Walthamstow Wetlands

About this location

Walthamstow Wetlands is a 160-hectare working reservoir complex in the Lea Valley, comprising ten reservoirs built between 1863 and 1904 to supply drinking water to London. The site remains operational today, but its open water, islands, reedbeds and scrub have also developed into one of the capital’s most important bird habitats, with the reservoirs designated as part of the Walthamstow Reservoirs SSSI, Lee Valley Special Protection Area and Ramsar site.

The reservoirs are particularly important for wintering wildfowl and breeding waterbirds, including nationally significant numbers of grey heron, while reed bed and scrub support a strong assemblage of warblers and other migrants. The combination of major Victorian water infrastructure and internationally significant wildlife habitat makes the site one of London’s most remarkable examples of nature persisting within a working urban landscape.

Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Habitat types: Wetland, Reservoir, Shrubland
First visit: 2 February 2025