Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve

Last updated
Inner Thames Marshes
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Rainham Marshes LNR 5.JPG
Location Greater London
Essex
Grid reference TQ531800
InterestBiological
Area479.3 hectares
Notification 1986
Location map Magic Map
RSPB Environment and Education Centre, Rainham Marshes RSPB Environment and Education Centre, Rainham Marshes.jpg
RSPB Environment and Education Centre, Rainham Marshes

Rainham Marshes is an RSPB nature reserve in the east of London, adjacent to the Thames Estuary in Purfleet, Thurrock and the London Borough of Havering. In 2000, the area of land was bought from the Ministry of Defence, who used it as a test firing range. [1] With no activity for several years, the nature reserve was officially opened to the public in 2006. It has maintained much of its medieval landscape, and is the largest area of wetland on the upper parts of the Thames Estuary.

Contents

The reserve is home to a diverse range of bird species, wetland plants and insects. It also has one of the densest water vole populations in the country. In December 2005, the site was visited by a sociable lapwing; over 1,700 people visited the reserve to see this bird. Late in the bird's stay, four penduline tits were also found at the site. Entrance to the site is free to residents of Thurrock and the London Borough of Havering. [2]

The site is home to an environmentally friendly visitor centre which features solar panels, rainwater harvesting, natural light and ventilation and a ground heat exchange system. [3] This visitor centre, completed in 2006 at a cost £2 million, was designed by van Heyningen and Haward Architects [4] The building won six awards for its BREEAM sustainable design, including a Green Apple Award, Regeneration and Renewal Award and a Royal Institute of British Architects National Award. [5]

The site is part (77% according to a BBC article [6] ) of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) called Inner Thames Marshes, [7] [8] and the part which is in the London Borough of Havering has been designated by the council as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation called Wennington, Aveley and Rainham Marshes. [9] [10] The area west of a drain running south from Brookway is a Local Nature Reserve (LNR), as well as being part of the SSSI. [11] [12] South of the A13 road the LNR is part of the RSPB reserve, while the northern part is managed by Havering Council.

Before the site was protected as a nature reserve, it was considered as a candidate location for a Universal theme park in the 1990s, [13] [14] [15] but a site in Paris was eventually chosen. [16] [17] This project failed to materialize [18]

Rainhammarshes.jpg
Panorama of the RSPB Rainham Marshes reserve looking north from the Thames path.

Landfill site

The marshes to the west of the nature reserve have been used as a landfill site for rubbish from London and the local area. Rainham Landfill is operated by Veolia ES Landfill Limited. [19] The site occupies an area of 177 hectares, and accepts up to 1,500,000 tonnes per year. This includes up to 70,000 tonnes per year in a Materials Recovery Facility and 70,000 tonnes per year of Green Waste. [19] There are facilities for soil washing and a Leachate Treatment Plant. The decomposition of organic matter within the landfill generates a gas containing up to about 50 percent methane. This landfill gas is collected by a network of pipes and since 2001 has been used in an onsite power station. The station is owned and operated by EDL. The plant comprises eight 1.25 MW, three 1.4 MW, two 1.1 MW and one 1.0 MW reciprocating engines which drive electricity generating sets. [20] The electricity produced is fed into the National Grid. The station has a generating capacity of 17.8 MW and typically generates 95 GWh of electricity per year. This is equivalent to powering 14,600 homes. The site is expected to produce landfill gas for electricity generation to beyond 2030. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Havering</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Havering in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. The borough is mainly suburban, with large areas of protected open space. Romford is a major retail and night time entertainment centre, and to the south the borough extends into the London Riverside redevelopment area of the Thames Gateway. The name Havering is a reference to the Royal Liberty of Havering which occupied the area for several centuries. The local authority is Havering London Borough Council. It is the easternmost London borough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Kent Marshes</span>

The North Kent Marshes are in the far north of the county of Kent spanning dry and wet south banks and inlets of the Thames Estuary in south-east England. The marshes are one of 22 Environmentally Sensitive Areas recognised by the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). They are in the Thames Gateway regional planning area. They include the 5,289-hectare (20.4 sq mi) South Thames Estuary and Marshes biological SSSI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ingrebourne</span> Tributary of the River Thames in England

The River Ingrebourne is a tributary of the River Thames 27 miles (43.3 km) in length. It is considered a strategic waterway in London, forming part of the Blue Ribbon Network. It flows through the London Borough of Havering roughly from north to south, joining the Thames at Rainham.

