Description
Thames Barrier Park, so-named due to its proximity to the Thames Barrier, has been formed on a patch of derelict land previously in industrial use since the late 1860s. Planning for a park here began in the 1980s under the Greater London Council, and it was created under the auspices of the London Docklands Development Corporation and English Partnerships. It represents the first new public park along the Thames riverfront for nearly 50 years.
Practical Information
| Site location | North Woolwich Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E16 2HP |
| What3Words | ///stir.last.yappy |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Newham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7am - dusk |
| Facilities | playground, car park |
| Public Transport | Rail: Silvertown & City Airport. DLR: Silvertown; Pontoon Dock. Tube: Canning Town (Jubilee) then DLR. Bus: 474. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Thames Barrier Park was designed by the French landscape architect Alain Provost, who was responsible for the Parc André Citroën on the River Seine in Paris, working with horticulturalist Alain Cousseran. Due to its industrial past the land was badly contaminated and the initial land treatment works cost c.£8.5million. The first tree in the new park was planted in January 1998 by the Lord Mayor of London, and it was opened to the public in 2000. The layout includes a Fountain Plaza, sculptural hedges and tree planting, grassed areas with gravel walks, a 'rainbow garden' created by bands of planting within the sunken Green Dock, which is accessible as well as being overlooked by bridges, an event area, playground, café and riverside promenade. The high, timber-decked 'pavilion' at the end of the Green Dock on the river walkway has a series of wave-like curved benches, one of which has an inscription dedicating the pavilion to Newham's victims of war, killed in the Blitz in WWII. This Pavilion of Remembrance was designed by architect Andrew Taylor. Responsibility for Thames Barrier Park remains with the London Development Agency.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ412800 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 8.9034 |
| Site Ownership | London Development Agency |
| Site Management | London Development Agency |
| Dates | 1998-2001 |
| Designers | Alain Provost |
| 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 | Newham |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Major Opportunity Zone; Major Leisure Attraction |
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
Lyle Park was opened on 24 July 1924 by Sir Leonard Lyle, JP on land that was gifted to West Ham by the Golden Syrup manufacturer Abraham Lyle & Son. The park occupies an important site overlooking the Thames, and is one of only two riverside parks in the borough, the other being Thames Barrier Park. The park contains a set of ornamental wrought iron gates, originally the entrance gates to Harland & Wolff Ltd, ship builders, a reminder of the industrial heritage of the area.
King George V Park opened in 1982, its name deriving from the King George V Dock, third of the Royal Docks, which opened in 1921. After closure of the Royal Docks in 1981, much of the area was subject to regeneration. Within the park was the former Newham City Farm, which predated the park but was closed in 2022. In 2024 Newham Council approved its Beckton Parks Masterplan that proposes significant improvements to a swathe of Beckton's green spaces, encompassing King George V Park, the former city farm site, New Beckton Park and Beckton District Park, North and South.
The land for Maryon Park was given to the LCC in 1890 by Sir Spencer Maryon Wilson, Lord of the Manor of Charlton. The park opened in 1891, laid out on a hilly site that was once ancient woodland known as Hanging Wood, and which had also been used for sand quarrying from the early C18th until 1870. Gilbert's Pit, formerly one of three sand and chalk quarries here, adjoins the park. The park has been extended south of Woolwich Road in the late C20th.
