Stave Hill Ecology Park, Surrey Docklands

Down the road from Lavender Pond another section of the old Surrey Commercial Docks has become woodlands and a nature reserve – the Stave Hill Ecology Park. It is a peaceful, quiet place to walk, or wander and in The Shed, the Visitor Centre, there are ideas galore about conservation, recycling, gardening – do visit!

Surrey Docks, 1930s (http://www.londoncanals.co.uk/grsurrey/gsc15.html)
Surrey Docks, 1930s (http://www.londoncanals.co.uk/grsurrey/gsc15.html)
Map of Stave Hill & Russia Docklands (http://barges-local.net/2011/05/17/stave-hill-ecological-park-shep/)
Map of Stave Hill & Russia Docklands today (http://barges-local.net/2011/05/17/stave-hill-ecological-park-shep/)

If you arrive by underground at Canada Water, look at the Canada Water Dock and then walk along the Albion Channel  and follow signs to Stave Hill.

Canada Water Dock Albion Channel

Alternatively, if you visit by car, park in Timber Pond Road and walk up Dock Hill Avenue to Stave Hill itself where there are several entrances to the Park.

Stave Hill entrance from Timber Pond Road

Dock Hill Avenue up to Stave Hill

Stave Hill is an artificial hill created in 1985-89 from rubble when the docks were filled in. From the top of the hill there are views to Canary Wharf, and the City.

From Stave Hill, looking towards the City

Stave Hill

Around Stave Hill is the Stave Hill Ecology Park which was created by the Trust for Urban Ecology and which ‘…has been designed and managed to form a mosaic of grassland, woodland, scrub and wetland habitats which support a wide variety of wildlife…’. In the Park there are paths through open grassland with ponds, and woods, and everywhere there are wild flowers.

Stave Hill

16-6-5 Stave Hill LR-5134

Entering the Stave Hill Ecology Park

A pond with flag irises in Stave Hill Ecology Park

A pond with flag irises in Stave Hill Ecology Park

There are roses everywhere.

Roses at Stave Hill

16-6-5 Stave Hill LR-521516-6-5 Stave Hill LR-5159

Bird boxes are dotted around the woods.

Bird boxes in Stave Hill Ecology Park

The woods are amazing – we are less than 6 miles from Trafalgar Square!

Woodland walk in Stave Hill Ecology Park

Wild viburnum

Stave Hill

Grassland clearings are unexpected, filled with light and flowers.

Stave Hill

Grasses at Stave Hill

In the shade on the edge of the woods there a myriad of beautiful tiny flowers – just take time to look.

Cow Parsley in the woods at Stave Hill

Vetch

Flag irises

And next time I am visiting The Shed Visitor Information Centre.

You may be interested in
Stave Hill Ecological Park and here

I'd love to hear from you!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.