public in 1845. It is reminiscent of Regent's Park , having been designed by Pennethorne's teacher John Nash , and is considered by some as
689-501: The Central line , District line , Hammersmith & City line services to Stratford , Upminster , Barking or Central London is 10min via Grove Road , you can take the 277 or 425 to Mile End which is 5min away. Cambridge Heath station for National Rail services to Liverpool Street and Enfield or Chingford is 5mins away via Bishops Way. Victoria Park had its own rather grand station Victoria Park railway station (London) , on
742-557: The Green Flag People's Choice Award for the most popular public green space in 2012, 2014 and 2015, the only park in the UK to have won the award three times. The park is Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . A mass petition to the Queen, in support of a recommendation by epidemiologist William Farr , led to the creation of the park. The UK Parliament passed
795-889: The London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It was opened in 1830 but quickly proved to be a commercial failure. It was acquired by the Regents Canal Company in 1857, and became part of the Grand Union Canal in 1927. Like its 1766 predecessor, the Limehouse Cut , the Hertford Union Canal was intended to provide a short-cut between the River Thames and the River Lee Navigation . It allowed traffic on
848-576: The North London Railway , closed in 1943. The station survived into the 1960s, but when the line to Stratford reopened, it was replaced by Hackney Wick railway station , which is also a short walk from the eastern end of the Park. The Regent's Canal borders the west side of the park, while Hertford Union Canal borders the south side of the park; this offers access to walking or cycling on their towpaths. The National Cycle Route 1 (NCR1) passes here on
901-519: The Regent's Canal . It passes along the north of Bow Wharf, redeveloped in the 1990s with shops and bars, and after Grove Road , passes south of Lakeview Estate , completed in 1958. For much of the rest of its route it is bounded on the north by Victoria Park . The canal joins the Lee Navigation just above Old Ford Lock. Many of the associated locks, bridges and other features around the canal date from
954-585: The Tom Robinson Band . The 1980 rock docudrama Rude Boy features The Clash playing at an Anti-Nazi League event in the park. London International Festival of Theatre presented pyrotechnics company Group F in 2001 and again in 2004, led by acclaimed pyrotechnician Christophe Berthonneau. In 2006 through to 2010, Paradise Gardens, a free community festival, produced by Remarkable Productions working in partnership with Tower Hamlets Council's Arts and Events department, re-imagined Victorian pleasure gardens for
1007-513: The York House and Victoria Park Act 1841 , which enabled the Crown Estate to purchases 218 acres (88 ha) which were laid out by notable London planner and architect Sir James Pennethorne between 1842 and 1846. A part of the area was known as Bonner Fields, after Bishop Bonner , the last lord of the manor of Stepney . Bonner's Hall, also known as Bonner's Palace, served as a residence of
1060-538: The 19th century and with a tradition of socialist and revolutionary agitation — and Hackney , more genteel, but heir to a legacy of religious dissent and non-conformism that led to its own brand of reformism . So there was a lot of activity at Speaker's Corners . Although any one could set up their own soapbox, the biggest crowds were usually drawn to 'star' socialist speakers such as William Morris and Annie Besant . This description by J. H. Rosney, correspondent for Harper's Magazine (February 1888) evokes
1113-518: The Hertford Union Canal. Mare Street or Mile End or Hackney Wick can easily be reached from here. The northern end of the Greenway walk/cycle path to Beckton , via Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Newham General Hospital , starts nearby on the eastern side of Victoria Park. In summer 2008, the park was voted London's best local park by Time Out magazine. In 2011 it won its first Green Flag award (which it has won every year since,) and it
SECTION 20
#17328525173841166-655: The Lea heading for the Thames to bypass the tidal, tortuous and often silted Bow Back Rivers of the Lea via a short stretch of the Regent's Canal , and provided a short-cut from the Lea to places west along the Regent's Canal. The canal was promoted by Sir George Duckett who succeeded in obtaining an act of Parliament , the Hertford Union Canal Act 1824 ( 5 Geo. 4 . c. xlvii), that gained its royal assent on 17 May 1824. The act
