Flooding in Wanstead Park and nearby
During the early part of February 2014, a long series of storms brought severe weather to many parts of Britain, particularly affecting western areas of the UK, as well as the South Coast. Severe flooding occurred, notably on the Somerset Levels, and later along the Thames in Buckinghamshire and Surrey.
Surface water lies on Wanstead Flats, with hundreds of gulls finding a sanctuaryLocally, we were not quite so badly affected by the winds, nor by the coastal waves and surges, but heavy rainfall led to Wanstead Flats becoming waterlogged, with some large areas of shallow water lying for long periods. This gave rise to some good roosting areas for gulls and even swimming areas for geese. By the 1st of February, the River Roding in Wanstead Park had backed up the channel which should allow overflow from the Ornamental Waters and had overflowed its banks so that almost all of the riverside wood between here and the Canal was underwater, and much of the Bund was a lake. North of the Canal, the riverside path by River Wood was flooded almost all of the way to the Pump House.
Alexandra Lake overflowing into Aldersbrook RoadAcross the river, Wanstead Park Recreation Ground was entirely a lake, and the trackway to Wanstead Park Road was impassable.
This isn't the worst flooding into Wanstead Park that I have seen. In late October 2000 the flooding was so severe that the lower part of Wanstead Golf Course' extension between Warren Road and the river was a lake, or rather, it was part of the Roding. Water was actually gushing through the fence separating the golf course from the Park and flowing across the track into the Ornamental Waters. The lake itself had become part of the river!
From the Aldersbrook Exchange Lands at the same time, the view across Ilford Golf Course was particularly dramatic. Apart from just a narrow strip that was the very top of the flood-bank on the Ilford side, the whole of the golf course had been inundated by the river, forming one vast lake almost from the west bank of the river.
Ilford Golf course and the Roding, as seen from the Exchange Lands on 31st October 2000.Of course, these areas are actually part of the river's flood plain, and the natural course of things is that the river should be able to access these areas so that the water is both dissipated somewhat and proceeds towards the Thames at a slower pace. I haven't heard of people's homes being flooded this time, but in 2000 there was considerable damage done in a number of areas around Woodford and Redbridge. It has recently become much clearer to us that channelising rivers to put them where we want them to go, and building on flood plains, doesn't in the long run do us any favours. We need to have riverside areas which – if flooded – does not have such disastrous effects as would be if they were buildings, or indeed part of our transport system. The playing fields, parks, nature reserves, allotments, golf courses which do typically form our local river-side environment are all examples of uses which may recover reasonably easily and cheaply, even though the temporary loss and changes that may occur because of flooding might feel like an inconvenience, to say the least.
From a wildlife point of view, it might be that an occasional flushing-through of some of the “wilder” areas might be a good thing. We could even make use of some of these low lying areas to increase the number of scrapes, or shallow pools, which – even on a temporary basis – could be a valuable wildlife resource.
Wanstead Golf Course extension - flooding into Wanstead ParkWhen the Ornamental Waters was built, the lake was formed by using the original curving course of the river as its basis, so that from the pump house as far as the Park's ornamental canal, the lake's shape on its east bank is more or less the shape of the river's original course. To achieve this the river was then diverted along a man-made channel, which forms its present course between the pump house and the Canal. Usually it is possible to walk adjacent to the river both within the Park and along the opposite bank. From the park-side walk, the view of the river is very much inhibited by trees and other vegetation, whereby on the Ilford bank it is deliberately kept clearer to allow the flow of water when the river is high. Here we have playing fields nearer to the Redbridge roundabout, then a bramble-thicket that used to be allotments as far as Whiskers island – the wooded area which is actually part of Wanstead Park. Wouldn't it be nice if some of this channelised river-course could be given some curves and the present flood-banks could be set much further back towards the A406 link-road? Then, if there were high waters at least the old allotment areas could act as an overflow? This then could be an area where shallow-water scrapes could be created. Apparently, though, the land is being held for the possible re-creation of allotments, so this dream would seem to be unrealistic.
The Roding Bridge inundated by flood waterThese sort of things are possible, though. Mayesbrook Park in Dagenham has been given a new look by the un-culverting of the Mayes Brook, resulting in a much kinder riverside environment with the brook now following a more natural course through water-side vegetation. This was one of the first such schemes in the country.
The Roding is a lovely river, and even recovers quite well after spillage and other incidents. It could be given the opportunity to be even nicer; if effort were to be put into returning some of its length to its natural form it could become less threatening to the local human population in times of flood and more enticing to its natural partners at any time.
Paul Ferris, 12th February 2014