The final section of the largest park in the country will open to the public this weekend.

Since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games, £300 million has been invested to transform 27 acres of land that encompasses the south of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford.

The green space, which is filled with 1,000 mature trees, six bridges, seating areas and thousands of lights,  will open at 10am on Saturday.

Throughout the day there will be live singing, poetry, drama and a performance by acrobats.

Dr Philip Askew, head of landscaping and public realm at the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), described the park as a "21st century leisure garden" with spectacular views of the Orbit, the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatic Centre.

The main features include a promenade lined with 100 mature Oak and Tulip trees, lit at night by 57 orb lights, a large water feature overlooking the Orbit and stadium, a mini amphitheatre, a 20ft climbing wall and an old-fashioned carousel.

There are several different seating areas incluiding wooden sun-loungers, swinging benches and grass mounds.

Visitors can sit and relax with a coffee in the cafe or a cocktail in the roof-terraced bar, both of which sit adjacent to the promenade and overlook the Aquatic centre. 

In the near future, it is hoped canal boats and public-hired leisure boats will pass through Carpenters Lock, which runs through the south of the park, as British Waterways work to re-open links to the canal.

Prior to the games, the south of the park was home to a polluted derelict railway goods yard and Carpenters Lock was impassable.

Dr Askew said: "I am very happy with the work. We've had a great team of designers, architects, engineers and contractors and from the start I've insisted quality is the most important aspect. 

"I believe the legacy of the games is a happening today. In other games, the venues in the host cities have been quite static where we've had lots happening.

"This park is what I describe as a vibrant Southbank and far more transformative than Canary Wharf."

Over 1 million people have visited the north side of the park, which opened in 2013, and since the opening of the Aquatic Centre one month ago, 55, 000 people have visited.

The park will be open 24 hours, seven days a week and the cafe and bar will open every day, closing at 11pm on Monday to Saturday.

 

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