1219-583: The London Borough of Tower Hamlets a £4.5 million grant towards a £12 million programme of major improvements to Victoria Park. Plans included a new building, the Eastern Hub, comprising a cafe, public toilets, community rooms and adult play facilities to promote healthy living. The landscape has been restored in many places, and the Old English gardens restored to include new water features. In 1842
1272-635: The Regent's Canal losing water to it. After failed attempts to sell it in 1851, it was eventually acquired by the Regent's Canal Company and became a branch of that canal on 28 October 1857. The new owners removed the dam, and deepened and widened the channel. When the Grand Union Canal Company came into existence on 1 January 1929, it became part of that network. Today, it is maintained by the Canal & River Trust . The canal starts at Hertford Union Junction between Mile End Lock and Old Ford Lock on
1325-554: The Regent's Canal to the Lee Navigation. They are all single manual locks, and the largest craft that can use them have a length of 72 feet and a beam of 14 feet. Proceeding west to east, the locks are: This is lock No.1, and is 0.63 miles (1.0 km) from the Hertford Union Junction with the Regent's Canal. It is to the south of Victoria Park , with the tail of the lock passing beneath a cast iron footbridge accessing
1378-507: The Second World War; it was closed in 1986 and demolished in 1990. In the latter half of the 19th Century, Victoria Park became an essential amenity for the working classes of the East End . For some East End children in the 1880s, this may have been the only large stretch of uninterrupted greenery they ever encountered. Facilities like the Bathing Pond (picture right) —later superseded by
1431-475: The West Lake. Despite both being made of hay enforced with steel frames they still remain in the park and have become a prominent feature of the lake receiving their own plaques in 2015. London Buses Routes 277, 425 serve the heart of the park, 8, 339, D6, and Night Route N8 on Roman Road. 309 and D3 at London Chest Hospital via Approach Road. 388 (westbound) on Victoria Park Road. Mile End tube station for
1484-409: The canal's opening in 1830, and are designated listed structures within a scheduled monument . The locks on this canal have been collectively named Old Ford Three Locks, all lying within the district of Old Ford , but are now individually known as Hertford Union Top, Middle and Bottom locks. They are grouped together towards the north-eastern end, and descend approximately 19 feet (5.8 m) from
1537-412: The canal, initially one shilling (£0.05) per ton of goods carried. With Francis Giles appointed as engineer, the canal opened in 1830 and was for some years known as Duckett's Canal or Duckett's cut (or passage). It was not a commercial success, and within a year offers to waive the tolls were being made. For several years around the 1850s it was unnavigable, as a dam was built across it to prevent
1590-553: The eastern end. The canal towpath is open to walkers and cyclists, without permit. At its eastern end, the towpath joins the Lea Valley Walk . At Hackney Wick, the Capital Ring crosses the canal; with section 13 proceeding north-west toward Stoke Newington and section 14, south-east via The Greenway towards Beckton District Park . The towpath forms part of the "Limehouse Circuit" commencing at Limehouse Basin and utilising
1643-781: The festival in time, due to flight disruptions caused by events in Norway , so Rival Sons played a headline set in their place. Attendance over two days: around 30,000 Victoria Park, London Victoria Park (known colloquially as Vicky Park or the People's Park ) is a park in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London , England. It is the largest park in Tower Hamlets and one of London's most visited green spaces with approximately 9 million visitors every year. The park spans 86.18 hectares (213.0 acres) of open space and opened to
High Voltage Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-650: The finest park in the East End. It is bounded on two sides by canals : the Regent's Canal lies to the west, while its branch, once known as the Hertford Union Canal , runs along the southern edge of the park. There is a gate named after Edmund Bonner , and guarding the main entrance at Sewardstone Road are replica statues of the Dogs of Alcibiades , the originals of which stood here from 1912 to 2009 until vandalism led to their being removed, restored and rehoused elsewhere in
