WaterWorks Centre Nature Reserve & Middlesex Filter Beds — Attraction in London

A beautiful water works and nature reserve along the Lea Valley. Highly recommended. The Water Works is also well connected to the Middlesex Filter Beds, Walthamstow Marshes, Wick Woodland, Hackney Marshes, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stratford. Great expanse of fresh air, marshes and the Lea River. Please bring your family, neighbours and friends for a picnic and fun in the marshes. I enjoy watching the birds and wildfowls through the hide windows. I was surprised to encounter some railway lines in the Waterworks Centre. The railways were well constructed, and similar to the Tram Lines in Croydon today. The Waterworks Centre and all the industrial heritage are very well maintained and preserved for future generations. Credits to the team of volunteers and curators who burn the midnight oil. Highly recommended Park to visit. Eurasian Jays bury their acorns in the marshes. How do the Jays find them after a few weeks? Birds have evolved a powerful pair of feet over many generations. Watch the doves, blackbirds and Thrushes feeding upside down, on the berries. Observe the Eagle kestrel and falcon when they swoop on the small mammals. How do birds evolve such powerful...

Don't be put off by the name. 'Waterworks Centre Nature Reserve' doesn't sound very romantic, scenic or enticing, but I can assure you this is a hidden gem. You can easily access it by crossing Lea Bridge Road south of the riding school or via the footpath just north of the bridge which crosses the river Lea to Hackney marshes. It's a beautifully maintained oasis of calm. The filter beds themselves at the far end can be observed by opening up a series of hides so as not to disturb the wildlife. There are, however, quite a few areas which look very interesting but which are closed to the public because of ongoing maintenance. It would be nice to think that at some time in the future these will...

Tucked away off Lea Bridge Road, it's a lovely spot for a dog walk, outside the reserve. There's parking, at the moment, (summer), it's locked at 9pm. There is a visitor centre but it's generally closed when we get there later on. If you don't have your 4-legged friend you can go in the nature reserve, (locked earlier around 6.30). I volunteered for conservation work a few years ago, it's a wonderful place. From here you can walk to Hackney Marshes and the River Lea. There's a...