Who we are

The New Lammas Lands Defence Committee is based in Leyton, in the north-east of London.

It exists to defend and preserve the ancient Lammas Lands of Leyton as public open space, free from enclosure, encroachment, and inappropriate use. We also aim to promote their use and enjoyment, and increase understanding of their history and significance, by such means as guided walks, historical talks and social events held on the Lammas Lands. We are the re-formation of the original Leyton Lammas Lands Defence Committee founded in 1892 to "promote the interest of the inhabitants of the Parish in the Leyton Marshes or Lammas Lands".

The Committee holds monthly meetings at the Hornbeam Environmental Centre, in Hoe Street, London E17 9AH. Membership of the committee is open to anyone who supports our aims and pays the annual subscription (currently £12/£6 concessions).

Please do join us, weather permitting, for a relaxing afternoon on Leyton Marshes on Sunday 3rd August 2008 at our annual Community Lammastide Picnic.

The New Lammas Lands Defence Committee was formed in 1993 to uphold the rights of residents of the Lower Lea Valley to access all the former Lammas Lands of the Lea Valley Marshes freely and at all times. We meet on the third Thursday of every month at the Hornbeam Environmental Centre, 458 Hoe Street, Leyton Green, E17 (near the Bakers Arms crossroads, on the corner of Bakers Avenue). We also hold 3-4 public walks around the Leyton and Walthamstow Marshes each year. Check out also the websites for Games Monitor, the Manor Gardening Society who have allotments at Marsh Lane Fields, and Lee Valley Regional Park.

This picnic commemorates the events of New Lammas Day (1st August) 1892, when hundreds of Leyton parishioners, led by the Leyton Lammas Lands Defence Committee, took up fences and tore down rails placed on the Lammas Lands of Leyton Marshes by the East London Waterworks Company. Four arrests were made, but all the accused were later discharged and compensated. There is a plaque commemorating this at the Eton Manor Athletics Club cottage. Today, more of our land has been fenced off and is also threatened by huge high-rise housing developments around its edge.

Until 1904, cattle could be turned onto the marshes after the hay crop was in, any time from Lammas Day until Lady Day (25th March), which until 1752 was the first day of the New Year in the English calendar. Each animal had to be paid for, the money being collected by the Hayward of the Manor of Walthamstow Toni, and as the price per head doubled after Lammas Day this was once a big annual occasion. The practice of Lammas Grazing on Walthamstow and Leyton Marshes, which were regarded as a Common Mead for the two parishes, dates back to pre-Saxon times.

Before the Saxons arrived, Lammas - the Celtic Mid-Summer - was celebrated as the feast of Lughnasadh, in honour of Lugh, the Sun God, and Táilltiú, mother of Earth and Goddess of Fertility. The Saxons who later settled here were Christians, called the festival "Hlaef-Maesse" or Loaf-Mass, and baked elaborate breads. Our modern-day Lammas Picnic is a revival of the traditional Harvest Ale following the summer hay-gathering.

Please bring a picnic, games to play, kites, balls, acoustic musical instruments, family and friends (children and well-behaved dogs are welcome), and join us at Marsh Lane Fields beside Marsh Lane, Leyton, E10. We may take a short walk along the Dagenham Brook to pick blackberries, a traditional Lammastide pastime.

Pictures and a report on last year's picnic are here.

The Lammas Lands Defence Committee held its World Wildlife Day Walk on February 2nd. The report is here

There is a group devoted to publicising the latest happenings around the Marsh Lane fields area, called Marsh Lane (natch). If you'd like to participate in the discussions, keep up with the latest news, and get involved with the NLLDC, subscribe by entering your email address below. When the listowner approves your membership, you'll be able to receive the list news and post to it as well.

The Manor Gardening Society

Games Monitor, who keep an eye on the 2012 Olympics.

The Planning page on the Waltham Forest website, from which the main page can be accessed and on which are links to the pages for each application.