King Edward Memorial Park
Encyclopedia
King Edward Memorial Park is a public open space in Shadwell
, within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
, on the northern bank of the River Thames
.
It was opened in 1922 in memory of King Edward VII
. With an area of 3.3 hectare
s, it is the 11th largest park in Tower Hamlets. Along with a few others in the borough, it has received the Green Flag Award
for quality, and is considered to have good biodiversity
value.
The park includes a bandstand
, 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
passes through the park.
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 site of the park itself is steeped in history. In May 1533, Sir Hugh Willoughby set off from what is now the park with three ships in search for the Northeast Passage to India.
Nowadays a stone and plaque placed near the listed Rotherhithe Rotunda commemorate Willoughby’s courageous enterprise.
The Shadwell Fish Market was opened in 1885 in the area where the park is now. It didn’t do very well however and the land became used for informal football matches and a play area by local children. A report in The East London Observer on the 23rd of 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 George and Queen Mary both attended the official opening on the 24th of June, 1922. In the printed order of proceedings for the opening it stated that the Queen would give a speech. ‘Her Majesty will … declare the park open to the public for ever.’
The park is famous for its unrestricted views of the river, for its amenities
and its biodiversity value that has won it the Green Flag award
several times.
Placed at the crossroads of four Tower Hamlets wards (Shadwell, Wapping, Limehouse and Stepney), King Edward VII Memorial Park 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 and it is overall the focal point of the lives of four vibrant communities.
The importance of King Edward VII Memorial Park for the locals is shown by the number of memorials in the park. Shadwell Park is so dear to the communities around it that many people choose to have their 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.
has proposed to build a new sewer relief tunnel along the Thames, to avoid discharging sewage
into the river as frequently as is currently necessary. The preferred route takes it past this park, and Thames Water proposed that it should be used as one of the sites for construction of the tunnel, leaving a permanent access facility and ventilation shaft on a newly reclaimed extension to the foreshore.
In 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
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.
On 02 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 Limehouse and Poplar 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:
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.
on the London Overground
, and Shadwell
on the Docklands Light Railway
.
Buses D3 and 100 also serve the park.
Shadwell
Shadwell is an inner-city district situated within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets located on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping to the south and Ratcliff to the east...
, within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
, on the northern bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
It was opened in 1922 in memory of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. With an area of 3.3 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s, it is the 11th largest park in Tower Hamlets. Along with a few others in the borough, it has received the Green Flag Award
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
for quality, and is considered to have good biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
value.
The park includes a bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
, 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
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
passes through the park.
History
King Edward Memorial Park was opened in 1922 by King George V and Queen MaryQueen Mary
-Monarchs:* Maria of Montferrat , queen regnant of Jerusalem, daughter of Isabella I of Jerusalem and Conrad of Montferrat and mother of Isabella II of Jerusalem...
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 site of the park itself is steeped in history. In May 1533, Sir Hugh Willoughby set off from what is now the park with three ships in search for the Northeast Passage to India.
Nowadays a stone and plaque placed near the listed Rotherhithe Rotunda commemorate Willoughby’s courageous enterprise.
The Shadwell Fish Market was opened in 1885 in the area where the park is now. It didn’t do very well however and the land became used for informal football matches and a play area by local children. A report in The East London Observer on the 23rd of 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 George and Queen Mary both attended the official opening on the 24th of June, 1922. In the printed order of proceedings for the opening it stated that the Queen would give a speech. ‘Her Majesty will … declare the park open to the public for ever.’
The park is famous for its unrestricted views of the river, for its amenities
and its biodiversity value that has won it the Green Flag award
Green Flag award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
several times.
Placed at the crossroads of four Tower Hamlets wards (Shadwell, Wapping, Limehouse and Stepney), King Edward VII Memorial Park 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 and it is overall the focal point of the lives of four vibrant communities.
The importance of King Edward VII Memorial Park for the locals is shown by the number of memorials in the park. Shadwell Park is so dear to the communities around it that many people choose to have their 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
Thames WaterThames Water
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of in the United Kingdom...
has proposed to build a new sewer relief tunnel along the Thames, to avoid discharging sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
into the river as frequently as is currently necessary. The preferred route takes it past this park, and Thames Water proposed that it should be used as one of the sites for construction of the tunnel, leaving a permanent access facility and ventilation shaft on a newly reclaimed extension to the foreshore.
In 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
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
instead. In response to the campaign, many councillors and Cabinet Members have spoken against this project and Mayor Lutfur Rahman
Lutfur Rahman
Lutfur Rahman is a community activist and local politician in London, England. He became the first directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2010, having previously been the leader of Tower Hamlets London Borough Council from 2008 to 2010.-Education:...
himself is a supporter of the SaveKEMP campaign.
On 02 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
Jim Fitzpatrick
Jim Fitzpatrick may refer to:*Jim Fitzpatrick , Irish artist*Jim Fitzpatrick , British politician*Jim Fitzpatrick , American roller derby athlete, referee, and author*Jim Fitzpatrick , American actorSee also...
, Labour MP for Limehouse and Poplar 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.
Transport links
The nearest stations are Wapping or ShadwellShadwell railway station
Shadwell railway station was a railway station in the parish of St George in the East, London on the London and Blackwall Railway that is no longer open. It was situated 50 yards to the east of the present Shadwell station on the Docklands Light Railway, with the station entrance on Sutton Street...
on the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
, and Shadwell
Shadwell DLR station
Shadwell DLR station on the Docklands Light Railway is between the terminals of Bank and Tower Gateway to the west and Limehouse to the east. The 1991 Bank extension joins the main DLR line just to the west of Shadwell.-History:...
on the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
.
Buses D3 and 100 also serve the park.
External links
- King Edward Memorial Park, Tower Hamlets Council
- Save King Edward VII Park, local campaign against proposed tunnel works in the park
- Wapping campaign to save King Edward Memorial Park, What's in Wapping? Local community website