Area guide to Leyton
Yelena Ford is managing director of The New Craftsmen, which sells the work of some of Britain’s finest makers. She tells Jess Denham why Leyton’s home
I’ve lived in Leyton for nearly four years. My husband and I moved here to buy a three-bedroom house with a garden. We found a fixer-upper just off Leyton High Road and have been happily doing it up since. Some friends had drifted to Leyton from Hackney, so there was a familiarity to it from the off.
BEST EATING AND DRINKING
My main haunt is a Japanese pop-up called Filly Brook on Grove Green Road, where I demolish panko-crusted cauliflower and tempura mackerel with sour plum and shiso. For sustainable coffee, I head to Perky Blenders on Leyton High Road. I t ’s family-run with a friendly atmosphere. Morny bakehouse on Francis Road does delectable takes on croissants and doughnuts. Pub-wise, there’s Heathcote & Star, also on Grove Green Road, which has a big beer garden. For a Sunday lunch, you can’t beat Lighthaus on Argall Avenue.
WHERE IWORKOUT
It’s not fancy, but I’ve been going to Fitness First for years because the people there are great. I also love long-distance running. Leyton Marsh is on our doorstep, with the Flats slightly further north, or you can run along the canal to Enfield. I also do laps of Victoria Park, which is a nice three-mile loop. Leyton Yoga on the High Road offers excellent classes, and there’s the Aquatic Centre and VeloPark at the Olympic Park, which is only a five-minute walk away.
TO COMMUNE WITH NATURE
I recently discovered the Leyton Boundary Garden on Brewster Road, where locals meet every Saturday morning to tend to fruit, veg and flowers. One of the organisers is Errol Fernandes, head of horticulture at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill.
FOR A CULTURE FIX
Host of Leyton, which used to be a car parts shop, hosts pop-ups, talks and exhibitions. It’s on the High Road and there’s a photography studio available to hire. They also rent out co-working spaces. Then there’s Patchworks, in a former furniture warehouse on Church Road, where you’ll find live music, workshops and makers markets. I love discovering that some of our own makers are based in Leyton. Sasa Works and Lola Lely are here, as is Alexander White, who we’re launching a new light with this month. To watch films, I go to Hackney Picturehouse, which is a 15-minute bus ride away. The plans for Stratford are incredible. Sadler’s Wells is moving up, as is the London College of Fashion, and the V&A is going to have an outpost there.
SCHOOLS
Primaries including Riverley and
Willow Brook which are rated outstanding by Ofsted. Good secondaries include George Mitchell, Norlington, Belmont Park and Lammas.
GROCERY SHOPPING
For some tasty morsels, head to Yardarm, an indie deli and bottle shop on Francis Road. On the same street is Marmelo Kitchen, a restaurant that pivoted to a deli during lockdown. It sells local produce and offers a catering service. If you’re into cooking, head for the High Road shops run by families from India, Albania and Poland. They stock a brilliant range of fruit and veg, and exciting ingredients from their own cultures.
GETTING AROUND
Leyton is on the Central line, so it’s easy for me to get to our gallery near Bond Street. It’s only one stop to Stratford, where you can change on to the Jubilee or catch the high speed train that gets you into King’s Cross in seven minutes.
DREAM STREET
Richmond Road. It has the Pocket Park Community Garden, a fantastic urban gardening project that reflects a sense of pride and community spirit.
SOMETHING YOU ONLY SEE IN LEYTON
The Francis Road Jumble Trail happens ever y year and brings ever yone together. Residents set up stalls in their front gardens and sell everything from jam and jumble to plants and crafts.
WHAT’S THE CATCH?
The sense of community is growing, but it’s still emergent.
IN THREE WORDS
Community-driven, eclectic, emerging.
• In celebration of London Craft Week, The New Craftsmen is running Plant Explorations, featuring Sasa Works and Lola Lely (thenewcraftsmen.com)