We visited the Lee Valley Regional Park recently to explore the extensive wetland habitats which have developed on and around a series of former gravel workings.
Designated for their biological interest both nationally (Turnford and Cheshunt Pits SSSI) and internationally (Lee Valley SPA and RAMSAR site) the flooded pits combine open water, with islands, extensive shorelines and associated areas of marsh, grassland, ruderal herbs, scrub and woodland.
The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority was established via an Act of Parliament in 1966 in response to an increasing demand for urban development and a scarcity of land for recreation and leisure in Greater London, Essex and Hertfordshire.
In addition to laying out the park for the purposes of sport and entertainment, it also included provision for the winning, working, removal or carrying away of sand, gravel and other material.
Fast forward almost 60 years and the present-day park includes a network of green spaces, natural play areas, pathways and facilities for the public.
Extending north of the M25 along the river corridor and canal, between a trainline and overhead powerlines, the area is affectionately known as the ‘green lung’ of London.
It’s a thought-provoking example of landscape change, which integrates the needs of people and nature.
There are many examples of ‘artificial habitats’ created on land previously altered by human activity and disturbance that can offer insights and inspiration for designers and developers seeking to deliver multi-functional landscapes.
