WaterWorks Centre
nature reserve and field
& Middlesex Filter Beds

WaterWorks Centre & Middlesex Filter Beds, Lammas Road (off Lea Bridge Road), Leyton, London E10 7QB

WaterWorks Centre nature reserve opening times

Winter: 08:00 - 16:00

Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: 08:00 - 15:00

Christmas Day : Closed

Summer: 08:00 - 18:30

Middlesex Filter Beds

Never sleeps, open 24 hours a day

Come and explore these amazing open spaces and natures reserves in the capital

info@leevalleypark.org.uk

03000 030 610

Check the latest visitor information >

Facilities

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How to get here

You can plan your journey to the site using Google maps – click on the site in the map to discover more.

We’re within London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone. Find out more about ULEZ >

WaterWorks Centre opening times

Currently closed

Car park opening times

April: 08:00 - 19:30

May: 08:00 - 20:30

June - August - 08:00 - 21:00

September: 08:00 - 20:30

October: 08:00 - 19:30

November - February: 08:00 - 17:30

Things nearby

Cycling

Cycling in the park or battling the track at Lee Valley VeloPark, test your skills

Walking and running

There's lots of different routes you can take when exploring the park - pick yours today

Lee Valley Ice Centre

Head down to the coolest place in town and take to the rink, pump some iron or just chill out

View over the marshes with two people walking in a field

Walthamstow Marshes

Discover the different wildlife and habitats in the capital in this wonderful open space

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

A hub of culture, art, sport and nature in Stratford, east London

Wildlife watching

Lee Valley Regional Park is a haven for wildlife with different species around every corner

WaterWorks Centre

The WaterWorks Centre and Café is currently closed. The nature reserve and Waterworks Fields are still open to people adhering to the national or local restrictions when they apply.

We're reviewing the future of the WaterWorks Centre at present and it will remain closed whilst this review is carried out.

Middlesex Filter Beds

There are some exciting works taking place on Middlesex Filter Beds to rewet the beds. You can see the update here.

WaterWorks Centre nature reserve

Over 500 varieties of plants and one quarter of Britain’s butterfly species have been recorded here, so there’s so much to see when out and about on the reserve.

The WaterWorks Centre nature reserve has become a unique wildlife haven and is a fantastic area for all the family to visit, just a few miles from central London. Over 150 years ago, when it was known as the Essex Filter Beds, it supplied the surrounding boroughs with much needed clean water.

Today it is home to one of the largest bird hides in London offering close-up views across a series of filter beds, each with its own unique character.

View of WaterWorks pond with fish on display

WaterWorks Centre field

By 1933, the area, once part of Leyton Marshes and known asThe WaterWorks Field was being used for recreation, mainly football pitches. Lee Valley Regional Park acquired the site on 26 July 1969, and it was then converted to a pitch and putt course until 2003 when the WaterWorks Centre was built and the pitch and putt upgraded to an 18-hole, 3-par golf course, which operated until its closure in 2012. The area was used as a campsite during London 2012 Olympics and continued to provide camping during the Shell Expo at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and occasional events.

Since the closure of the golf course, infrastructure was removed and a more relaxed management of the site was adopted, there still remains a few of the bunkers around the periphery of the site which now act as basking points for insects and reptiles.

There is a small fenced off area which is used for dog agility classes at weekends and Forest Schools during the week.

The site links to Hackney Marshes over Friends Bridge and to Walthamstow Marshes.

Please be advised there is no swimming at this site. See more on our water safety policy here.

Bird spotted on WaterWorks nature reserve

Middlesex Filter Beds

This ten acre haven for wildlife is a short walk from the neighbouring WaterWorks Centre nature reserve.

Built by the East London WaterWorks Company in the mid 1800s they demonstrate how previously industrial areas can become valuable habitats for wildlife.

Spring

At WaterWorks Centre nature reserve, Waders on passage through the valley often drop into the site. Common and Green Sandpiper are regular visitors, whilst Wood Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit have also been seen.

The brickwork of the old bed walls at Middlesex Filter Beds provides shelter for amphibians and in spring the wetlands are home to frogs, toads and newts. The weir is a good spot for Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher, which nest along the banks.

Summer

The secluded beds at WaterWorks Centre nature reserve are a fantastic place to get up-close to birds like Pochard and Little Grebe who breed here. Sand Martin are regular summer visitors, see them feeding on insects overhead. Certain beds have been allowed to form dense scrub and are home to species such as Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, whilst Sedge and Reed Warbler nest amongst the reeds.

The site is a fantastic place for reptiles and amphibians, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a Grass Snake or Common Lizard sunning itself on a stony bank. Listen out for the distinctive call of the Edible Frog which can often be seen in the wellhead at the bird hide.

The flood relief channel adjacent to the site is an excellent place to view bats foraging for insects in the warm summer evenings.

Winter

The wetter filter beds at WaterWorks Centre nature reserve provide great up-close views of winter wildfowl including Teal and Shoveler. Snipe can be seen feeding around the muddy edges of the reeds.