In search of the pond

The southern part of Pondfield Park.

After all this time it's surprising that I'm still able to find new places to run within a stone's throw from home. Scouring Google Maps I recently spotted Pondfield Park, so took the opportunity to head over and see if I could find it, and to see what was there.

After cutting across Bretons to reach Dagenham East station I headed down Dewey Road. The road itself comes to a dead end, but there is a convenient walkway that takes pedestrians through to Blackborne Road and right to a footbridge over the railway to Reede Road.

Even C3PO enjoyed the railway bridge

The park itself is split into two parts by the road, and both are fairly small. To the north there is a skate area, basketball court and large expanse of field, and to the south there is a child's play area and the fabled triangular pond. As I ran past it looked to be a little neglected - half empty and home to more bottles than fish, but the park itself is pleasantly filled with a variety of trees and has a good pathway which runs around the perimeter. As a runner it was a little oasis in a desert of urban housing so I'll probably visit again at some point.

After a lap of each section I headed back the way I'd come and finished up with a decent six miles.