Middlesex Filter Beds as an area of semi-natural habitats is a rare resource
west of the River Lea in East London. In 1852, after a Cholera outbreak and the consequent demand for cleaner, safer water, the East London WaterWorks Company constructed the six Middlesex Filter Beds in order to provide the surrounding areas with purified water. In 1969, after over 100 years in operation, the Middlesex Filter Beds had become outdated and were replaced by the new Coppermills Water Treatment Works in Walthamstow. Thames Water became responsible for the beds in 1974 but nature had already taken over and plants as well as other wildlife, had begun to colonise the abandoned site.
The Beds have been leased by the Regional Park since 1988. Each bed is managed so as to provide a variety of habitats for wildlife and include open water, reed beds and wet woodland. Altogether over 60 different species of bird have been recorded including Snipe, Reed Warblers and Sparrowhawk. The wetland areas are ideal for amphibians such as toads, frogs and newts all of which breed here. A variety of damselflies and dragonflies are also common throughout the summer months. The Beds are an important part of our industrial heritage and future plans include a possible submission for a heritage award.
The value of the Middlesex Filter Beds for wildlife is outstanding and is increased by the nearness of other important Open Spaces such as Walthamstow Marsh and the adjacent WaterWorks Nature Reserve.
There are two great pieces of artwork to be seen at the Filter Beds. Kate Malone’s ceramic ‘Magic Fish’ and the infamous ‘Nature’s Throne’ by Paula Haughney, which was made using huge granite blocks retrieved from the foundations of one of the old Engine Houses.
An MCW bid was successfully made to install a filter bed pump, this will enable the beds to be managed more effectively and help to create and maintain a more diverse area for wildlife. Work is due to commence in April 2008.
User Forum
A meeting was held in June 2008 for users of Waterworks Nature Reserve, Walthamstow Marshes and Middlesex Filter Beds, with the aim of starting a user forum. During the meeting all attendants completed a
Spaceshaper questionnaire, which measures the quality of a public space, based on the perceptions of users and those that work there – to see the report please
click here.