Hornchurch Country Park is a 104.5-hectare park on the former site of Hornchurch Airfield, south of Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, east London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoo Peninsula</span> Human settlement in England

The Hoo Peninsula is a peninsula in Kent, England, separating the estuaries of the rivers Thames and Medway. It is dominated by a line of chalk, clay and sand hills, surrounded by an extensive area of marshland composed of alluvial silt. The name Hoo is a Saxon word believed to mean 'spur of land' or refers to the 'distinct heel-shape of the ridge of hills' through Hoo. Hoo features in the Domesday Book. The peninsula is home to internationally and nationally protected wildlife sites as well as industrial facilities and energy industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wennington, London</span> Human settlement in England

Wennington is a small village in the London Borough of Havering, in east London. It is situated 14.8 miles east of Charing Cross. Wennington was an ancient parish in the county of Essex that was abolished for civil purposes in 1934. It is peripheral to London, forming a ribbon development extending from the eastern edge of the urban sprawl and surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt. Wennington was added to Hornchurch Urban District in 1934 and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insh Marshes</span>

Insh Marshes are an area of floodplain of the River Spey between Kingussie and Kincraig in Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland, Scotland. The marshes are said to be one of the most important wetlands in Europe. They lie at altitude of approximately 240 to 220 m above sea level, and form one of the largest areas of floodplain mire and fen vegetation in Scotland.

The Wildspace Conservation Park, also known as London Riverside Conservation Park or Wildspace, is a major new conservation park under development. The conservation park is predominantly in London, within the London Borough of Havering, but also extends across the capital's administrative boundary and into Thurrock in Essex. It covers much of the land adjacent to the River Thames near to Rainham and Wennington. The RSPB nature reserve is the largest part of the park to be open to the public. Later phases include the reuse of a large landfill site as parkland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mucking Marshes Landfill</span>

Mucking Marshes landfill was a major landfill site servicing London, close to the hamlet of Mucking. Covering hundreds of acres of former gravel quarry, it was one of the largest landfills in Western Europe and had been filled for decades with municipal and commercial waste floated thirty miles down the River Thames in barges to Mucking Wharf. The barges, each carrying dozens of distinctive yellow containers, were a familiar, though rarely commented-upon, sight along the Thames through Central London. Once the barges had travelled 30 miles (48 km) downstream from Walbrook Wharf, mechanical cranes at Mucking Wharf unloaded the containers onto trucks. The trucks made their way up the artificial mound created by decades of garbage compaction that still towers over the surrounding flat landscape. Flocks of seagulls and other scavenging estuarine birds were a familiar sight as the trucks disgorged their contents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingrebourne Marshes</span>

Ingrebourne Marshes are a 74.8 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering. Ingrebourne Valley Local Nature Reserve includes a small part of the SSSI west of the River Ingrebourne. The site is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rye Meads</span>

Rye Meads is a 58.5-hectare (145-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Rye House, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. It is one of series of wetlands and reservoirs situated along the River Lea, to the north-east of London. It is part of the Lea Valley Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coldharbour, Havering</span> Human settlement in England

Coldharbour is an area of the London Borough of Havering by the River Thames and southwest of the Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve. It is the location of Coldharbour Point, where there has been a lighthouse since 1885. This point is adjacent to the town of Erith in Bexley, across the Thames. The nearest accessible settlement on land is the town of Rainham, which is connected by Coldharbour Lane; the village of Wennington is also nearby but not accessible by road. The area around the point is mainly industrial land known as the Freightmaster Estate depot. The London Loop passes through Coldharbour on its way east to Purfleet in Thurrock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainham, London</span> Suburban town on the outskirts of east London, England

