Walthamstow Wetlands

Join us on Sunday 9 December between 2 - 3.30pm and get into the festive spirit with Borrowed Light Floral Studio! Spend the afternoon learning how to make a festive garland from scratch using sweet-smelling moss and pine and also how to mix various seasonal foliage and decorations to add exuberant colour and texture. Book here: http://bit.ly/2z35S3S
Heritage Lottery Fund Thames Water London Borough of Waltham Forest London Wildlife Trust

Walthamstow Wetlands has been nominated for the 'Site of the Year' award in the Birdwatch Birders' Choice Awards in association with the Birders Store. Please show your support and vote here: http://bit.ly/2RMmPXt
Heritage Lottery Fund Thames Water London Borough of Waltham Forest London Wildlife Trust

To celebrate Mitzvah Day, get involved with practical conservation work with London Wildlife Trust this Sunday 4th November.Your day could involve cutting meadows, chopping down trees, picking up litter - whatever the task, you will be helping support a special water and wildlife oasis. Reserve your space here: http://bit.ly/2P6yBPt

Join us this Saturday 3rd November 10am-4pm for the Urban Birder One Day Course at Walthamstow Wetlands. The course will be an introduction to urban birding & it will cover recognition techniques, fieldcraft & urban bird migration. Find out more: http://bit.ly/2xMHZfw
Heritage Lottery Fund Thameswater London Borough of Waltham Forest London Wildlife Trust

The Engine House at Walthamstow Wetlands will be closed between 9.30am - 12pm on Tuesday 30th October for a private event. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. The rest of the site will remain open as per normal operating hours 9.30am - 4pm.

Tomorrow between 10am-12pm, join us to celebrate Walthamstow Wetlands' one year anniversary! There will be an opportunity to give feedback and talk to members of the team about future plans for the site. Guided walks will also be taking place. This event is open to local residents and community groups. Free event. Please RSVP to eroebuck@wildlondon.org.uk.
Heritage Lottery Fund Thames Water London Borough of Waltham Forest London Wildlife Trust

Walthamstow Wetlands is celebrating its one year anniversary tomorrow! Join us for a 'Wetlands Late' between 5-9pm and enjoy a series of 30 minute talks & guided walks to explore the reserve at night! Cafe will be serving beverages & snacks. More info: http://bit.ly/2PumF6b

We have one space remaining for the Wildlife Drawing: Nocturnal Animals workshop taking place tomorrow between 6.30-9pm. Spend time getting close to skunks, sugar gliders, mice, rabbits, tree frogs & geckos as well as a giant land snails & train millipedes! Book here: http://bit.ly/2IynJ4K

Join us on the Urban Birder One Day Course at Walthamstow Wetlands on Saturday 3rd November between 10am - 4pm. The course will be an introduction to appreciating the abundant birdlife in our urban areas - it will cover the definition of an urban bird, recognition techniques and tips on attracting birds into your garden with plenty of opportunity to explore the site and discover all the birds that call it home! Book your ticket here: http://bit.ly/2xMHZfw J

Spaces now available for tonight's Swift Conservation Talk with Edward Mayer at Walthamstow Wetlands. Join us for a free talk on one of the most spectacular and charismatic urban birds, their sad decline & what can be done to help the species. Reserve your space here: http://bit.ly/2NZglqx

Currently on display at the Engine House at Walthamstow Wetlands, SACRE BLEU! by Rachel Thomson is an environmentally concerned exhibition of cyanotype photograms from the local canals & roadsides in East London. Read more here: http://bit.ly/2QjZDiq

Meet & draw sugar gliders, skunks, rabbits, mice, geckos and tree frogs as well as two fascinating nocturnal invertebrates, train millipedes and giant land snails at Walthamstow Wetlands on Tuesday 16 October at 6.30pm. Book your ticket here: http://bit.ly/2QMfxD7

Jacquie Davis, the UK's first-ever female bodyguard, now protects Europe's largest urban wetlands, Walthamstow Wetlands. Here she recalls her exciting career in close protection, in surveillance and hostage rescue - read more: https://walthamstowwetlands.com/jacquie-d avis
Heritage Lottery Fund Thames Water London Borough of Waltham Forest London Wildlife Trust

