Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

River Roding north of the Liverpool Street to Southend railway
Borough: Redbridge
Grade: Metropolitan
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 28.64 ha

Description

This is one of London’s cleanest sections of river, supporting diverse plant and fish communities. The river bed is mostly shallow with both gravel and silted areas, and the banks are for the most part natural. This site adjoins both Epping Forest South and Roding Valley Park for much of its length, and eventually becomes the River Roding in Barking south of the Essex mainline railway.

Wildlife

Bankside plants include common club-rush, sweet-flag, water forget-me-not and water chickweed. Aquatic plants include arrowhead and both broad-leaved and fennel pondweeds.Fish include chub, roach, dace and minnow. Kingfishers probably breed here. The insect life includes the banded demoiselle damselfly. The specially-protected water vole has recently been recorded along the River Roding.

Facilities

Waymarked walking route; fishing.
View along the River Roding © Ian Yarham

View along the River Roding © Ian Yarham
Kingfisher © RSPB Images

Kingfisher © RSPB Images

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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.