Description
The Middlesex Filter Beds are important for their industrial heritage as well as for nature conservation. The 6 filter beds were constructed by East London Waterworks Co. in 1852/3 in order to provide safe water to the surrounding area. By 1969 more up-to-date facilities were needed and the filter beds here ceased to be used, becoming overgrown but a haven for wildlife. In 1988 Thames Water, which now owned the site, leased it to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and it was opened as Middlesex Filter Beds Nature Reserve. Two sculptures were specially commissioned, Kate Malone's 'Rise and Shine Magic Fish' and Paula Haughney's 'Nature's Throne'.
Practical Information
| Site location | Waterworks Lane / Lammas Road (off Lea Bridge Road), Leyton |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E10 7QB |
| What3Words | ///marble.violin.both |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | open daily 8am - 4pm (winter) / - 6.30pm (summer) |
| Special Conditions | WaterWorks Centre and Café Fri/Sat/Sun 10am-4pm |
| Events | Various events such as volunteer activities to clear reeds from ponds |
| Public Transport | Rail: Clapton then bus. Bus: 22A, 55, 56, 48. |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The River Lea or Lee formerly marked the border between Middlesex and Essex; according to medieval chronicles King Alfred pursued the Danes up the river, which was also possibly used by the Romans. In 1830 the East London Waterworks Co., which had been established at Old Ford in Bow in 1807, bought Hackney Waterworks and cut a canal between Lea Bridge and Old Ford across the Hackney Marshes. There was a serious cholera outbreak in 1849 and the need for provision of clean and safe water led to the Company's construction in 1852/3 of the 6 Middlesex Filter Beds at Lea Bridge to supply purified water to the surrounding area. An additional 19 filter beds were later constructed, 7 of which were the Essex Filter Beds, now the Waterworks Nature Reserve. The Company also created new reservoirs at Walthamstow in 1861. In the early 1900s the East London Waterworks Company was taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board.
By 1969 more modern facilities for water treatment were needed and the Middlesex Filter Beds were replaced by the Coppermills Water Treatment Works in Walthamstow. As a result the unused filter beds here became overgrown and a haven for wildlife. Thames Water, which had owned the site from 1974, leased it in 1988 to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), which had taken over tracts of land and water including the Walthamstow Marshes (q.v.) in 1972.
The Middlesex Filter Beds were opened as a nature reserve and in the early 1990s artists Paula Haughney and Kate Malone were commissioned to make new works of art for the site. Malone's 'Rise and Shine Magic Fish' consisted of two large ceramic fish that were sited in a lake in one of the former filter beds, no longer in place. Haughney's 'Nature's Throne' was created from huge granite blocks that were once part of the foundations of one of the Engine Houses.
By 1969 more modern facilities for water treatment were needed and the Middlesex Filter Beds were replaced by the Coppermills Water Treatment Works in Walthamstow. As a result the unused filter beds here became overgrown and a haven for wildlife. Thames Water, which had owned the site from 1974, leased it in 1988 to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), which had taken over tracts of land and water including the Walthamstow Marshes (q.v.) in 1972.
The Middlesex Filter Beds were opened as a nature reserve and in the early 1990s artists Paula Haughney and Kate Malone were commissioned to make new works of art for the site. Malone's 'Rise and Shine Magic Fish' consisted of two large ceramic fish that were sited in a lake in one of the former filter beds, no longer in place. Haughney's 'Nature's Throne' was created from huge granite blocks that were once part of the foundations of one of the Engine Houses.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ358865 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Thames Water, leased to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) |
| Site Management | LVRPA Park Operations; The Filter Beds and Walthamstow Marshes User Forum |
| Dates | 1850s; 1990s |
| 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 | Hackney |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - SSSI |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Open Space |
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
Millfields Park is former Lammas land in the Manor of Hackney, the name arising from a C14th corn mill on the river Lee/Lea in use until the late C18th. A second mill was built in 1443 at which time the names North Mill Field and South Mill Field came into use. They comprised strips held by tenants of the Manor until at least the mid C18th. The Millfields were saved from development following a petition to preserve 180 acres of common land in Hackney for public use. Millfields Recreation Grounds were laid out and opened in 1884, the LCC having acquired 23.25 acres of Mill Field North and 34.25 acres of Mill Field South. There was a sports stadium in the park from 1894-1913, but this was demolished in 1980 when Millfields Estate was built.
Clapton Park is on land formerly the site of a farmyard, which was itself built on what was probably an old Roman foss-way leading directly across the old River Lea. The area was laid out by the London County Council as Clapton Park Housing Estate between 1967-1972. The small park consists of a flat grassed open space with perimeter shrubs and some notable trees. It is overlooked by Council housing and separated from Hackney Marshes by the River Lee Navigation. A tarmac path runs between two entrances, and a fenced-off adventure playground and children's playground are the only amenities.
Hackney Marshes were formerly Lammas land, which in the C12th was divided into marshy meadows. By the mid C18th these amounted to nearly 300 small strips, with the remainder of the land owned by the Lord of Hackney Manor. There is a long history of sports and recreational use of Hackney Marshes. The land was acquired by the LCC under the Open Spaces Act 1893 and was formally dedicated as public open space in 1894. Hackney Marshes are predominantly used for playing fields.