Meet & sketch skunks, sugar gliders, mice, rabbits, tree frogs and geckos as well as two incredible nocturnal invertebrates, giant land snails and train millipedes at Walthamstow Wetlands on Tuesday 16 October at 6.30pm. Book your ticket here: http://bit.ly/2QMfxD7

Join artist in residence Fearghus O'Conchuir this Friday 21 September at 10am for a talk engaging with the theme of refuge & examining Walthamstow Wetlands as a site of sanctuary for humans and non-humans and for regular and transient inhabitants. All welcome at this free event - reserve your space here: http://bit.ly/2x5C7hU

If you or a friend have access to a London garden, you can use London Wildlife Trust's special footprint tunnel to see if you have hedgehogs visiting the garden. Wildlife-friendly ink will capture the footprints of hedgehogs & lots of other exciting garden visitors! Full instructions and footprint identification guide included here. Sign up for free at: http://bit.ly/2Nk9SGl
Heritage Lottery Fund Thames Water London Borough of Waltham Forest London Wildlife Trust

Explore the abundance of nature, wildlife and industrial heritage by following the Touchstones Trail at Walthamstow Wetlands! Beginning at the Engine House, the trail finishes at the Lockwood Reservoir with exceptional views across London’s skyline and the Orbit Sculpture in the Olympic Park!
Learn more: http://bit.ly/2NapoAa
Heritage Lottery Fund Thames Water London Borough of Waltham Forest London Wildlife Trust

visited this morning for the first time ,it's tranquil, beautiful and wild,great cafe at the entrance and a must for weekend walking and bird spotting.

Wonderful spot, lots of birds, insects and wildflowers. Ranger is very helpful and friendly. Birds included grey heron, little egret, cormorant, great crested grebe, kestrel, blackcap, grey wagtail, pochard and tufted duck with young. Insects included black-tailed skimmer, emperor, banded demoiselle, common and blue-tailed damselflies, red admiral, skippers, painted lady and green-veined white. Wildflowers include knapweeds, mustards, bedstraws, hedge woundwort. Definitely worth a visit.

There's all sorts of baby birds there it's lovely and it's great to walk in real peaceful however don't walk in bad weather especially in rainy conditions cause there's not much shelter

The wetlands are a unique unspoilt environment and the project to open them to the public is hugely ambitious. Hopefully people will accept the necessary restrictions (no dogs, cycling confined to the path and restricted seating/signage) in return for what the wetlands have to offer as a haven for nature, wildlife and peaceful relaxation. It would be great for London Wildlife Trust and its volunteers who are seeking to continually improve the site if visitors respect the site by following the rules and their common sense by supervising children (for their own safety and the well-being of the wildlife) not dropping litter and not disturbing the fishermen. That way we will have a treasured community resource for all to enjoy.

Thank you for facilitating our sponsored walk today. Really enjoyed the experience and will definitely be visiting again. A beautiful space on our doorstep!

Several weeks ago on a cold Wednesday morning I led a walk here for a large bunch of us from Weekday Walks meetup and we all loved Walthamstow Wetlands - such a wonderful tranquil place to walk - we plan to go back in a few weeks time

Really lovely cafe with tasty, good value, food and coffee. Lovely view across the wetlands, great to see the birds. Will be back to walk around the wetlands soon.

My wife and I enjoyed a lot our walk in Walthamstow Wetlands today. There is plenty of birds to see: cormorants, gulls, crested grebes, tufted ducks, coots (of course) and also small birds like robins, finches and tits. The views are pleasant and relaxing, especially with the autumn sun shining low on the water. It's great that we have such a big nature park so close to the centre of London, and free!



One small request: the cafe could use some vegan food options ;-)

I've been working on a film and interactive installations at the walthamstow wetlands for a while. filming timelapse sunset/sunrise by the lakes as part of this has given me a good excuse to spend plenty of time there, the mixture of nature, birds and water with the city as backdrop is great. The reservoirs have always looked like somewhere you shouldn't enter, even a lot of locals don't know about it, but it's been a hangout for anglers and birders for years, looks like they're going to have to share it now, which is going to make some of them grumpy...

