Chinbrook Meadows Wetlands
Chinbrook Meadows in Lewisham, southeast London, has an interesting history. It used to be a dairy farm until the early 1900s when it was bought by Lewisham Council and opened as a park. In 1935, the Quaggy (known locally as the Chin Brook), which runs through the park, was put into straightened concrete channels and hidden behind hedges and metal fence. Yet, thanks to efforts from the Quaggy Waterways Action Group and local community in 2002, the Quaggy was restored to its former glory when around 300 metres of concrete channel was removed from it. This helped to revitalise plant and animal life. Like many of London’s rivers, the River Quaggy is a beautiful one, but faces a number of challenges such as water quality issues created by road runoff and urban pollution.
To help provide solutions to these challenges, Thames21 has worked with partners to deliver an ambitious project at Chinbrook Meadows in Lewisham, southeast London. The project aims to improve the water quality of the River Quaggy, enhance biodiversity, reduce flood risk and provide the community with a space to connect with nature.
Community members suggested the idea for the project because they noticed an area in the park – Grove Park Ditch -giving off a nasty odour and water discolouration. Thames21 proposed the creation of a constructed wetland to solve these issues. This is a nature-based solution to treating polluted water while creating a great place for wildlife and people.
The aims of the project are fourfold:
1. Improve water quality of the River Quaggy and reduce foul smells on site
- The wetland uses wetland flora to naturally clean diverted water from the ditch before it enters the River Quaggy.
2. Improve biodiversity and amenity value of the land
- The wetland has replaced an area of grassland which had relatively low ecological value. Wetlands are well established self-sustaining ecosystems with high value flora and fauna.
- Additionally, footpaths, wildflower meadows and interpretation boards increase public access to the site and provide an opportunity to learn about aquatic habitats.
3. Natural flood management
- The wetland will provide additional storage of rainfall during high rainfall events and slow the flows of the River Quaggy.
4. Community Engagement
- Provide volunteering opportunities through activities such as water quality monitoring pre- and post-wetland creation, planting and vegetation management to engage the wider community in the long-term.
In the autumn of 2023, the wetlands were excavated. During the winter and spring of 23/24, a series of well-attended volunteering events were run to get the wetlands ready to be re-opened. The site was litter picked, hedgerows and dead hedges were installed and over 2,600 plug plants were planted in and around the ponds. In addition, a footpath and turf was laid to improve accessibility, three interpretation boards have been installed and a wildflower meadow was established on the earth mound. The park was re-opened to the public in the summer of 2024 with an ongoing maintenance and monitoring plan agreed with the landowners and managers in place for 2025 onwards.
Keep an eye on our events calendar for future activities in Chinbrook Meadows.
For more info, contact jo.goad@thames21.org.uk
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In partnership with:
