King Edward Memorial Park is a public open space in the

London Borough of Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London boroughs, London borough covering much of the traditional East End of London, East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London, metropol ...

, on the northern bank of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

. It was opened in 1922 in memory of King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

. With an area of 3.3

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre i ...

s, it is the 11th largest park in Tower Hamlets.King Edward Memorial Park Management Plan 2007–2017
, Tower Hamlets Council Along with a few others in the borough, it has received the

Green Flag Award The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation given to publicly accessible parks and open spaces, managed under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a UK Government department, by Keep Britain Tidy, ...

for quality, and is considered to have good

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity'') ...

value. The park includes a

bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...

, waterfront benches, children's play area, bowling green, all weather football pitch and tennis courts. The paths and public toilets are accessible to wheelchair users. The

Thames Path The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996. The ...

passes through the park.

History

In May 1533, Sir

Hugh Willoughby Sir Hugh Willoughby (fl. 1544; died 1554) was an English soldier and an early Arctic voyager. He served in the court of and fought in the Scottish campaign where he was knighted for his valour. In 1553, he was selected by a company of London ...

set off with three ships, from the site of the current park, in search for the

Northeast Passage The Northeast Passage (abbreviated as NEP) is the Arctic shipping routes, shipping route between the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, Pacific Oceans, along the Arctic coasts of Norway and Russia. The western route through the islands o ...

to India. A stone and plaque placed near the listed Rotherhithe Rotunda commemorate Willoughby's enterprise. The area had been built-up before being turned into a park, with one development being the ''Shadwell Fish Market'', which opened in 1885. The market was not a commercial success and the land became used for informal football matches and a play area by local children. A report in The East London Observer on 23 December 1911, gives a report of a planning committee meeting about the setting up of the King Edward Memorial Park. Proposals and sketches of the plans appeared the next year. King Edward Memorial Park was opened on 24 June 1922 by King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother ...

and Queen Mary with the following dedication: "In grateful memory of King Edward VII. This park is dedicated to the use and enjoyment of the people of East London for ever." The Park proved to be a huge asset to the community from its very first day. In his first-hand account of the opening in 1922, George Jones writes:

“The ‘New Park’ proved to be an absolute bonus to the whole community and its planning was of the highest order, using the contours of levels and slopes down from The Highway to that new excellent promenade by the riverside amply provided with many bench seats and popular with senior citizens. Seen from the upper levels the huge vista of the then very busy Thames was an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colour and activity, of wharves and cranes and ships from all nations.”

The park is famous for its unrestricted views of the river, for its amenitiesGreen Flag Awards
/ref> and its biodiversity value that has won it the

several times. The park serves a number of local districts (

Shadwell Shadwell is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , east of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping (to the west) and Ratcliff (to the east). This riverside location has mea ...

Wapping Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...

Stepney Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appli ...

Ratcliff Ratcliff or Ratcliffe is a locality in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames between Limehouse (to the east), and Shadwell (to the west). The place name is no longer commonly used. History Etymolog ...

and

Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through ...

), is the only riverside park between Tower Hill and the Isle of Dogs, and the only green space available in this portion of the Borough. Local schools use it for their sports days, religious festivals take place there making it a focal point for the local communities. The importance of King Edward VII Memorial Park to local people is shown by the number of nearby residents with memorials there. The park benches on the riverfront are always adorned with flowers in remembrance of beloved family members and also many trees have been planted in honour of local people now passed.

Proposed use for Thames Tunnel works

King Edward VII Memorial Park in spring 2013 (1)

Thames Water Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is a large private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in most of Greater London, Luton, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, north W ...

has proposed to build a new sewer relief tunnel along the Thames, to avoid discharging

sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged from reside ...

into the river as frequently as is currently necessary. The preferred route takes it past this park, and Thames Water proposed that part of the park should be used for construction of the tunnel, leaving a permanent access road through the park from

The Highway A highway is a long road giving a relatively fast connection between two places. Highway may also refer to: Roads in England * The Highway (London) (previously Ratcliff Highway), a road in the East End of London * The Highway, a road in B ...

and a ventilation shaft built on an extension to the

foreshore The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various specie ...

