I n a major rebrand, London’s six (previously all orange) Overground lines have been given new names and new colours to reflect the identity of the neighbourhoods they run through (and make the system easier to navigate). It’s also a way to celebrate the capital’s diverse communities and histories. For those wishing to explore further, I have walked six routes using stations on each line which take in dozens of landmarks with connections to the themes, from gardens and galleries to historic houses and monuments.
The blue line (Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford) is named after a Victorian mission hospital that, from the 1980s, pioneered treatments for patients with HIV. Mildmay honours both the NHS and London’s LGBTQ+ histories. The area round Dalston Kingsland station is gloriously full of queer venues such as Dalston Superstore with its drag brunches.
A meandering loop to the hospital and back through Hackney is packed with fabulous sights. The walk: Dalston Kingsland to Hackney Central (5 miles) Kick off with a visit to Dalston Eastern Curve Garden , an oasis of flowering green in the middle of one of London’s most densely populated boroughs (free). Cross the railway and main road to explore De Beauvoir Town with its distinctive architecture, rose garden and canals.
Head down Hertford Road and turn left through the arch labelled Norway Wharf to find the Kingsland Basin, where waterlilies and nesting moorhens thrive among urban high-rises. If you didn’t .
