Outdoors & Nature

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Walthamstow Wetlands

Ten Victorian reservoirs beside the Lea, 211 hectares of water and reed and one of the largest urban wetlands in Europe, free.

WildlifeFree

The East London Waterworks Company dug its reservoirs on the marshes of the Lea between 1853 and 1904, and they still supply the taps of more than a million people; in October 2017 Thames Water and the Wildlife Trusts opened the whole chain to the public as a nature reserve, ten sheets of water across 211 hectares in one of the most crowded parts of the capital. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its birds: herons and cormorants nest on the islands, tufted duck and pochard winter here in their thousands, peregrines hunt over the water, and bitterns and kingfishers work the reeds. The paths run between the reservoirs with the Walthamstow marshes on one side and the towers of the city on the skyline, and the visitor centre is in the Victorian engine house on Forest Road, with a café and exhibitions on the birds and the waterworks. Entry is free.

Where
2 Forest Road, N17 9NH
Nearest station
Tottenham Hale · 7 min walk

Open daily from 9.30am; closing time changes with the season

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Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.

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