West Reservoir
West Reservoir was built in 1833 to purify the New River water and to act as a water reserve for London. The former filter house was built in the 1930s and is now a visitor and watersports center with a café.
West Reservoir is 30 acres in size and is one of the most significant leisure and natural resources in inner London. The reservoir is a haven for wildlife, and both adults and children can take part in a variety of watersports and open water swimming.
West Reservoir Centre
The West Reservoir Centre is located on 23 acres of water of the West Reservoir site. It provides open water swimming in the heart of Hackney, as well as a variety of other watersports.
The centre is Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) accredited, and recognised by both British Canoeing (BC) and the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). This means both adults and children can take part in certificated sailing and kayaking courses with expert instructors.
BETTER manages the West Reservoir Centre. To plan your visit or book an activity, visit West Reservoir Centre – BETTER.
West Reservoir improvements
In April 2023, we consulted residents to propose improvements to West Reservoir. Proposed improvements included:
- increasing the accessibility of West Reservoir
- creating access to new green space
- upgrading some elements of the West Reservoir Centre facilities
The consultation ran for eight weeks and we spoke to 794 people. We gained lots of helpful feedback and it helped us identify opportunities to deliver inclusive facilities which will make sure more people can experience the site. See the West Reservoir consultation report (PDF 634kb).
The improvement works have now started. So far, we have:
- resurfaced the New River Path
- added reed beds to the edges of the reservoir to prevent access to the water and protect nesting birds
We will continue making further improvements throughout 2024 and 2025.
Barbecues
Barbecues are not allowed at West Reservoir.
Fishing
Fishing is not allowed in any of Hackney’s parks, including West Reservoir.
Dogs
Dogs are not allowed in West Reservoir. For more information, visit Public spaces protection order (Dog control).