Wandle Walk from Croydon to Earlsfield/Wandsworth – Saturday 26 September
This walk was part of the Wandle Fortnight. The first half of the walk was led by Melanie and the second half by Peter. Melanie gave us this report about the walk.
The walk started at the bridge in Wandle Park with a minute’s silence to honour Sergeant Ratana, tragically killed in Croydon just the day before. We then went back over Wandle Park Tram Stop and were joined at Waddon Ponds by Del, who had seen the walk advertised on the Wandle Valley Forum website. The rest were all Ramblers. Numbers fluctuated with much coming and going through the day, however the morning walk had twenty walkers and in the afternoon there were seventeen, so it was a good turnout.
We were lucky to have Roger Steele from the Wandle Industrial Museum with us who was a great source of information about the mills and their history. Also Del told us how, as children, he and his friends would clamber through the underground diversion pipes leading from Wandle Road, and alongside Beddington Mill in the 1980’s. The area has since been re-engineered and a grill now covers the pipe.
Carshalton was our morning coffee stop and we enjoyed refreshments at Sassis Café in Grove Park. After that we visited Wilderness Island and leaflets from the London Wildlife Trust were distributed to everyone about the various habitats on the island. The paths were quite clear although the working party was due to carry out their monthly tidy up the next day. Contact
After that we came through Claudio Funari’s amazing Community Garden at Hackbridge. This was just a plain patch of grass when I first walked the Wandle Trail but it has been transformed into a beautiful Wandle oasis by Claudio over the years. He was carving benches when we passed but he stopped to come and say hello to our group. He has a strong Instagram and Facebook following.
Lunch was at Morden Hall Park and afterwards the group continued with Peter at the helm. He had decided to only go as far as Earlsfield due to narrow pavements (the dreaded Covid issue!). However, four walkers kept going alone and after a few issues with closed bridges around King George’s Park they got to the Delta at Wandsworth (where it was blowing a gale) at 4.30 pm.
So it was a good day, the weather held out and we saw plenty of herons and fishermen along the way.
The walkers definitely appreciated the Wandle logo face masks which I made them put on for the various photo shoots through the day!
Wandle Park at the start
Beddington Park - under the Caucasian Wing Nut Tree
Claudio Funari's Community Garden at Hackbridge
Watercress Park
Heron by Bennetts' Hole
Snuff Mill, Morden Hall Park, ready for second half of walk with Peter
The Wandle meets the Thames at the end of walk
