Chestnuts Field

Chestnuts Field, a former grass field in the heart of Walthamstow, has become the site of an exciting constructed wetland project. Thames21 have been funded to create a community engagement program Located in the heart of Waltham Forest borough, just behind the Walthamstow Town Hall, the wetland has been designed to help mitigate flood risk in the area and increase biodiversity.

The technical term for the wetland is a sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS). These provide many benefits, such as the below.

Improve water quality: SuDS contain plants and sediments that act as a natural filtration system, helping remove pollutants from the air and dirty water coming from road runoff. They also reduce air pollution and contaminants reaching our river systems, in this case, the Dagenham Brook which runs at the end of the Chestnuts Field.

Enhance biodiversity and encourage wildlife: as SuDs are planted with wildlife-friendly plants, they attract pollinators and other local species including Yellow Wag Tails, Orange Tipped Butterflies and Southern Hawker Dragonflies.

Improve green spaces: SuDs provide not only sanctuaries for wildlife, but also improve green spaces for the wider benefit of communities too. By having interesting ecosystems on people’s doorsteps, it provides learning and new wellbeing opportunities.
Reduce surface water flooding: areas of Walthamstow lie in high risk flood areas, and many homes and businesses faced devasting floods in 2021.

Community Engagement on Chestnuts Field

Water Quality Monitoring

Curious about the water pollution in your locality? Over March we ran a series of water quality monitoring events testing the Dagenham Brook and the Wetland at Chestnuts Field.

What Did We Test?

At each location, we collected water samples to test for ammonia and phosphates:

High phosphate levels suggest pollution from household detergent and products, which can cause eutrophication (excessive algae growth that harms aquatic life).
High ammonia levels indicate potential sewage pollution, as ammonia is released during the decay of organic waste.

If you want to keep updated with our results you can find the information on Water Rangers.

Community Planting Day

The area will offer new kinds of recreation opportunities for the local community. Thames21, in partnership with SWIRE, is rolling out a series of educational and creative workshops as part of our community engagement program. These initiatives focus on SuDS education, creative workshops, and citizen science activities, and there are even opportunities for residents to help maintain the wetland through planting and water monitoring.

Our Community Planting Day was a huge success, with 50 local residents coming together to learn about SuDS and contribute to the creation of the wetland.

Celebrating our Creative Activities in Partnership with High 5 Workshops

As part of the community engagement public program on Chestnuts Fields we have run a series of creative workshops exploring wetland themes. In collaboration with High5 Workshops a local business run by nature enthusiasts Tatiana and Christan, we ran a Wetland Inspired Clay Tile and Watercolour session together, participants create beautiful pieces of work and the events were fantastic.

One participant said: “It was a great time learning about SUDS at Chestnuts Field Wetlands, I really enjoyed the opportunity to feel closer to nature through creativity”.

As part of the programme Thames21 also ran a Wetland Poetry Walk and Workshop. Many writers came from the Forest Poets group, and discussions where had about the benefits of wetlands, their literary symbology, and the geology of peat bogs.

All events took place at Walthamstow Library and we welcomed a huge range of people from the local area to experience and learn about the wetland in creative and mindful ways.

Wetlands Walk- Eithne Cullen

Noise from the Feelgood centre

of young people feeling good,

the sun shines whitely bright

on Henry Moore’s tall arch.

Mud, clay soaked claggy grass –

gritty path that crunches underneath.

And we look to see the soak-aways

the water-managed efforts to make good

the dangers of flooding and sewage

overflow, hope to see a dragon fly,

admire unmoving teazles at the edge;

talk turns to fat-bergs and

wild swimmers in the silted Thames.

I bless my Ecover, holy water

of smug domestic conscience.

I worry for the town where every

space yields towers of flats

and the sun shines slatted through

them, on Portland Stone,

from the blue, blue sky.

Improvement- Mikolaj Halber

New science for our lapses

Set up anxious fences

Cranes below cranes

The use of the useless

Quixotic unproductiveness

To set up new reports

Even liminality circumscribed

For I wish

For sirens hums noises

To end with

Croaks squaks calls

Cycles of it all

Carbon water air plans

Nature just used to reuse

We to manage and define

Rain-melted concrete

Training Opportunities on Chestnuts Field

Local volunteers planting riparian species in the first community event.

In addition to community events, we’re offering free, NCFE-accredited training through our flagship course, Leading Action for Healthy Rivers. This course equips you with the skills to organize your own river events, helping you lead initiatives that improve not only Chestnuts Field but also nearby tributaries like Dagenham Brook and the River Ching.

If you are interested in attending this course or any of the events please contact lula.wattam@thames21.org.uk

Keep up-to-date with latest events and learn more about SuDS here.