Visiting
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority statement:
Since January 2007, sections of Gunpowder Park have been fenced off from public access. This action has been taken as a precautionary measure in the interest of public safety following recent routine ground inspections which revealed potential subsidence caused by old utility shafts. The fences will remain in place until an appropriate solution is identified, the works are carried out and we are satisfied that ground conditions are safe for public access. In the meantime we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by these temporary restrictions.
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Gunpowder Park’s dynamic landscape evokes the site’s historic explosive past and provides distinctive and accessible spaces for recreation, arts, entertainment and outdoor pursuits.
The 90 hectares are shaped into four distinct bioregions with 100,000m3 of new soil, 45,000 new native species trees of British provenance, 4km of new hedgerows, 5km of unsurfaced circular bridleway and 2km of new pathways including the Sustrans National Cycle Route. Read more about the ecology of the park
Download the Gunpowder Park leaflet (pdf 1.76 MB) including a map of the park.
SHOCK WAVE GALLERIES (COB FIELDS)
14 hectares of grassland, meadow pathways and vistas.
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The northern and western areas of the Park feature spectacular wildflower meadows that constantly change colour through the seasons, bursting with butterflies and flowers in summer, while the bleached grassy tussocks ripple in the winter winds. Bands of native trees and shrubs dissect the meadows, mimicking shock waves which fan out from the centre of a dynamic landform 'explosion', near the Park Centre, creating one of the Park’s defining features: slashes of scarlet across the autumn landscape.
BLAST MOUND PLATEAU (COB MEADOW)
21 hectares of new meadow, a massive earthwork stage with a 360° panoramic view.
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In the western side of the Park is the new landform of the Blast Mound Plateau on Cobs Meadow. A popular nesting place for Skylarks, their spiralling songs fill the air in the spring and summer. Wandering south from here you enter the mysterious Osier Marsh, a wet woodland and wildlife refuge. Boardwalks and paths guide you through a tangled jungle of birch and willow carpeted with lichens and mosses. Two distinctive, fully accessible viewing points over seasonal pools allow you to watch wetland birds feeding and raising their chicks. On the eastern edge of the Marsh is a new deciduous woodland, planted with 26,000 native trees and shrubs.
THE SALIX (OSIER MARSH)
27 hectares of wildlife refuge and a unique wetland with a boardwalk and bird-watching hides; protected area for contemplation, observation and interaction.
Sewardstone Marsh
In the far southwest corner of the Park are Knights Pits and Sewardstone Marsh, where grassy paths meander through the flooded gravel pits, meadows and woodlands. Bridges along the western boundary provide links to Enfield Lock, Swan and Pike Pool, and Rammey Marsh.
THE ENERGY FIELDS (COB FIELD)
28 hectares of working, arable farmland with wildlife planting identifying the Meridian Line which runs through the farm.
On the arable farmlands to the east you will find the highest point in the Park which is also along the Greenwich Meridian Line. Follow the signs to the top of the hill to enjoy wide vistas over the Lee Valley corridor and the rolling hills of Epping Forest. For a more rural ramble continue on the public footpaths, down the grassy field margins by the hedgerows between the arable fields.
THE FIELD STATION
An environmentally friendly, state of the art building for exhibitions, workshops, seminars and special events.
The Field Station located at the main entrance, is the headquarters for the arts, science and nature activities and one of the office bases for Lee Valley Regional Park Rangers. The building functions as a working environment to accommodate creative workshops, exhibitions, seminars and special events.
The Field Station’s monumental gabion wall is a major new landmark in the region. It is made of crushed concrete some 40m long and 4.5m high with concrete casts of found objects, representing a storyline offering clues and references to the rich history and life of the site. Most of these artefacts can be seen, but some are buried deep within the wall.
The side walls of the building are encased in earth ramparts, reflecting the blasting bunkers which previously dominated the site. The roof of the building also has an earth layer, a planting medium for a living green roof. All these features serve another purpose, that of insulating the building so that energy consumption is kept to a minimum.
At the main entrance to the Park is Boom Boom a monlith of cast concrete, with the intriguing vocabulary attached to munitions industry.
Black Ditch
Behind the Park Centre is a large area of grassland cut short all year round to provide an area for informal games and picnicing. To the north of this lies Black Ditch, a favourite haunt of Water Voles, Reed Warblers and dragonflies. Two bridges along the north perimeter provide 24 hour pedestrian and cycle access.
Architects: Randall Shaw Billingham
Gabion Wall Artefacts and Boom Boom: Chris Tipping
“The building is designed to reflect the general form of the original buildings on the site [blast houses surrounded by earth banks to deflect explosions upwards], and also to respond to the landscape design, which introduces earth banks and gabion wall retaining structures to model the newly formed landscape.” David Billingham.
