Hedge Maze, Thames Barrier Park

The Thames Barrier Park is an open space on the north side of the River Thames, right next to the impressive structure of the Thames Barrier. When it opened in November 2000, it was London’s largest new riverside park for more than 50 years. There is a coffee shop in the park which affords great views over the river and the Thames Barrier.

The park was built on the site of the former PR Chemicals factory. On londonsroyaldocks.com/forgotten-stories-smells-silvertown you can read some personal memories about the site: "My late mother Lily worked at PR Chemicals (Printar Industries) in Silvertown as company secretary for many years. It was officially recognised as one of the most polluted sites in Britain many years later.
Ships, workers and mail (hence my stamp collection – officially worth not a lot by experts despite having stamps from all over the world) – came from all over. Pollutants spilled out everyone. The smell was like nothing I had or have experienced. Choking, gasping, but you got used to it. When the firm closed and it was identified the site had to undergo about 25 different layers of decontamination by men wearing special suits on a site I had played on and where people worked."