1749-464: The first Sunday in July. The Park is also the home of Tower Hamlets Football Club and Victoria Park United Football club, Tower Hamlets Cricket Club, Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets Athletics Club , which has its headquarters at St. Augustine's Hall located at the north-east corner of the Park. The club celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2006. During the summer cricket is played every evening on
1802-633: The fountain had been fenced off due to graffiti and vandalism, but along with the restoration the fences were removed, and four symmetrical mirror pools were placed around the fountain along with decorative flower beds. The area is now a public space, with many benches offering an attractive place to sit. A modern addition to the park is the Memoryscape trail, an audio trail winding through the park that visitors listen to using headphones. The trail consists of many historical facts and tidbits of information, and includes accounts from people who grew up in and around
1855-462: The modern era, before moving in 2012 to London Pleasure Gardens in Newham. Radiohead played two concerts in the park on 24–25 June 2008. Madness celebrated their 30th year with a fifth Madstock festival there on 17 July 2009. The park has also become very popular amongst dance music 's biggest names; Dutch DJ Tiësto played at Victoria Park in 2009 and again in 2010. On 24–25 July 2010, Victoria Park
1908-431: The park from Parnell Road. It has a fall of 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 m). The lock was designated a Grade II listed structure in 1990, and its bottom gates have rare cast iron balance beams. One of the adjacent cottages (No 3 Lock Cottages) is also a Grade II listed building. 51°32′17″N 0°01′47″W / 51.538056°N 0.029783°W / 51.538056; -0.029783 The middle lock has
1961-453: The park lido—would have introduced many to swimming in an era when many public baths (like that at Shacklewell ) were still simply communal washing facilities. Victoria Park's reputation as the 'People's Park' grew as it became a centre for political meetings and rallies, perhaps exceeding in importance than the more well-known Hyde Park in this regard. The park occupies much of the space between Tower Hamlets — experiencing poverty in
2014-591: The park's beautiful early features: three lodges including the Bonner Lodge were completely reduced to rubble, the palm house was shattered, St Augustine's Church collapsed in on itself and the pagoda, moorish shelter and lido were all damaged. With finances tight after the war ended, most were torn down rather than repaired. In 1986 the Greater London Council transferred responsibility for Victoria Park to London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Hackney , through
2067-605: The park's three all-weather wickets, organised by the Victoria Park Community Cricket League. The park also has a popular three-lane cricket net, free to use at all times. It was refurbished to a high standard at the end of 2005, paid for by a grant from the England and Wales Cricket Board . The park is open daily from 7:00am to dusk. In 2010 the National Lottery Big Lottery Fund awarded
2120-549: The park, with one person for example reminiscing about the prisoner of war camp in the park during World War 2. Visitors can either download the tracks from the council's website and put them on their own device, or they can get a pair of pre-loaded headphones from the hub in exchange for a small refundable deposit. As part of the 2012 Summer Olympics , the Romanian Cultural Institute commissioned artist Ernö Bartha to produce two sculptures Bird and Skyscraper in
2173-709: The park. Two pedestrian alcoves are located at the east end of the park near the Hackney Wick war memorial where they were placed in 1860. They are surviving fragments of the old London Bridge , demolished in 1831, and were part of the 1760 refurbishment of the 600-year-old bridge, by Sir Robert Taylor and George Dance the Younger . They provided protection for pedestrians on the narrow carriageway. The insignia of Bridge House Estates can be seen inside these alcoves, which have been Grade II listed since 1951. The Lido opened in 1936 and reopened in 1952 following damage during
High Voltage Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-431: The path of German Luftwaffe bombers looping north west after attacking the docks and warehouses further south in what is now Tower Hamlets , and so the park was of some strategic importance. Prisoner of war camps were erected along the north eastern edge parallel to Victoria Park Road and were used to house both Germans and Italians. An air raid shelter was built underground just inside St Marks Gate. On 15 October 1940
