Currently, the main flow of the river through the park is in a culvert directly under the path shown in the photo above.
Successful lottery bid – work starts soon!
No, not Europe’s great river – the little stream in north London’s Haringey. It once wound its way from Muswell Hill through open country to join the River Lea, but following urbanisation in the 19th century, became almost entirely culverted.
In 2008, for a presentation, QWAG was delighted to provide Haringey Council with ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of restoration of our own River Quaggy in Sutcliffe Park and Chinbrook Meadows. Haringey was seeking Lottery Funding for improving its Lordship Recreation Ground, one of the largest open space in the borough. Proposed work included breaking the Moselle out of a straight concrete culvert and integrating it as a natural river into the park.
In October 2010, an award of £3.8 million was made with further sums from the Environment Agency, the Greater London Authority and the council itself. Other partners include the Friends of Lordship Recreation Ground who have been instrumental in their support for the scheme.
Currently, the main flow of the river through the park is in a culvert directly under the path shown in the photo above. The new channel, freed from its straight jacket, will in places meander further out into the park, complete with bankside vegetation. The course of the original stream (seen to the right) was kept intact as an overflow channel. It will be back-filled with soil from the new excavations.
Work is due to start in spring 2011, to be completed by mid 2012. River restoration along the Quaggy and Ravensbourne has proved a wow with local people – and wild life too. It will surely have the same effect in Haringey. Restoring rivers is an all-win situation.
Original course of the Moselle in Lordship Recreation Ground – today, it’s a mere overflow channel. Muswell Hill was once known as Mosse Hill and the river, starting at the Moswell , was formerly the Mosa or Mosella. ‘Broadwater Farm’ takes its name from a place where the Moselle once flowed through marshy ground immediately downstream of the park
