Walthamstow Marshes
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Walthamstow Marsh, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI. It was once an area of lammas land - strips of meadow used for growing crops and grazing cattle.
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[edit] Geography
The River Lee forms the boundary with the London Borough of Hackney, and the marshes lie within the Lee Valley Park. South of the Walthamstow Marshes lie the Hackney Marshes, and to the north the remains of the Tottenham Marshes, now principally the Banbury Reservoir. North of Coppermill Lane, are the linked set of Lockwood Reservoir, High Maynard Reservoir, Low Maynard Reservoir, Walthamstow Reservoirs ,East Warwick Reservoir and West Warwick Reservoirs. The 90.7 acres (36.7 ha) area of marsh south of these escaped both development and use for gravel excavation to become an untouched refuge for wildlife, crossed only by the railway lines in 1840 and 1870.
The marshes are one of the last remaining examples of semi-natural wetland in Greater London. They contain a variety of plant communities typical of a former flood plain location, such as a range of neutral grassland types, sedge marsh, reed swamp, sallow scrub and areas of tall herb vegetation. Associated with this diversity of habitat are several species of plant and insect which are uncommon in the London area.
[edit] Wildlife
The marshes contain several species of insect with a restricted distribution in the London area such as the Essex skipper butterfly Thymelicus lineola, an uncommon hoverfly Volucella inanis and a pyralid moth Shoeribius micronellus.
The breeding bird community contains several species typically associated with marshland habitats such as reed bunting, reed, sedge and willow warblers. A variety of wintering birds visit the marshes and neighbouring reservoirs while in autumn flocks of finches are to be found feeding on the seeds of the tall herbs.
[edit] Split Leaf
Split Leaf, a sculpture by Jon Mills, marks the formal entrance to the marshes. The sculpture was made in Spring 2003 by Jon Mills in conjunction with pupils from Coppermill Primary School and Mission Grove Primary School, as part of the "Take pART" programme.[1][2] It was intended to form a gateway to the park and to the marshes beyond.[2]
 Split Leaf with the marshes beyond |
 Split Leaf from the marsh side |
 Northern half of Split Leaf |
 Southern half of Split Leaf |