2279-521: The plans for his original bridge were discovered and the bridge built after over 100 years. As a finishing touch, pedalos and row boats were brought back on to the West lake, a feature which had been missing from the park for decades. The Burdett-Coutts fountain (named after the Victorian philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts) had a partial restoration of its intricate granite carvings and sculptures. In recent years
2332-522: The pooled cash revenue from their tickets, and eventually voted to recreate the well-known tradition of free speech and debate in Hyde Park in East London's Victoria Park. The campaign was to formally launch in July 2014. During the Second World War , Victoria Park was largely closed to the public and effectively became one huge Ack-Ack (anti-aircraft) site. The gun emplacements conveniently straddled
2385-421: The public in 1845. There are two cafes in the park, The Pavilion Cafe in the west and The Hub in the east. There are two playgrounds, one on either side of the park, as well as sporting facilities and a skatepark in the east. The park is home to many historic artifacts and features and has decorative gardens and wilder natural areas as well as open grass lands. It also hosts a lawn bowls club. Victoria Park
2438-406: The ramp to the canal, on Wick Road, was where Thomas Briggs – the first victim of a railway murder – was taken to die from his wounds, in July 1864 (see Hackney Wick ). 51°32′26″N 0°01′29″W / 51.540610°N 0.024636°W / 51.540610; -0.024636 The nearest London Overground stations are Cambridge Heath at the western end or Hackney Wick at
2491-531: The world, the Victoria Model Steam Boat Club, founded in the Park on 15 July 1904, is still active today and holds up to 17 of their Sunday regattas a year. The VMSB Club runs straight-running boats just as they did 100 years ago but have also progressed to radio controlled boats and hydroplanes . The first Regatta is traditionally held on Easter Sunday and the Steam Regatta is always held on
2544-456: Was again voted London's favourite park, this time in the national People's Choice Award, a UK wide competition. In 2013 Victoria Park was also certified a Green Heritage Site by English Heritage and Keep Britain Tidy, an award given in recognition of achieving the required standard in the management and interpretation of a site with local or national historic importance. In 2013 the park came second in
2597-515: Was also an Evel Knievel exhibition; a beer festival with bands playing, including The Amber Herd who headlined on the Sunday; and the Ace Café area – featuring performances from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (which was recorded and subsequently released on limited edition vinyl as The Crazy World of Arthur Brown Live at High Voltage ), Aaron Keylock, and Allegra Shock. Electric Wizard couldn't make
2650-480: Was entitled An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from the River Lee Navigation, in the parish of St. Mary Stratford Bow, in the county of Middlesex, to join the Regent's Canal at or near a Place called Old Ford Lock , in the parish of St. Matthew Bethnal Green, in the said county of Middlesex. The Act authorised Duckett to borrow up to £50,000 to fund construction, and to charge tolls for using
2703-499: Was eventually demolished in the 1950s and all but forgotten, while the water surrounding the island was filled in, shrinking the lake and making what was the island part of the park landscape. With the park's refurbishments that began in 2010 it was decided to restore the island to its former glory; the lake was extended back around the original area, the pagoda was replicated through the use of many photographs and eye-witness information and then, to complete Pennethorne's unfinished vision,
SECTION 50
#17328525173842756-411: Was revealed that the park had retained its Green Flag People's Choice Award, winning the most votes for a park in the whole of the UK. 51°32′13″N 0°02′17″W / 51.537°N 0.038°W / 51.537; -0.038 Hertford Union Canal The Hertford Union Canal or Duckett's Cut , just over 1 mile (1.6 km) long, connects the Regent's Canal to the Lee Navigation in
2809-419: Was the site of the first High Voltage Festival . Victoria Park has also hosted Field Day , The Apple Cart, Underage Festival , Lovebox Festival , and All Points East . For children, Victoria Park is host to: a One O'Clock Club for under-fives and a programme of summer activities and a children's play park including a paddling pool that runs from 1-5pm in the summer months. The oldest model boat club in
#383616