Star of the East
From stylish new hotels to cultural treasures, Victoria Prever finds more reasons to head to Stratford
Stratford has changed. The regeneration that exploded in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics has continued to alter this part of east London beyond all recognition from its roots. So if you’re spending some time in the E20 postcode, there’s plenty to do, including these four favourites to get you started.
OLYMPIC PARK
Pick up a tour of the stadium (on non-match days) to find out where much of the 2012 Olympics action took place, and where West Ham’s footballers currently kick the ball around.
Expert Park Champion volunteer guides offer walking tours of the whole Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. You can hear its full story, from conception to creation, the Park’s use during the 2012 Games and transformation into a local community park. There’s also the history of the area, parklands and wildlife, biodiversity and sustainability, artworks, continuing legacy transformation and the worldclass sporting venues.
From Easter to the end of September, you can also tour the park via boat — either on a boat tour or hop into your own swan pedalo or canoe. If you fancy being in the water rather than on it, pop into the London Aquatics Centre to do a few lengths of the pool.
Or if you have little ones in tow, the Tumbling Bay playground is a great place for them to let off steam. It features rock pools, sand pits, tall treehouses, and wobbly bridges, as well as slides, swings and plenty of space to run about. When they’ve worn you out, head over to the Timber Lodge café, serving a range of fresh, homecooked food and drink. queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk
ARCELOR MITTAL SLIDE
For unbeatable views — and a thrill seeker’s dream — head for the Arcelor Mittal Orbit. The huge red structure (built for the Olympics) is London’s tallest sculpture at 114.5m high. Take the lift to the upper viewing platform, which is 80m high, and enjoy some fantastic views of London — up to 20 miles on a clear day.
The brave can ride on specially designed mats down the slide — the tallest and longest tunnel slide at 178m long and 76m high — at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. The truly fearless may even choose to leap off the top and abseil. It’s the UK’s highest freefall abseil — which means there is no wall to bounce against.
Even if you do choose the fast route down, head back up in the high-speed lift for a proper goggle at London and make sure you walk down the steel staircase to enjoy a backdrop of London sites.
The price of a drop (from £85) includes a full safety briefing. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am. Pre-booking advised. arcelormittalorbit.com
DISCOVER CHILDREN’S STORY CENTRE
Encourage little ones to lose themselves in books with a visit to the
Discover Children’s Story Centre. The attraction is in walking distance of Stratford’s tube station and includes two floors of magical story worlds and a story garden — all of which are immersive, exploratory play spaces where kids aged from young babies up to age 11 can let their imaginations roam.
The session cost of £7.50 allows two hours of play and once inside you can also book an extra session — which may be a visit to one of the special exhibitions (currently Fairy Tales, for 0–8 year olds, running until February 2022) or the regular story-telling sessions. discover.org.uk
THE INTERNATIONAL QUARTER LONDON (IQL)
IQL is a buzzing centre for arts, food and shopping. Sitting north and south of mammoth shopping centre, Westfield Stratford City, the business district is a hive of activity. There are plenty of green spaces to wander in as well as a string of independent shops, galleries and theatres.
The ‘mobile’ orchard (in planters) is a place to sit and think, while the Hot House is packed with interesting plants — as well as a reminder that in 30 years our climate could become its own hothouse. It’s worth making a pit stop at the three storey, alpine-style, architecturally-interesting Haugen too; a D&D-owned café, bar and restaurant.
Tempting year-round, the terraces are currently dressed up with fairy lights, pine trees and cosy rugs to keep you warm while you enjoy a cocktail or coffee and admire the views.
The IQL looks set to become a cultural centre too, with plans underway to locate university campuses and eastern branches of Sadler’s Wells, the V&A and BBC music studios here in the not-too-distant future, as part of the East Bank sector. internationalquarter.london