Middlesex Filter Beds restoration volunteers honoured with new plaque

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority unveiled a new plaque at Middlesex Filter Beds this week, dedicated to the many volunteers who helped restore the filter beds in Leyton, east London as a wetland habitat.

The brass plaque, a special thanks to the 30+ volunteers who spent thousands of hours helping prepare the filter beds for their return to a wetland resource, was unveiled by our board members Cllr Chris Kennedy and Marshall Vance.

Volunteers from local groups including Clapton Green Gym, Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers and Haggerston Gardeners as well as Lee Valley Regional Park’s regular army of supporters spent months clearing scrubland that had taken over the beds, under the guidance of the Authority’s park ranger and conservation teams, prior to their rewetting in the autumn.

Speaking at Monday’s event, Head of Project and Funding Delivery Paul Roper spoke about the loss of wetland habitats across the UK and the Authority’s commitment to reinstating this one, despite the many challenges that were faced in securing electricity to pump water into the filter beds. He added: “The volunteers played such a key role in this project that we wanted a permanent thank you at the site for their contribution.”

Ranger Services Manager Ges Hoddinott said the rewetting of Middlesex Filter Beds has enhanced biodiversity at the site off Lea Bridge Road and created habitats for a wide range of birds, amphibians and insects.

History

Built in the 1800s in response to the devastating cholera outbreaks that killed thousands, Middlesex Filter Beds cleaned London’s water and saved many lives. But as the population grew, increased demand for clean water was met by a new treatment facility, and in 1969, the filter beds were closed and abandoned.

They became a key wetland resource when they moved into the custodianship of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, but despite huge efforts to keep them filled with water, the spiralling cost due to the theft of equipment, made this difficult.

After two years of planning a bespoke secure pumping solution for maintaining the water source for the filter beds was developed by Pick Everard, which means we have successfully restored the wetlands ecosystem, that will not only benefit local wildlife but maintain the historical integrity of the site and its link to the surrounding water and environment.