Description
Lavender Pond Nature Park was created in 1981 by LB Southwark in conjunction with the Trust for Urban Ecology and Landuse Consultants Ltd. It was once in the northern part of the Surrey Commercial Docks established in 1864, which finally closed in 1969. Nearby are remnants of the earlier industrial use, the Lavender Lock built in 1863 to serve a timber pond that belonged to the Surrey Docks, and the Pump House, built by Port of London Authority in 1928/9 over the channel through to the Thames. It was used to regulate the water in Lavender Pond and was converted to educational use in 1982 and from 1997 it was the Rotherhithe Heritage Museum (now closed). The site was designated a local nature reserve in 2005, becoming one of the oldest urban nature reserves in the country.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Pump House/Surrey Commercial Docks |
|---|---|
| Site location | Salter Road, Rotherhithe |
| Postcode | SE16 5DZ |
| What3Words | ///cherry.employ.eagles |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted. |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Rotherhithe, Canada Water then bus. Tube: Canada Water (Jubilee) then bus. Bus: C10, 381. |
| Research Updated | 1 January 2018 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Lavender Pond Nature Reserve was once was in the northern part of the Surrey Commercial Docks created in 1864 when the various companies owning Rotherhithe's C19th commercial docks amalgamated. Surrey Docks came to cover over 185 hectares, and was particularly important for imported timber. The Docks were finally closed in 1969; Lavender Pond Nature Park was created in 1982 by the Trust for Urban Ecology, when the landscape was naturalised with funding from LB Southwark and the London Docklands Development Corporation to provide a small wild-life pond. The park also has a wet meadow and woodland planted with native trees; a small tree nursery was established in 1985.
Nearby are the remains of Lavender Lock, built in 1863 to serve a timber pond that belonged to the Surrey Docks. The Pump House, built by Port of London Authority in 1928/9 over the channel through to the Thames, was used to regulate the water in Lavender Pond, keeping the timber damp to prevent cracking, and the wharves near the building were used by the timber trade. The Pump House was converted in 1981/2 for educational use and run by an educational trust with an emphasis on environmental education. From 1997 the basement was used as Rotherhithe Heritage Museum, which exhibited archaeological finds from the area ranging from prehistoric tools to C20th dockers' implements, the collection reflecting the work of the dockyards, wharves and associated industries that were an important part of Rotherhithe's economy. The grain trade was prominent in the wharf near Church Stairs along with mills and biscuit makers.
By 2018 the site has become rather neglected and the Pump House and its museum are closed while there are various plans for its future use pending. Lavender Pond has reed beds on two sides, and the outlet is the broken Lavender Lock gate, leading past the Pump House. In the locked woodland section there is now another pond surrounded by a boardwalk with a pier leading out to Lavender Dock.
Nearby are the remains of Lavender Lock, built in 1863 to serve a timber pond that belonged to the Surrey Docks. The Pump House, built by Port of London Authority in 1928/9 over the channel through to the Thames, was used to regulate the water in Lavender Pond, keeping the timber damp to prevent cracking, and the wharves near the building were used by the timber trade. The Pump House was converted in 1981/2 for educational use and run by an educational trust with an emphasis on environmental education. From 1997 the basement was used as Rotherhithe Heritage Museum, which exhibited archaeological finds from the area ranging from prehistoric tools to C20th dockers' implements, the collection reflecting the work of the dockyards, wharves and associated industries that were an important part of Rotherhithe's economy. The grain trade was prominent in the wharf near Church Stairs along with mills and biscuit makers.
By 2018 the site has become rather neglected and the Pump House and its museum are closed while there are various plans for its future use pending. Lavender Pond has reed beds on two sides, and the outlet is the broken Lavender Lock gate, leading past the Pump House. In the locked woodland section there is now another pond surrounded by a boardwalk with a pier leading out to Lavender Dock.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ362804 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.98 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Trust for Urban Ecology/Friends of Lavender Pond |
| Dates | 1981 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance I |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Regeneration Area. Green Chain Walk. |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Ropemakers Fields was laid out under the auspices of London Docklands Development Corporation on derelict land, together with land above the new Limehouse Link Tunnel. Although a new park it is of some historic interest in that it was formerly the site of ropemaking in Limehouse where rope for marine anchors, rigging and mining was made for many centuries. Samuel Pepys refers to a visit to the ropeyard in 1664, and Tsar Alexander II of Russia visited in 1871.
Stave Hill is on a site which once was part of the Surrey Commercial Docks, which were created on former pasture and marshland in 1864 when Rotherhithe's C19th commercial docks were amalgamated and came to cover over 185 hectares. The Docks were closed in 1969, and Stave Hill is an artificial hill created from spoil when the docks were infilled in 1985/9. From the hill are fine views and at the summit is a bronze map by Michael Rizzello, 1986, commissioned by the London Docklands Development Corporation. The hill overlooks a nature reserve created by the Trust for Urban Ecology, which was planted with saplings in 1987. Trees include field maple, alder, ash, birch, aspen, cherry, rowan and oak and numerous shrubs plus a number of ponds.
Holy Trinity Church Rotherhithe was built between 1837-39 on land provided by the Surrey Commercial Dock Company, at that time quite isolated. It was designed by Sampson Kempthorne, but was destroyed in WWII when the docks were bombed on 7 September 1940, the first church to be destroyed in WWII. A new church was erected in 1957 designed by Thomas Ford, the foundation stone laid by the Bishop of Kingston upon Thames. The churchyard had opened in 1839 and was in use until 1858. In 1885 it was converted by the MPGA into a small public garden. It has a few gravestones by the entrance on Rotherhithe Street and a small WWI memorial obelisk dedicated to those who died in the parish.