London’s new treasure: An urban wetland preserve

London just got a new place to go, and it’s not a trendy club or restaurant, but the Walthamstow Wetlands, a group of reservoirs in North London that had been off-limits to the public and is now open to all.

A £10 million investment by the London Wildlife Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund, Waltham Forest Council and Thames Water has opened the area and provided a visitor center. The reserve, which is owned by Thames Water and provides water for 3.5 million households, includes 10 reservoirs, eight islands, London’s larges heron habitat and 13 miles of footpaths and cycle tracks.

Walthamstow expects to host 250,000 visitors in its first year to use the paths and fields and to observe the many species of migrating birds that stop over there. The intent is to avoid large-scale activities, and keep it feeling wild.

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