AN OASIS of calm and tranquillity is what you need when you want to get away from the stresses and strains of London.

Look no further than Waterworks, a £2.8 million re-generation project at the Essex Filter Beds off Lea Bridge Road, Leyton.

The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, in partnership with Groundwork Hackney and London Waterways Partnership, has transformed this derelict piece of land into a wetland nature reserve for London's urban population.

Built in 1849, the filter beds were used to purify the capital's water supply at the height of the cholera epidemic in East London, when 14,000 people died of the disease.

By the early 1900s, the filter beds were producing 40 million gallons of drinking water for a thirsty and grateful London. In 1970, however, they were closed and abandoned because more efficient means of water purification were developed.

A few of the filter beds were filled in and buildings were demolished. The site was left abandoned and Mother Nature took over, with a variety of plants and trees flourishing on the site.

Water began to drain away in the filter beds and new islands of sand and gravel emerged, with marshland plants starting to grow in the wet soil.

Deeper pools of water remained in some of the filter beds, and tall water-loving plants, such as reeds and reedmace, grew around the edges.

One of the most successful trees to flourish in the filter beds is the willow. Coppicing the willow trees provides a good habitat for many insects, birds and mammals.

Groundwork Hackney has donated £230,000 for a six-station bird hide, the central feature of the nature reserve.

Surrounding the bird hide are the six filter beds showing how they have evolved over a 30-year period from open water with algae and no plant life into a dense woodland, with willow, ash and alder trees taking over from the reed beds and water meadows.

The dense woodland growing in the sixth filter bed provides a natural habitat for a greater variety of insects, mammals and birds. Birdwatchers have already spotted linnets, stonechats, yellow wagtails and redstarts on the site.

Add to this kingfishers, heron and teal, and people can soon see how important the site is for the survival and conservation of London's wildlife.

A well head in the middle of the bird hide that was used to store the piped clean water has now been opened up for people to see the Victorian brickwork.

The site has a visitor centre with an interactive exhibition explaining the history of the nature reserve and children can learn more about the wildlife living in the nature reserve with touch screen panels.

Communications manager Sandra Thompson said: "We have taken over here where Mother Nature has already taken over.

"We are working on it to really open the site up to the public. We want to make this reserve accessible to everyone. Our interactive room has wheelchair access and we also have information panels in braille.

"Touch panels question people about their views on nature, and we can really gauge from this what people think of the nature reserve."

Thoroughly enjoying his job as park ranger, Alex Tonkyn said: "My job is to enforce the country bylaws, patrol the site, and take guided walks around the reserve. I love the variety of the job where each day is different."

The development programme has meant 35 acres of degraded land has become a major recreation facility for the public.

The nature reserve in Lammas Road, off Lea Bridge Road, will open to the public on Saturday, August 10, at 11am. For more information telephone 01992 702200.

Admission to the nature reserve is free.

July 18, 2002 11:30