Thames Barrier Park

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Since 1984, the Thames Barrier has been an integral part of the River's safety procedure; now however, it's become more of a great day out.



By bus, DLR (Pontoon Dock DLR station) or by car where you can park up for up to 2hours for free, the Thames Barrier and Barrier Park are easily accessible.

No matter how you're arriving, make your first stop the Cafe (daily 7am-7:15pm). This spacious glassed centre is a nice space to sit and enjoy a quick bite, or merely to grab a takeaway coffee before heading out on a walk. There are also free toilets inside as well as information on the surrounding area.

Heading out of the centre, you'll find the riverside area which includes the Thames Barrier park itself- a must-visit in the area. The sunken garden is thanks to Patel Taylor and Alain Provost who won the international competition to design the park in 1995, and has remained an underrated gem of the riverside since. "Every aspect of the park, from its urban form - which seeks to link the park into the surrounding docklands - to the varied richness of its landscaped components and the design of its buildings, its 'fixtures and fittings' - makes a contemporary cultural statement. It creates a series of settings for surrounding new development to respond to and is a rich and inviting new public space which effectively initiates a new piece of London with its own clear identity, but which links with the river and industrial context." - pateltaylor.co.uk

When it comes to the barrier, a walk along the path on the Silvertown side (north of the river) has a great view alongside the developing architecture. Walking alongside the Goddard Manton apartments (picture below), it's easy to forget that you're at the Royal Docks, and instead, feels somewhat like you're walking around Los Angeles.



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