Lavender Pond is a 2.5 acre local nature reserve in

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of Dogs ...

in the

London Borough of Southwark The London Borough of Southwark ( ) in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas ...

. It is owned by Southwark Council and managed by

The Conservation Volunteers The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) is a British community volunteering charity focused on environmental conservation through practical tasks undertaken by volunteers. Until 1 May 2012, it traded as BTCV – British Trust for Conservation Volunte ...

. The nature reserve has an area of woodland as well as the pond.

History

The site is in the northern end of the former

Surrey Commercial Docks The Surrey Commercial Docks were a large group of docks in Rotherhithe, South East London, located on the south bank (the Surrey side) of the River Thames. The docks operated in one form or another from 1696 to 1969. Most were subsequently fi ...

. The pond is a small part of the much larger former Lavender Pond, where timber was floated to prevent it drying and cracking. In 1928 the entrance to the pond was blocked when the

Port of London Authority The Port of London Authority (PLA) is a self-funding public trust established on 31 March 1909 in accordance with the Port of London Act 1908 to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and its ...

built the Pumphouse on the site to control the water levels in Surrey Docks. In 1970 the Docks were closed. The area became neglected and the pond was filled in, but in 1981 the pond was re-created as part of a nature reserve.

Ecology

The reserve has the small wildlife pond, wet meadows and native trees have been planted in the woodland area. As well as an area for wildlife, the reserve aims to be a haven for local residents and an educational resource. Some areas are left undisturbed while others are used by schoolchildren.

Pumphouse Educational Museum

The Pumphouse Educational Museum was located in the former pumphouse adjacent to the pond, and housed the Rotherhithe Heritage Museum and artefacts from the Thames shore from Roman times onwards. The museum was closed by the local council in 2011.

Access

The pond is unfenced and there is access from Lavender Road and Salter Road, but the wood is kept locked and there is no public access.

References

External links

Friends of Lavender Pond

The Pumphouse Educational Museum
{{LNRs in Greater London Local nature reserves in Greater London Nature reserves in the London Borough of Southwark