3_Hidden_Gems

Take a walk on the wild side Three hidden gems in East London

Welcome to the Lower Lee Valley

Key to Area Map

Tucked between roads, railway lines, flats, buildings and businesses are three hidden gems; East India Dock Basin, Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek Ecology Park. You can walk, cycle, pond dip or just sit and relax in these surprisingly peaceful spots. They are wonderful places to watch wildlife and life go by and are important open spaces in East London; each site has something different to offer you.

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From meadows and ponds, nationally rare salt marsh and historic sites of industry and invention this area of East London might just surprise you.

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Also located close by: Canary Wharf The Dome

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Public Transport: All three sites are easily accessible via public transport, we don’t have public parking available.

Canning Town is the nearest station to Bow Creek Ecology Park and East India Dock is the best station for Trinity Buoy Wharf and East India Dock Basin.

Local buses include, 5, 15, 69, 147 and 115, please use the site map to help you locate the sites and the walking route between them.

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London Underground – 020 7222 1234 National Rail – 08457 48 49 50 22

Are you interested in volunteering work for the Lee Valley Regional Park? Call the Volunteers Manager on 01992 709845, email proper@leevalleypark.org.uk or visit www.leevalleypark.org.uk and look in Park Information for more details

Our sites in East London are just some of the many fantastic and varied places we have in the Lee Valley Regional Park. The whole Regional Park is 26 glorious miles long and stretches from Ware in Hertfordshire, down through part of Essex to the River Thames at the East India Dock Basin. The Regional Park’s unique natural features have been shaped by a mosaic of countryside areas, urban green spaces, heritage sites, country parks, nature reserves and lake and riverside trails, plus some excellent sports and recreation centres too. If you enjoy wildlife, walking, cycling, countryside and great places to stay the Lee Valley Regional Park is the place for you!

Our map highlights some of our key sites and their locations.

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Contact us For full details please call our Information Service on 01992 702 200, visit www.leevalleypark.org.uk or email info@leevalleypark.org.uk

Three Hidden Gems Bow Creek Ecology Park Bow Creek Ecology Park (BCEP) is located about half a mile from East India Dock Basin (EIDB) and provides a tranquil place to relax in a very urban landscape.

Historical Land Use Originally Osier Beds the site became an iron works in 1846 and was operated by the Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Co until 1912. The site was also used as a coal wharf. When the Port of London Docks closed in 1981 the site was neglected until it became incorporated into the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) plans to create an ecology park along with the redevelopment of the EIDB. It was then handed over to the Lee Valley Regional Authority (LVRPA) in 1998.

Extensive site improvements have transformed this valuable resource and created a much needed accessible open space in an urban environment. BCEP provides an essential open and recreation space for both existing and planned communities in the area. It includes an outdoor classroom which is used by school and youth groups throughout the year. The site was officially opened to the public on 21st June 2006. The Park is owned and managed by the LVRPA.

Habitats and Communities The site is a bloom of flowers and buzzing insects during the summer months. Interconnecting ponds team with pond life such as Newts and Water Scorpions. The surrounding tidal river attracts flocks of waders such as Redshank when the mud is exposed.

Opening hours: During daylight

East India Dock Basin EIDB is currently the most southerly point of the Lee Valley Regional Park and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Historical Land Use The East India Dock was completed in 1806 and ships moored here for over 150 years. These ships were famed for sailing to the tropics and returning with their precious cargoes of tea, porcelain, spices, silk and saltpetre. The East India Docks finally closed in 1967 and with the closure of the Port of London Docks in 1981 the site became neglected. It was incorporated into the LDDC plans in 1986 and was converted into a bird reserve. The site was completed in 1996 and was acquired by the LVRPA in 1998. The basin now forms part of a Lee Valley Regional Park nature reserve and bird sanctuary The Basin is the only remaining part of the docks. The Dock Gates and the Blackwall Pier are Grade II listed structures and there are several mooring bollards on the site which are remnant of the docks usage.

Habitats and Communities The site is a mix of wild flower meadows, woodland scrub and nationally rare salt marsh which attract numerous butterflies and dragonflies during the summer months. The dock is a haven for many birds such as Kingfishers, Black Redstart which is a nationally rare bird, and nesting Terns. The area is also used by local people for relaxing and walking. There are fantastic views of the Dome and Canary Wharf.

Opening hours: During daylight

Trinity Buoy Wharf Trinity Buoy Wharf (TBW) has become a site for artistic and creative activities in London's Docklands area about one mile east of Canary Wharf. It provides space for artists and cultural events both long and short term.

Historical Land Use For 185 years (1803 - 1988) the land was occupied by the Corporation of Trinity House.

In 1822 the original embankment along part of the River Lea frontage was rebuilt. This riverside wall survives today and therefore represents the oldest structure at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

In 1869 the Corporation of Trinity House set up an engineering establishment at TBW to repair and test the iron buoys.

The listed Chain and Buoy Store and Experimental Lighthouse remain as two of Trinity Buoy Wharf's most imposing historical buildings. In the past the lighthouse was used by Michael Faraday, the Corporation of Trinity House's scientific advisor, to carry out a number of important optical experiments.

Today the space is used for various arts activities and events and is open on the first weekend of each month to allow visitors to view the building and the ‘Longplayer’ art and sound installation. There are also refreshments and toilets on site for visitors.

The Corporation of Trinity House closed TBW on 31st December 1988 and sold the site to the LDDC. In 1998 Urban Space Holdings Ltd took control of the site on a long lease and the wharf is now home to three ‘Container City’ projects.

Opening hours: During daylight