Let's draw Mile End - 15 October 2022

 

Sketch by Martin Stone

[by Martin Stone and Adam Jefford]

In October we draw Mile End

Our sketchcrawl this month is based at the Art Pavilion in Mile End Park, the venue of our 'London by Urban Sketchers' 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition from 8 to 16 October  

At the heart of London’s old East End, vibrant Mile End has a wide range of sketching opportunities. The area is bounded to the west by Regent’s Canal, with its colourful houseboats, working locks and bridges alongside the award winning Mile End Park. To the east are the well-preserved Georgian terraces centred on beautiful Tredegar Square. Grove Road and its continuation Burdett Road run north to south, and feature a wide range of urban architecture and scenes.

Our sketchcrawl takes place on the penultimate day of the London by Urban Sketchers exhibition -- the perfect opportunity for an 'up close and personal' view of more than 100 drawings by Urban Sketchers, many of them for sale. 

The Art Pond and Pavilion
Photo courtesy of Visit London

Key times and meeting points

Entrance to the earth-sheltered Art Pavilion

Photo by Martin Stone

11 AM

We will meet outside the Art Pavilion, Mile End Park E3 4QY. The Pavilion is situated about seven minutes’ walk from Mile End Underground station.  

For details of the location and how to get there, see Practical Information below.

1 PM

We will meet again outside the Art Pavilion for the first throwdown.

3.30 PM

Meet at the same place for the final throwdown.

Afterwards

For those who would like to stay for a drink, a chat and maybe a sketch, the Tredegar Square area has several historic pubs. Recommended is the Morgan Arms, whose friendly staff have offered us a welcome drink and are looking forward to our visit. The Morgan Arms is at the junction of Morgan Street and Coborn Road, about seven minutes’ walk from the Art Pavilion.

The Morgan Arms
Sketch by Adam Jefford

Options for drawing

The towpath along Regent’s Canal

The towpath along the east side of Regent’s Canal features numerous houseboats, Victorian bridges, canal wildlife and a working lock. The west side comprises both Victorian and modern buildings.

Regent's Canal
Photo by Adam Jefford

Regent's Canal
Photo by Adam Jefford

Tredegar Square

A few minutes’ walk east of the Art Pavilion takes you to beautiful shady Georgian Tredegar Square, with gardens and mature trees in the centre. The square is surrounded by attractive Georgian terraces built in the 1830s and 1840s, similar to those found in Belgravia.

The Lord Tredegar Pub
Photo by Martin Stone

Mile End Park

This attractive 32-hectare linear park runs alongside Regent's Canal from Limehouse in the south up to the lower end of Victoria Park, with views across to the City of London and the towers at Canary Wharf. Designed with both people and wildlife in mind, the park is divided into zones for art, ecology, sports and children’s play, and its award winning Green Bridge serves as a 25m wide landscaped parkland crossing over Mile End Road for cyclists and pedestrians. 

View from Mile End Park
Photo by Adam Jefford

Practical Information

Facilities on site

There are numerous cafes and coffee shops around the junction of Grove Rd and Mile End Road. Recommended coffee shops along the short walk from Mile End Tube Station to the Art Pavilion are International Comrades Coffee Shop (Burdett Road) and The Coffee Room (Grove Rd). 

The Orange Room at 63 Burdett Road is a friendly Lebanese cafe/restaurant that does a good value mezze lunch.

The area is flat, with good pavements and paths throughout.

Toilets are available at the Art Pavilion and in local cafes and coffee shops. 

Regent's Canal
Photo by Adam Jefford

By public transport

Mile End Underground Station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines. Connect at Whitechapel for the Elizabeth Line.

The 25, 250, 277 and 425 buses stop in Mile End Road. For their routes, locations of bus stops and real-time bus locations, please visit the Transport for London website.

By car

There is very little car parking near Mile End Park. The local streets operate a permit system for residents. Limited parking is available at Bow Wharf, to the north of the Art Pavilion.

COVID-19 visit information

We will remain alert to national guidance about COVID-19 and its variants. Even while restrictions have been lifted, it's sensible to take all necessary precautions to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers safe throughout the event. The risk of infection for outdoor events is low, but basic guidance still applies:

· Please do not attend if you feel unwell

· Wear a face covering when you're close to others

· Give people space

· Practice good hand hygiene.  

Location Map  

Key locations of the day are shown on the map below.

The day is led by Martin Stone and Adam Jefford.

See you at Mile End!

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

Find Urban Sketchers London on social media

• Instagram    @urbansketcherslondon
• Facebook     @USKLondon
• Twitter         @UrbSketchLondon 

Join the mailing list for the Urban Sketchers London blog to receive all our latest news and events.

---

Let's draw Mile End - 15 October 2022