The highest point in Newham borough at some 36 metres above sea level, Beckton Alps is an artificial hill created from waste material and clay from excavating the new British Library at St Pancras. Over the past decade the hill has been intermittently used as a dry ski slope hence the somewhat incongruous name. Panoramic views across East London may be enjoyed from the top, however the site is now closed to the public.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Beckton Alps
Borough: Newham
Grade: Borough Grade II
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 5.64 ha
Description
Wildlife
The Beckton Alps artificial ski slope uses a 'hill' of noxious industrial waste derived from the former Beckton Gasworks, now safely sealed with a thick capping of London Clay. Its steep sides are cloaked in scrub (mostly planted) and open grassland. The grassland on the upper slopes features a number of locally rare plants, such as strawberry clover and sainfoin. The scrub and young woodland on the lower slopes consists mainly of various willows, hawthorn, gorse, field maple and hornbeam. This provides valuable habitat for nesting and passing migrant birds. Willow warblers, chiffchaffs, yellow wagtails and wheatears have all been spotted here on occasion.Facilities
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