Tower Hamlets Council has given the green light to proposals that will completely overhaul the historic moat surrounding the Tower of London.
The scheme includes creating pools, drainage gardens, a grassland area, a commemorative monument and a community meeting place, along with reintroducing water for the first time in nearly two centuries.
The approved design aims to establish a biodiverse moat environment that restores visitors’ connection to the fortress’s military heritage while addressing ecological decline and water shortages.
Historic Royal Palaces, the organisation behind the initiative, will ensure the moat’s three accessible sides remain open to visitors, featuring a combination of pools, marshland, wildflower zones and grass sections with walking routes and places to sit.
The western section will incorporate drainage gardens supplied through historic outlets built into the retaining wall.
An open wildflower meadow offering panoramic views across the moat will be established, together with a large community gathering area close to the main entrance.
The northern perimeter will feature commemorative elements honouring those who served in the two global conflicts, depicting a First World War infantryman emerging from vegetation and a Women’s Auxiliary Air Force operative gripping a barrage balloon’s steel cable.
A seating zone will also be created where the North Bastion Tower once stood, having sustained severe damage during the Second World War before its demolition.
The eastern section will house an educational nature pool designed for school excursions and interactive areas exploring how the moat historically sustained daily operations, food cultivation and manufacturing at the fortress.
The moat currently hosts the Superbloom display of wildflowers installed during summer 2022.
That same summer experienced unprecedented temperatures in June, July and August, leading Thames Water to impose water restrictions.
Documents accompanying the application revealed that an emergency reserve watering tank was depleted before it could adequately hydrate the plantings.
The submission noted that Historic Royal Palaces recognises the 2022 drought demonstrated maintaining an attraction like Superbloom in peak condition demands substantial water resources.
The new scheme will utilise water gathered in a Victorian-era drainage channel that collects rainfall to sustain the marshland during extended dry spells.
Council planning staff characterised the approach as an exceptional and inventive design solution that strengthens the Tower of London’s context and recognition while providing considerable ecological advantages.
They stated the scheme would bring visible alterations to the moat’s character and visitor experience, inflicting minor damage to the Tower’s historical significance.
However, they clarified this would not compromise the monument’s core qualities defining its world heritage status or structural integrity.
They concluded that the benefits to the public, including improved wildlife habitats, climate adaptation, environmental sustainability, public access, historical understanding and visitor enjoyment, would offset this minimal impact.