Chestnuts

London Fields is characterised by its magnificent planes - the galleons of the Fields. But there is a superb series of Chestnuts that form the north border of the park, along Richmond Road. Conker creating, luscious leaved beauties, they are a nice contrast to the series of plane avenues, and are somehow less well-known as there is no peripheral path on the north side, inside the gates. The people who benefit most are those who use the picnic tables and benches in the north field. To use those it is neccessary to haves some sort of dependency issue - a user or addict. I call them the users' benches - fair dos. They start early and get a whole day in, watched over by the benign Chestnut presences.

Plane Trees are Galleons

The gnarled plane trees are galleons, the tall ships of the park. These are London Field's beauties. An Armada of Planes, laid out in rows, defining the haphazard shape of the Fields. London Fields always seems larger than it really is, because you never quite know where you are, the trapezoidal shape is hard to hold in your mind, and you always get unexpected sight-lines, with usually one going off into some unknown zone. The fact that no main roads really border the park helps with its useful dislocation, it means it is quiet, always, and impervious to total comprehension. No-one quite knows exactly where London Fields is. Try to say London Fields with the emphasis on the first word. Funny uhn? Here is a Plane Tree, a plain symbol of London, settling in to its summer foliage.