| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 The entrance to the London Wetland Centre Visitors Centre and the statue of Peter Scott by Nicola Godden on the left | |
| Location | Greater London |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ 228770 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 29.9 hectares |
| Notification | 2002 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
WWT London Wetland Centre is awetland reserve managed by theWildfowl and Wetlands Trust in theBarnes area of theLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwestLondon, England, byBarn Elms. The site is formed of four disused Victorian reservoirs tucked into a loop in the Thames.
The centre first opened in 2000, and in 2002 an area of 29.9 hectares was designated aSite of Special Scientific Interest as theBarn Elms Wetland Centre.[1]
The centre occupies more than 100 acres (40 hectares) of land which was formerly occupied by several small reservoirs. These were converted into a wide range of wetland features and habitats before the centre opened in May 2000. It was the firsturban project of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Many wild birds which have now made their home in the centre cannot be found anywhere else in London, and there are nationally significant numbers ofgadwall andnorthern shoveler. Other wild birds includeEurasian bittern,northern pintail,northern lapwing,water rail,ring-necked parakeet,Eurasian sparrowhawk,sand martin,common kingfisher,little grebe andgreat crested grebe. The centre also holds a collection of captivewildfowl.
It is host to regular lectures and events concerned with preserving Britain's wetland animals and was featured on the BBC television programmeSeven Natural Wonders in 2005 as one of the wonders of the London area, with a focus on the region'sparakeets, in an episode presented byBill Oddie. The site contains a large visitors' building which is occasionally used as a wedding venue.
In 2012 WWT London Wetland Centre was voted Britain's Favourite Nature Reserve in theBBC Countryfile Magazine Awards. The site received 190,206 visitors during 2019.[2]
51°28′43″N0°13′59″W / 51.4786°N 0.2331°W /51.4786; -0.2331
| Wetland centres | |
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| People and related topics | |
| Districts |   | |
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| Railway stations | ||
| Streets and roads | ||
| Thames bridges, islands and river services | ||
| Other rivers and streams | ||
| Sports venues | ||
| Events | ||
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| Theatres, cinemas and music venues | ||
| Film and recording studios | ||
| Media and publishing | ||
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| Historical royal palaces | ||
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| Parliamentary constituencies | ||
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| Royal parks |  | |
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| Largeurban parks |
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| Country parks | ||
| Commons | ||
| Village greens | ||
| Marshes and wetlands | ||
| Woodland | ||
| House gardens |
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| Entry-fee charging | ||
| Community gardens | ||
