| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 Water-wheeled gunpowder press located on the site | |
| Location | Essex |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TL376020 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 84.5 (ac) 34.2 (ha) |
| Notification | 1986 |
| Location map | Magic map |
Waltham Abbey SSSI is a 34.2-hectare (85-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest which is located within the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey in Essex. [1] [2]
For 300 years the area was cut off from its surroundings by river boundaries and the highly secret nature of its work. The site was finally closed in 1991. Decontamination work was carried out between 1992-96 and the site opened to the public in 2001. [3]
The woodland site lies to the north of the present day Gunpowder Mills and is bounded by the River Lee Flood Relief Channel to the north and west while the Cornmill Stream forms its eastern boundary.
The site is alder woodland on damp soils, with other trees including sycamore, ash and crack willow. The trees were planted around 1700 to provide charcoal for the manufacture of gunpowder, and planting ceased at the time of the First World War. The wood has the largest heronry in Essex, which was present in 1974 and had 26 pairs in 1984. Other birds include tawny owls, tree sparrows, reed warblers, sedge warblers and blackcaps. [1]
Access is from Beaulieu Drive and there is a charge for entry. [4]
Rail
Waltham Abbey is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the metropolitan and urban area of London, England, 14 miles (23 km) north-east of Charing Cross. It lies on the Greenwich Meridian, between the River Lea in the west and Epping Forest in the east, with large sections forming part of the Metropolitan Green Belt. It borders Nazeing and Epping Upland to the north, Chingford to the south, Loughton, Theydon Bois and Buckhurst Hill to the east and south-east, and Waltham Cross, Cheshunt and Enfield to the west.
Ingrebourne Valley is a local nature reserve (LNR) in Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering. It is owned and managed by Havering Council, and has a visitor centre managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. Most of it is in Hornchurch Country Park west of the River Ingrebourne, but there are also areas north and south of the park which are part of the LNR. It has a wide range of habitats, including woodland, grassland, the river and marshes. It is an important site for a range of species of plants, animals and birds, including great crested newts, slow worms, the harvest mouse and the water vole.
Walthamstow Marshes, is a 36.7-hectare (91-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It was once an area of lammas land – common land used for growing crops and grazing cattle.
The Royal Gunpowder Mills are a former industrial site in Waltham Abbey, England. It was one of three Royal Gunpowder Mills in the United Kingdom. Waltham Abbey is the only site to have survived virtually intact.
Hatfield Forest is a 403.2-hectare (996-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Essex, three miles east of Bishop's Stortford. It is also a National Nature Reserve and a Nature Conservation Review site. It is owned and managed by the National Trust. A medieval warren in the forest is a Scheduled Monument.
Sevenoaks Gravel Pits is a 73.7-hectare (182-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the northern outskirts of Sevenoaks in Kent. It is managed by Kent Wildlife Trust as the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve and Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre.
Hedgecourt is a 33.6-hectare (83-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Felbridge in Surrey. An area of 5-hectare (12-acre) is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust.
The River Lee Country Park is located in the Lee Valley Park and is managed by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. Covering 1,000 acres (400 ha) on either side of the River Lee Navigation between Waltham Abbey and Broxbourne, it is an area of lakes, watercourses, open spaces and three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) linked by footpaths and cycle tracks.
The Cornmill Stream is a minor tributary of the River Lea in the English county of Essex.
The Millhead Stream is a minor tributary of the River Lea in England. The stream flows north to south across the Waltham Abbey flood plain and through the site of the former Royal Gunpowder Mills.
The Cornmill Stream and Old River Lea is a 24.6-hectare (61-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Waltham Abbey, Essex.
Lady of the Lea is a spritsail Thames sailing barge, the last such barge to be built in England. She was built in 1931 to carry explosives from Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills on the River Lea to Woolwich Arsenal on the River Thames. The barge was later sold and rebuilt. She currently operates as a private yacht and competes in Thames sailing barge matches.
Chalkney Wood is a 72.6-hectare (179-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of Earls Colne in Essex, England. 25 hectares is owned by Essex County Council and 48 hectares by Forestry England.
Great Wood and Dodd's Grove is a 36.8-hectare (91-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. It is also a Local Nature Reserve called Belfairs. Essex Wildlife Trust runs the Belfairs Woodland Centre and manages the site together with Southend-on-Sea City Council.
Quendon Wood is a 32.1-hectare (79-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Quendon in Essex.
Roman River is a 275.6-hectare (681-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south of Colchester in Essex. Two areas, Friday Wood and Donyland Wood, were formerly separate SSSIs.
Stour and Copperas Woods, Ramsey is a 77.1-hectare (191-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Wrabness and Ramsey in Essex. It is two separate areas, Stour Wood, which is owned by the Woodland Trust and managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Copperas Wood, which is owned and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. It is in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Thorndon Park is a 141.4-hectare (349-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Brentwood in Essex. Part of it is run by Essex County Council as Thorndon Country Park, and the Essex Wildlife Trust manages its visitor centre.
Tiptree Heath is a 25 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Tiptree in Essex, England. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust together with the Friends of Tiptree Heath.
Forest Mere is a 14.6-hectare (36-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Midhurst in West Sussex.