I thoroughly enjoyed the park on Saturday, it's very well organized (received a map too at the entrance!), and I was very happy to see so much nature within the city limits. Granted it was quite windy on Saturday, buy that didn't stop the views from being stunning. Highly recommend, especially for a weekend stroll.

I spent a glorious sunny day yesterday volunteering at Walthamstow Wetlands - really good fun and nice to be able to contribute in some small way to this beautiful area on my doorstep. Highly recommended - looking forward to volunteering again soon! :)

I just adored the wetlands when I visited, not totally finished yet but it was heavenly to feel like I was in the middle of the countryside. Peaceful, beautiful and nature at its best :)

Beautiful place. Going again, now.

A very nice place to watch the birds and take 5 minutes out of the busy City.

A great addition to this part of London. I'll definitely be coming here often especially when it quietens down. Great also to see so many families enjoying the space. I think a little education is needed to stop people going into the water and throwing stones etc. I didn't see anyone feeding the birds so that's a plus. I did hear people planning future picnics though so I hope rubbish doesn't become a problem. I had a lovely vegan meal in the Engine room café where the poor workers were rushed off their feet, I'm sure that will calm down as well soon.

I've known the place all my life as an excellent fishery and place of peace and tranquility,wildlife/birds in abundance,love it,hope it stays that way and no introduction of otters as some people may think will add to it's appeal!No No No otters please!

Glorious sunshine for our first visit, a birthday treat for me! I just can't wait to return. The cafe seems small for the amount of people using it, and really slow service, but early days. Queues for the ladies everytime I went.

Loved the viewing platform idea.

Was very surprised to see no outdoor seating at all. Making it difficult for older people or anyone who needs to stop and sit for a while. Also not able to access viewing gallery as buggies are not allowed in the lift. Very limited parking. Would not visit again.

I have fly fished there several times weekly for 30 years. Visited today, which was my first taste of what it would now be like.

Frequent groups passing / stopping close behind me made life difficult for me and potentially hazardous for the person(s) who decided to stop directly to my rear. Polite requests to move were largely received with understanding and co-operation.



I also saw a number of very small children riding bicycles (well behind their parents / guardians!). In addition there were a number of unaccompanied older children. Reservoirs 4 and 5 have steep and slippery banks with deep water close to the banks. Speaking from experience, it is very difficult to get out if you slip in. The current signage is inadequate re:hazards and the locations of the (few lifebelts). There are potential H&SE issues with the current setup.

The new "management" have a steep learning curve ahead of them in respect of encouraging and managing "safe"public behaviour on this site. The money seems to have been spent elsewhere.

visited this morning for the first time ,it's tranquil, beautiful and wild,great cafe at the entrance and a must for weekend walking and bird spotting.

Wonderful spot, lots of birds, insects and wildflowers. Ranger is very helpful and friendly. Birds included grey heron, little egret, cormorant, great crested grebe, kestrel, blackcap, grey wagtail, pochard and tufted duck with young. Insects included black-tailed skimmer, emperor, banded demoiselle, common and blue-tailed damselflies, red admiral, skippers, painted lady and green-veined white. Wildflowers include knapweeds, mustards, bedstraws, hedge woundwort. Definitely worth a visit.

There's all sorts of baby birds there it's lovely and it's great to walk in real peaceful however don't walk in bad weather especially in rainy conditions cause there's not much shelter

The wetlands are a unique unspoilt environment and the project to open them to the public is hugely ambitious. Hopefully people will accept the necessary restrictions (no dogs, cycling confined to the path and restricted seating/signage) in return for what the wetlands have to offer as a haven for nature, wildlife and peaceful relaxation. It would be great for London Wildlife Trust and its volunteers who are seeking to continually improve the site if visitors respect the site by following the rules and their common sense by supervising children (for their own safety and the well-being of the wildlife) not dropping litter and not disturbing the fishermen. That way we will have a treasured community resource for all to enjoy.

