Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

The Greenway and Old Ford Nature Reserve

Borough: Newham

Grade: Borough Grade I

Access: Free public access (all/most of site)

Area: 22.92 ha

Description

This linear site follows the route of the Greenway, a footpath and cycleway on top of the Northern Outfall Sewer Embankment. This was part of an engineering masterpiece designed by Joseph Bazalgette in the mid-19th century to deal with London’s blooming sewage problem. The site also includes the Old Ford Nature Reserve at the eastern end of the Greenway.The London Wildlife Trust’s Greenway Project runs volunteer workdays every Tuesday, 10am-3pm, meeting at West Ham tube station (see link for details).

Wildlife

The dominant habitats of the Greenway are grassland and sycamore woodland, as well as scrub - typically of bramble, dwarf elder and hawthorn.Old Ford Nature Reserve is an attractive area close to the River Lea. It is leased to the London Wildlife Trust and consists of grassland, tall herbaceous vegetation and scrub, surrounded by trees. Although not normally accessible to the public, it can be clearly seen from the Greenway.The Greenway holds a number of uncommon plants, such as common broomrape, warty-cabbage and Bermuda grass. A nationally rare moss Rhynchostegium megapolitanum, grows beside the path between Old Ford and Stratford and an impressive range of insects includes the nationally rare ground bug Stictopleurus abutilon.Birds breeding here include blackcap, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat and sedge warbler. Passage migratory species have included whinchat and common wheatear. The site is also of value for butterflies, with the Old Ford Nature Reserve supporting long-established populations of small heath, small copper, wall and common blue.

Facilities

The Capital Ring follows the Greenway.

View Interactive map

Old Ford Island Nature Reserve © London Wildlife Trust

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More information on GiGL’s SINC dataset can be found here.

Additional information, including other site designations and species recorded onsite and nearby, can be provided in community and client data search reports. Request information here.