The Story of the Location : Waterworks Meadow, Lea Valley, London
“Waterworks Meadow” is a place that takes its name from the 19th-century water infrastructure that once shaped this part of the Lea Valley. The term “waterworks” refers to the reservoirs and supply systems built to serve London’s rapidly growing population, while “meadow” reflects the area’s natural low-lying grassland. Over time, human structures fell silent, and the land gradually returned to its original natural form — yet it did not simply revert. Through the passage of time and the traces of human activity, this place was reborn, gaining new life. Nature remained itself, humans remained themselves, and both had to navigate a delicate, intertwined presence.