London Parks & Gardens Trust is thrilled to welcome Tideway as a festival partner for London Open Gardens 2026. As the company behind the transformative "Super Sewer" project, Tideway is proving vital city infrastructure can also provide a lasting, green legacy for Londoners.
Discover London’s Newest Green Spaces
While the 25km tunnel quietly works 50 metres beneath the Thames, the former construction sites above ground have been transformed into brand-new public green spaces, and "micro-parks" created along the river’s edge; reclaiming land from the Thames for the first time in over a century.
Reconnecting London with the Thames
The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a feat of modern engineering. Stretching from Acton to Stratford, the 7.2m wide Thames Tideway Tunnel is designed to protect our historic river from sewage pollution.
"Since becoming fully operational in February 2025, the super sewer has already captured around 20 million tonnes of storm sewage that would have historically spilled into the River Thames."
With the river now cleaner than it has been in generations, Tideway has turned its focus to the surface. By transforming its former worksites, the project has created three acres of new public space, offering never-before-seen vistas and a renewed connection to the water.
Tideway participation in London Open Gardens
This year, LOG visitors were able to explore one of the seven new public spaces created as part of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project. This innovative "blue/green" space featuring bespoke planting, unique architecture, and permanent public art hosted special talks at 12pm and 2pm on Saturday 6 June.
Bazalgette Embankment (Blackfriars): Located west of Blackfriars Bridge this one-acre public space is the largest structure built into the Thames in 150 years. Designed for universal accessibility with level granite paving and wheelchair-integrated seating, the site transforms a once-constrained section of the Thames Path into a generous, 4-metre-wide boulevard adorned with 71 trees and diverse flora.
The space seamlessly blends modern engineering with heritage by reinstating repaired Victorian sturgeon lamps and lion-head mooring rings alongside contemporary art, including Nathan Coley’s monolithic "Stages" sculptures and a captivating water wall. Featuring poems by Dorothea Smartt on its ventilation columns and new river access via Blackfriars Pier, this world-class destination - officially inaugurated by His Majesty The King in May 2025 - offers a profound new visual and physical connection to the London waterfront.
A sustainable legacy
These spaces are more than just parks; they are "blue/green" hubs designed to manage rainwater and enhance local biodiversity. From the 3,000+ trees and shrubs planted at Blackfriars to the wildlife-friendly intertidal terraces, Tideway’s partnership with London Open Gardens celebrates a future where London is both cleaner and greener.
Come to see these riverside wonders during the London Open Gardens weekend.