Thank you for facilitating our sponsored walk today. Really enjoyed the experience and will definitely be visiting again. A beautiful space on our doorstep!

Several weeks ago on a cold Wednesday morning I led a walk here for a large bunch of us from Weekday Walks meetup and we all loved Walthamstow Wetlands - such a wonderful tranquil place to walk - we plan to go back in a few weeks time

Really lovely cafe with tasty, good value, food and coffee. Lovely view across the wetlands, great to see the birds. Will be back to walk around the wetlands soon.

My wife and I enjoyed a lot our walk in Walthamstow Wetlands today. There is plenty of birds to see: cormorants, gulls, crested grebes, tufted ducks, coots (of course) and also small birds like robins, finches and tits. The views are pleasant and relaxing, especially with the autumn sun shining low on the water. It's great that we have such a big nature park so close to the centre of London, and free!



One small request: the cafe could use some vegan food options ;-)

I've been working on a film and interactive installations at the walthamstow wetlands for a while. filming timelapse sunset/sunrise by the lakes as part of this has given me a good excuse to spend plenty of time there, the mixture of nature, birds and water with the city as backdrop is great. The reservoirs have always looked like somewhere you shouldn't enter, even a lot of locals don't know about it, but it's been a hangout for anglers and birders for years, looks like they're going to have to share it now, which is going to make some of them grumpy...

I thoroughly enjoyed the park on Saturday, it's very well organized (received a map too at the entrance!), and I was very happy to see so much nature within the city limits. Granted it was quite windy on Saturday, buy that didn't stop the views from being stunning. Highly recommend, especially for a weekend stroll.

I spent a glorious sunny day yesterday volunteering at Walthamstow Wetlands - really good fun and nice to be able to contribute in some small way to this beautiful area on my doorstep. Highly recommended - looking forward to volunteering again soon! :)

I just adored the wetlands when I visited, not totally finished yet but it was heavenly to feel like I was in the middle of the countryside. Peaceful, beautiful and nature at its best :)

Beautiful place. Going again, now.

A very nice place to watch the birds and take 5 minutes out of the busy City.

A great addition to this part of London. I'll definitely be coming here often especially when it quietens down. Great also to see so many families enjoying the space. I think a little education is needed to stop people going into the water and throwing stones etc. I didn't see anyone feeding the birds so that's a plus. I did hear people planning future picnics though so I hope rubbish doesn't become a problem. I had a lovely vegan meal in the Engine room café where the poor workers were rushed off their feet, I'm sure that will calm down as well soon.

I've known the place all my life as an excellent fishery and place of peace and tranquility,wildlife/birds in abundance,love it,hope it stays that way and no introduction of otters as some people may think will add to it's appeal!No No No otters please!

Glorious sunshine for our first visit, a birthday treat for me! I just can't wait to return. The cafe seems small for the amount of people using it, and really slow service, but early days. Queues for the ladies everytime I went.

Loved the viewing platform idea.

Was very surprised to see no outdoor seating at all. Making it difficult for older people or anyone who needs to stop and sit for a while. Also not able to access viewing gallery as buggies are not allowed in the lift. Very limited parking. Would not visit again.

I have fly fished there several times weekly for 30 years. Visited today, which was my first taste of what it would now be like.

Frequent groups passing / stopping close behind me made life difficult for me and potentially hazardous for the person(s) who decided to stop directly to my rear. Polite requests to move were largely received with understanding and co-operation.



I also saw a number of very small children riding bicycles (well behind their parents / guardians!). In addition there were a number of unaccompanied older children. Reservoirs 4 and 5 have steep and slippery banks with deep water close to the banks. Speaking from experience, it is very difficult to get out if you slip in. The current signage is inadequate re:hazards and the locations of the (few lifebelts). There are potential H&SE issues with the current setup.

The new "management" have a steep learning curve ahead of them in respect of encouraging and managing "safe"public behaviour on this site. The money seems to have been spent elsewhere.