December 2010

Tower Hamlets Council announced official support for an option which would at least leave most of the park accessible during construction, and reinstate it at the end. However, after looking at Thames Water's plans in more detail, it has emerged that the preferred option could make the park unusable for several years. The community has come together and created an action group that opposes the plans for the park and asks Thames Water to build on a

brownfield site In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...

instead. In response to the campaign, many councillors and Cabinet Members have spoken against this project and Mayor Lutfur Rahman himself is a supporter of the SaveKEMP campaign.Keep King Edward VII Memorial Park (KEMP) Green
/ref>

February 2011

On 2 February 2011 a motion to oppose Thames Water's plans and protect King Edward VII Memorial Park and its foreshore was passed with unanimous vote by the full Chamber of LBTH effectively overturning the position taken in December. The plan is also being officially opposed by Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse who said, "I have been impressed by the energy and vigour of local people, for whom King Edward VII Memorial Park is an important part of their lives. The current proposal will turn one of London's vital green lungs into an industrial site and leave a permanent scar on the banks of the river. Thames Water needs to listen, to do its homework more thoroughly, and to come back with alternatives. Yes to reducing water pollution; yes to keeping King Edward VII Memorial Park green." John Biggs, Labour politician and elected member of the London Assembly for City and East London has spoken strongly against Thames Water's plans:

"I support the call by residents of Limehouse, Shadwell, Stepney and Wapping for Thames Water to review its preferred options for the Super Sewer and to focus specifically on brownfield sites for this development. I speak as someone who both endorses the Super Sewer and who knows the Park very well. It is clear to me that the current plans to build on the foreshore of the Park will damage an important local amenity which is more widely used than Thames Water has appreciated. Additionally, the park has an important role as a part of our heritage in the East End, and it needs to be treated with sensitivity. Despite the limitations of the current consultation, local people have seized the initiative to make their voices heard. Thames Water has said that it will use information gathered during the current consultation "to address any concerns which may arise". Local concerns are very clear. Thames Water should look again at options for brownfield development, beyond the options currently identified, so that reducing water pollution does not mean that a vital green space is irreparably damaged and for several years turned into a major construction site."

A large number of residents raised an online petition against the plan and have organised a protest group, as the riverside path would be closed to the public for up to seven years and the community would lose the only riverside park between Tower Hill and the Isle of Dogs.

November 2011

Thames Water issued a modified proposal. The route of the access road has been changed to run next to the

from Glamis Road. This would reduce the impact on the park during construction, and also mean that, on completion, the access road would merge with Thames Path, slightly extending the park and making a wider section of the Thames Path.

September 2014

Thames Water finally received permission to use the park for sewer works, but agreed a £4 million programme of improvements, to be completed before starting the sewer construction. The improvements will include new sports and play facilities, a community building and extending the park onto the foreshore. Moreover, construction works will not normally take place on Saturdays, to reduce the impact on weekend use of the park.

July 2020

The Tideway construction project is ongoing.

Transport links

The nearest stations are

on the

London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a large part of Greater London as w ...

, and

on the

Docklands Light Railway The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated light metro system serving the redeveloped Docklands area of London, England and provides a direct connection between London's two major financial districts, Canary Wharf and the City of Lo ...

. Buses D3 and 100 also serve the park.

References

{{Reflist

External links

King Edward Memorial Park
Tower Hamlets Council
King Edward Memorial Park Foreshore (Wapping)
Tideway construction site
Save King Edward VII Park
local campaign against proposed tunnel works in the park
Thames Tunnel web site
from Thames Water
Wapping campaign to save King Edward Memorial Park
What's in Wapping? Local community website Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Parks and open spaces on the River Thames Wapping