Canning Town Walk (June 2007)
9 Thames Barrier Park
London's first major riverside park was officially opened by the Mayor in November 2000, following a competition in 1995. Designed by French landscape architect Alain Provost, in an Anglo-French collaboration of urban designers Group Signes and Patel Taylor. The major feature is the 'Green Dock' with hedges trimmed to represent waves.
The children's fun area is a nice idea, but this works better at Parc Citroen in Paris, and hasn't stood up to British weather or use. We just don't have the same level of upkeep in Newham as does the City of Paris. Competitions such as was carried out for this are a good idea, but only if the judges think rather more about what the result will look like in ten years time rather than on the sketches. It is also unfortunately not possible to enter the Green Dock at the ground level at the north end and walk through it (there is still an entry at the south end.)
The sides of the dock were lined by a metal fence with lower wires, which have currently been removed. In their place the fence is lined by normal street safety barriers, tied together with plastic bags. Although it may be effective, it is visually unacceptable and hopefully the fences are to be repared and these removed.
The two buildings in the park have a Japanese feel. One usefully houses toilets and a café, while the other was erected by Newham in memory of the victims of war. Its undulating seating was intended to carry on the wave theme of the Green Dock, but is perhaps of more interest to skateboarders than for comfort.
Walk along the edge of the 'Green Dock' to the riverside.
The park gives an excellent view of the Thames Barrier. Silvertown was one of the areas to be flooded in 1953, though rather less disastrously than Canvey, although some 1130 homes here were flooded. It took until 1982 for the Thames Barrier to be completed. Estimates of how much longer it will remain effective with the sea level rise due to global warming vary widely, but certainly at the moment it is getting used rather more often than was envisaged.
Walk back along the other edge of the Green Dock to the cafe and/or the station.
next: DLR
