Transforming Victorian-era waterworks into a thriving wetland

Restoring East London’s Historic Filter Beds

This has been a long running and complex project which initially seemed to offer more hurdles than solutions. However, Pick Everard came up with this interim solution whilst we still seek to route a permanent electricity supply to the site. The Park is delighted that we can now bring water and the biodiversity back to the filter beds for all to enjoy.

Paul Roper, Head of Projects at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Overview

The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority appointed Pick Everard to support the restoration of the historic Middlesex Filter Beds in Leyton, East London. Originally constructed in the 1800s to supply clean water to London, the site had been decommissioned for decades. The client’s brief was to re-naturalise the filter beds, enhancing biodiversity while preserving the heritage significance of the Victorian infrastructure. The project aimed to create a thriving wetland habitat, improve climate resilience, and provide a space where nature and history could coexist, delivering long-term ecological and community benefits.

The Challenge

One of the key challenges was working with a historic Victorian water treatment site that had been unused since the 1960s. The ageing infrastructure required careful assessment to ensure its structural integrity was maintained while allowing for re-naturalisation. Balancing the preservation of heritage features with the creation of a functioning wetland ecosystem demanded sensitive engineering solutions.

Additionally, the team needed to manage ecological considerations, ensuring works supported biodiversity and did not disrupt existing habitats. Coordinating these requirements within a constrained urban setting added further complexity to the delivery of the scheme.

Our Solution

Pick Everard’s civil engineering specialists worked closely with the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to deliver a sensitive restoration of the Middlesex Filter Beds. Our team combined technical expertise with an understanding of heritage and ecology, ensuring the Victorian structures were stabilised by visually assessing the structures while allowing the site to be re-naturalised.

By collaborating with environmental partners, we developed sustainable engineering solutions that encouraged wetland regeneration, enhanced biodiversity, and improved climate resilience. This collaborative approach ensured the project respected the site’s history while transforming it into a valuable natural asset for both wildlife and the local community.

Are there any innovative aspects of the scheme, sustainability etc.

Adaptive re-use of Victorian infrastructure - instead of replacing or removing the historic filter beds, the project carefully re-purposed them to function as part of a restored wetlands
Climate resilience - the restored wetlands contribute to carbon absorption, flood management and urban cooling, offering long-term environmental benefits.
Heritage preservation - innovative methods balanced structural conservation with ecological goals, ensuring the site’s history was celebrated while delivering a sustainable future use.

Social Value

Community benefit - restoring the site has created a quiet space that improves wellbeing for local residents and visitors, offering opportunities for education, leisure, and engagement with nature.

Heritage appreciation - the project preserves and celebrates East London’s Victorian engineering legacy, helping people connect with their local history.

Biodiversity access - opening up the wetlands provides opportunities for schools and community groups to learn about ecology, climate change, and sustainability in a real-world setting.

Environmental stewardship - the scheme demonstrates a long-term commitment to sustainable regeneration, leaving a positive legacy for future generations.