Riverbank Arena

The Riverbank Arena was a temporary stadium in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, built on the flat river plain beside the River Lea in Hackney Wick. It consisted of two linked hockey pitches with an artificial water-based turf laid over astroturf. After the 2012 Games the whole structure was taken down, leaving only the concrete bases and service roads. The arena hosted the Olympic field-hockey competition in two stands seating 15,000 and 5,000 spectators. A year later the nearby Eton Manor venue was rebuilt using the dismantled pitches and seating from Riverbank. The new Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre opened in 2014 and has since staged the 2015 EuroHockey Nations Championships. Visitors now find a pair of outdoor hockey pitches and six tennis courts laid out on the same level ground. The site is part of a larger parkland area with wide paths and cycle routes leading to the River Lea towpath. Benches and small planting beds mark the outline of the former stadium, while the converted Eton Manor clubhouse serves as a café and changing rooms.