The Thames is a tidal river flowing through the heart of a major metropolitan area.  According to the Thames River Boat website, "Near to the new and full moons (about every two weeks) we have spring tides when there is a rise and fall between low tide and high tide of up to 8m (26')."  As the river passes through the heart of the city it is contained between substantial embankments but the danger of a significant flood and its impact on the city's infrastructure is ever present.  In 1974 work began to address the concern by constructing this barrier across the river east of the city at Silvertown.  The plan called for the construction of one of the largest moveable flood barriers in the world spanning 520 metres with 10 steel gates designed to hold back potentially destructive flood tides.

The barrier was completed in 1982 and used for the first time in 1983.  The official opening ceremony, attended by Queen Elizabeth, didn't happen until 1984.  It is made up of a series of piers between which are rotating gates.  Six of the gaps in the barrier are navigable.  Four of those gates are 61 metres wide and two are 30 metres wide.  When the barrier is open, the gates sit on the river bed.  When the barrier is closing, the mechanism rotates the gates into position.  Each of these central gates is 20.1 metres high and weighs 3,700 tonnes. 




Closer to shore there four more gates that are each about 30 metres wide.  These channels are not navigable.









The london.gov.uk website describes it as providing, "... a focal point for Newham residents and attraction for visitors to the area. The riverside area was redeveloped and landscaped with fountains, family areas, flower gardens and tended lawns. The park has helped to significantly regenerate the area. ... One of the park’s most imaginative and attractive features is The Green Dock (see above & below) which was created by renowned horticulturalist Alain Cousseran and Alain Provost. A 1km circuit of the boundary paths takes you to the Visitor Pavilion Coffee Shop where refreshments are available."



At the end of the Green Dock is a Pavilion of Remembrance, intended to honour the memory of local residents who lost their lives during WW2.  When we visited it in 2013, it was closed off to the public over concerns about safety.