12/03/16 - Wandering the Wandle

Distance - 14.8 Miles
Geocaches - 5
Walk Start - East Croydon
Finish - Wandsworth Town
Pubs - The Surrey Arms, Mitcham (Stella), Old Sergeant, Wandsworth (Young's Special)



Back in London for the next adventure.  This is a first, walking an entire river from the source to the mouth in a day.  The River Wandle, unusually for a Thames Tributary, is mainly uncovered - with riverside paths along its length.

Merton Council have produced a guide concise enough to talk a Brummie into heading down to the smoke on cheap pre booked Virgin train tickets.

Its starts, incongruously enough, at East Croydon Station.

Country Walking?  Not Sure

Strange place Croydon.  The shops are selling diaries for the bargain price of 99p.  They are 2015 diaries.  Wetherspoons is open and full.  Its 9:17am and a rambler is making his way through the shoppers and the drinkers looking for a sign of something special.

And this is it - Wandle Park

Wandle Park provides it.  Under a grate, starts the perfectly clear River Wandle.  20 years ago, it was classed as a dead river - pollution killing all forms of life.  But things change, its now crystal clear and for the entire 14 miles, there are fishermen,  Presumably, they are not wasting their time and there are things to catch.

Route finding when plotting the walk was a touch tricky.  The leaflet is good but small sized, so it took me a while to get it plotted into my GPS.  Fortunately, once you get to Waddon Pool, the route is well signposted.

Follow the Wheel

But it's not all parks and countryside.  There are grim reminders that we are South of the Water.

Its that rough, even the Bricks get nicked

Beddington Park provides a respite from the urban grittiness. It's that pleasant that the Romans built a bath house here.  I'll make do with the daffs.

Springtime in Beddington

The signs offer an opportunity of a short cut at Carshalton leisure centre, but if I'm committed to something, I am going to do it properly.  And extra 3/4 of a mile to investigate Carshalton ponds and a chance to eat lunch under the peeling bells of the Church.

Shared with flying rats

The Wandle was referred to as the hardest working river in the world during Victorian times.  There used to be 90 mills along its 14 mile length.  At Carshalton, I find the remains of the first.

First wheel along the Wandle

The river pulls me along a couple of miles into Mitcham.  At 12:03pm, it has to be time for a break.

What the Surrey Arms lacks in real ale, it makes up with reassuringly inexpensive continental lager.

Springtime in Mitcham

Refreshed, I am into the National Trust's Morden Hall Park.  It's a delight.

Rapids

Morden Hall behind the Arches

From this point on, its all riverside walking.  Merton, through Colliers Wood, South Wimbledon, Summerstown, Earlsfield and into Wandsworth.  Earlsfield apart, you see little of the towns and could be completing a country ramble anywhere.

The Camra Guide to London Pubs and Bars indicates the only place to drink in Wandsworth (since the Young's Brewery closed in 2006) is the Old Sergeant.  A diversion is required, but only a small one.

Nothing too special, although I do spend rather too long looking at the man with a happy Staffordshire Bull Terrier on a massive gold chain who I think is John Lydon (man, not dog).

Best in Wandsorth

Young's Country 

Find my way back to the river in King George's Park and all I need to do now is work my way across the Wandsworth Gyratory and see where its spills into the Thames.

The End of the Trail - and Start of Tony's Troubles

A walk worthy of being included in my "Long Distance Trails of the UK" guide book completed in a day.

The real joy was seeing a river brought back to life and thriving.

Who says things don't get better?