Middlesex Filter Beds
Middlesex Filter Beds is a ten acre haven for wildlife and a short walk from the WaterWorks nature reserve. Just off the Lea Bridge Road it as suffered from drying out and a new project seeks to restore the wetland site to a biodiversity hot spot once again.
History of the site
Middlesex Filter Beds were built by the East London Water Works Company in the mid 1800’s they demonstrate how previously industrial areas can become valuable habitats for wildlife.
The filter beds also boast Paula Haughney’s monumental Nature’s Throne, made from huge granite blocks salvaged from an old engine house.
With a variety of habitats the filter beds provide interesting wildlife throughout the year. The brickwork of the old bed walls provides shelter for a range of wildlife. There are good bird populations and more than 200 plant species have been recorded.
The site has suffered from vandalism and theft including the generators which kept water in the beds to create the wetland habitat. This has been detrimental to the habitat which has dried out over the last ten years.
A project is in the final stages of investigation to provide a solution to get water into the filter beds.
Proposals
The project will undertake the following:
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Reinstate the water supply to the filter beds
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Some extra tree planting around the edge of the site to protect the restored filter beds.
Funding for this project will come from Capital Reserves of the Authority and should be delivered over the winter or 2022/23.
Head of Projects and Funding Delivery Lee Valley Regional Park Authority said:
“We are delighted that we are now very near to a solution to bring water back onto the filter beds which will bring the site back to its full biodiversity potential.”
If you would like any further information or would like to comment on this project you can contact the Head of Projects on lvprojects@leevalleypark.org.uk.
Project updates
Update June 2024
We have now appointed Neilcott to complete the works on this project. The habitat works have all been completed and already some of the reed has started to regenerate. The contractors will start works on 10th June and the project should take between four and six weeks to complete.
Due to it still being in the middle of the bird breeding season the water flow and supply will be tested on installation and the full re-wetting of the filter beds will then be completed at the end of the breeding season in early August.
We will update this page when the project is complete and we will inform you when the full re-wetting will be initiated.
September 2024 update
The project is now complete. Habitat works have been undertaken and the filter beds are being re wetted. We are currently filling the beds with water and we hope to have the levels at the correct position in a couple of weeks. Some wetland wildlife such as dragonflies and wetland birds have already been recorded on the new pools being created so we are confident next summer there will be a full re colonisation of wetland species.