Rainham is a suburb of East London, England, in the London Borough of Havering. Historically an ancient parish in the county of Essex, Rainham is 13.6 miles (21.9 km) east of Charing Cross and is surrounded by a residential area, which has grown from the historic village, to the north and a commercial area, fronting the River Thames, to the south. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Rainham significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming part of Hornchurch Urban District in 1934, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. The economic history of Rainham is underpinned by a shift from agriculture to industry and manufacture and is now in a period of regeneration, coming within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area.

van Heyningen and Haward Architects Londona architectural firm

van Heyningen and Haward is an architectural practice, founded in 1983 by Birkin Haward and Joanna van Heyningen, and now owned and managed by James McCosh and Meryl Townley. The London architects work primarily in education, and have also worked in the heritage, community and health sectors.

Pitsea waste management site is a large landfill site on the north side of the Thames estuary 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from Pitsea in Basildon, Essex. It is the second largest landfill site in the UK operated by Veolia Ltd. receiving 800,000 tonnes of solid waste per year, mostly from the London conurbation.

Thurrock Thameside Nature Park is an Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve located on top of the former Mucking Marshes Landfill in Thurrock, England which will eventually cover 845 acres (342 ha). It is next to the River Thames and provides good bird and ship watching. The Cory Environmental Trust Visitor Centre is located at the preserve and provides a roof top viewing platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cranham Marsh</span>

Cranham Marsh is a 15.3 hectare Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation in Cranham in the London Borough of Havering. It is owned by Havering Council and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chase Nature Reserve</span>

The Chase is a nature reserve in Dagenham in London. Most of it is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with a small part in Havering. It is owned by the boroughs, and managed by London Borough of Barking & Dagenham - Parks & Countryside Ranger Service. The boroughs have designated the sections in their respective boroughs as Local Nature Reserves. The Chase, together with the neighbouring Eastbrookend Country Park, is also designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.

References

  1. ↑ Wetland Vision website
  2. ↑ RSPB - Rainham Marshes
  3. ↑ RSPB - About Rainham Marshes
  4. ↑ "RSPB Environment and Education Centre, Rainham". van Heyningen and Haward. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  5. ↑ van Heyningen and Haward awards Archived 2013-02-28 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "Rainham Marshes - June Diary". BBC. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  7. ↑ Inner Thames Marshes citation, Natural England
  8. ↑ "Map of Inner Thames Marshes SSSI". Natural England.
  9. ↑ "Wennington, Aveley and Rainham Marshes". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013.
  10. ↑ "iGiGL – helping you find London's parks and wildlife sites (map)". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15.
  11. ↑ "Rainham Marshes". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Map of Rainham Marshes". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  13. ↑ Pierre Bary (12 March 1990). "Euro Disneyland à Marne-la-Vallée au rendez-vous de 1992". Le Soir (in French). Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  14. ↑ "08Jun90 UK: DECISION EXPECTED SOON ON WHETHER 'UNIVERSAL CITY' WILL BE BUILT AT RAINHAM MARSHES. (1 OF 2)". Construction News . 7 June 1990. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  15. ↑ "08Jun90 UK: DECISION EXPECTED SOON ON WHETHER 'UNIVERSAL CITY' WILL BE BUILT AT RAINHAM MARSHES. (2 OF 2)". Construction News . 7 June 1990. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  16. ↑ Michael Williams (14 April 1993). "MCA in talks to become Euro Disney neighbor". Variety . Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  17. ↑ "Master Planning MCA - Universal Studios Movie World". dsewing.com. 10 January 1990. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  18. ↑ "Universal over de hele wereld". parkplanet.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  19. 1 2 "Rainham Landfill Site". Veolia. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  20. 1 2 "Rainham Landfill Gas Power Station" (PDF). EDL Energy. Retrieved 19 July 2020.

Coordinates: 51°29′24″N0°13′30″E / 51.490°N 0.225°E / 51.490; 0.225

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.