Bow Ecology Park

The site was originally osier beds but became an iron works in  1846 run by the Thames Iron Works & Shipbuilding Co. In 1990s,  it  was converted into an ecology park after a survey identified a number of  rare plants and grasses on the site including exotic "stow-away"  species which had self-seeded after being carried into the area aboard  cargo boats, along with a number of nati

East India Dock Basin

The East India Docks were opened exactly 200 years ago in 1806 by  The East India Company. Today only the entrance basin remains,  surrounded by new residential and office developments, and redesignated  as a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Big black waterfowl flap and glide  across the water, retiring (if disturbed) to perch on wooden rafts in  the middle of the mud. Around the 

Limehouse Basin

The Limehouse Basin was built by the Regent's Canal Company and opened in 1820.

At  one point the basin was the principal entrance from the Thames to the  country's canal network. The dock was linked by the Regent's Canal with  the Grand Junction at Paddington and was of immense importance to the  economy. The basin was connected to the river by three locks – one for  ships and two f

Meath Gardens

Meath Gardens is a jewel of a secret park set back from Roman  Road. It started as the Victoria Park Cemetery but after becoming a park  in 1895, the space became so neglected that by the middle of the 20th  century it even had a chemical plant built on it. In 2015, Joanna  Milewska, a landscape architect with LDA Design, rallied a group of  residents to form the Friends of Meath Gard

Mile End Park

Opening in 1999, Mile End Park is a linear stretch of green that starts at Roman Road and runs southwards like a ribbon alongside  Regent's Canal, crossing over bustling Mile End Road and ending at the  Limehouse basin. Along the way it includes a surprising number of  facilities: a skate park, a climbing centre, an arts venue and an  Ecology Pavilion, and that's only mentioning a few

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park knits a vibrant area of East London into a modern urban destination - redefining the historic industrial and  creative heartlands of Stratford and Hackney Wick as an exciting and  sustainable place to live, work, study, play and visit. Award winning  parklands, waterways and playgrounds are free to visit every day. Former  Olympic and Paraly

Spitalfields City Farm

Established in 1978 in response to local people's wishes to convert wasteland into allotments, Spitalfields City Farm is sited on a  former railway goods depot, spread over 1.3 acres of land owned by the  London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Railtrack. Successive bids to  various charitable trusts, companies and public funding bodies, as well  as strong local support have enab

The Shoreditch Forest Garden

Members of the East London Garden Society campaigned for years for  a wildlife haven to tackle air pollution in Shoreditch and Brick Lane.  They argued a forest garden planted at the Bishopsgate Goodsyard  development would also encourage wildlife and improve people's wellbeing  believing it could one day lead to Europe's biggest forest garden.  Developers Ballymore and

Three Mills Island

Three Mills Island is located in Bromley-by-Bow in east London. It forms part of the 50-mile Lea Valley Walk . The Prescott Channel, a  former flood relief channel passes to the east, making the land an  island. The mills share Three Mills Island with the 3 Mills Studios, a  10-acre film and TV studio, which makes a large number of major films  and television programmes and an op

Three Mills Lane

The House Mill was built in 1776, after a fire destroyed it was quickly rebuilt by Daniel Bisson. The Clock Mill was rebuilt by Philip Metcalfe between 1815 and 1817 incorporating the  old clock, and an older bell. There was also a windmill which survived  until about 1840. The House Mill continued to operate until 1940 and the Clock Mill until 1952.  The House Mill remains the lar

Victoria Park

In 2010 the National Lottery Big Lottery Fund awarded the London  Borough of Tower Hamlets a £4.5 million grant towards a £12 million  programme of major improvements to Victoria Park. Plans included a new  building, the Eastern Hub, comprising a cafe, public toilets, community  rooms and adult play facilities to promote healthy living. With the  park's refurbishments that began in 20