The Wandle Trail - Map and Illustrated Guide


The Wandle offered wonderful trout fishing up to the latter part of the last century. The Wandle Trail was established by the Wandle Group in association with the Wandle Industrial Museum in September 1988, launched with a walk with over 200 participants, led by Colin Saunders. 'The Wandle Trail Map and Guide' was put together in 1996 by the Wandle Industrial Museum with the support and help of London Borough of Merton, and sponsorship from Brown and Root.

It is now at the core of the efforts of the Wandle Group and we are integral to the Wandle Trail Working Party, which includes all the 4 Wandle Boroughs, Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton and Croydon.

This original guide aimed to encourage and assist those who wish to explore the River Wandle and its heritage. Whether taken as a short stroll or a long walk it provided a brief outline of the main points of interest and the principle features of the route.

The full length of the Wandle Trail is a 11.5 mile long route that follows the River Wandle from Sutton, through Merton to where it enters the Thames in Wandsworth. Two thirds of the riverside is accessible to the public.

One of the main changes since 1996 has been the opening of Croydon Tramlink, whose stations at Phipps Bridge, Belgrave Walk, Mitcham, Ampere Way and Waddon Marsh all service the Trail. The line is broadly the same as the railway shown in the Guide, but more stations have been added.

The book 'The Wandle Trail' published by the Museum (£1.50p) or the 'Wandle Guide' book published by Sutton Leisure Services for the Wandle Group (£4.95p), as well as the smaller booklets referred to in these notes, all available in the Shop or by mail order.

Today the area around the River Wandle combines gracious parkland and industrial wasteland, urban street and garden suburb, far removed from the rural landscape of earlier centuries when the river margins harboured bleaching fields, osier plantations and watercress beds.

Successive generations have left their mark on the landscape. Many of the parks through which the Wandle flows are formed by the remnants of manors, estates and pleasure grounds laid out by the gentry and the prosperous to express their wealth and status.

However nothing was to have such a profound impact on the river as the demands of water-powered industries. This continuously redefined the Wandle during the centuries in which mills proliferated, manufacturing copper and iron, oil, leather, paper, snuff and printed textiles.

The Surrey Iron Railway, the first public railway in Britain, operated from 1803-46 using horse-drawn waggons to transport goods as far as the Thames at Wandsworth.

From the late 19th century onwards a tide of house building engulfed the valley, transforming Surrey villages into London suburbs. The Wandle diminished in significance and decreased in flow. Fortunately at the same time individuals began to work together to protect the environment and its heritage; a task which is continued through a variety of organisations to the present day.

I am the website administrator of the Wandle industrial museum (http://www.wandle.org). Established in 1983 by local people to ensure that the history of the valley was no longer neglected but enhanced awareness its heritage for the use and benefits of the community.


MORE RESOURCES:

Outdoor Illinois magazine to publish final issue
The State Journal-Register
By CHRIS YOUNG The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will discontinue publication of its Outdoor Illinois magazine after the March issue. Outdoor Illinois, a full-color, slick-paper monthly magazine with a circulation of more than 26000, ...

and more »


On Outdoors: Living the RV life
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Sales of recreational vehicles are booming, with the biggest growth among families with kids, and of lighter models that can be towed by more vehicles. Rick and Brenda Allanson of Edina are longtime RVers. They are on a trip to the Black Hills of South ...

and more »


Outdoor expo coming to Auburn this weekend
KPCnews.com
You need JavaScript enabled to view it AUBURN — It's not too early to be thinking about enjoying the great outdoors. The 2012 Tri-State Great Outdoor Sportsman Expo, scheduled for this weekend at Auburn Auction Park on the corner of I-69 and CR 11-A, ...



Macon Telegraph (blog)

Academy Sports & Outdoors store coming to Warner Robins
Macon Telegraph (blog)
By LINDA S. MORRIS - lmorris@macon.com Texas-based Academy Sports & Outdoors has bought the former Kroger store at 2907 Watson Blvd. and other adjacent retail space and plans to open a 62000-square-foot store there before Christmas, said Doug Molyneaux ...

and more »


Outdoors report: Feb. 8
Houston Chronicle
Good trout have been taken on the flats on the north end of the lake on Corkies and MirrOlures. Waders have scored on the edge of the channel on the moving tide. Winds were light out of the northeast. Water temperature at Eagle Point was 57 degrees ...

and more »


Effects of mild winter are wherever you look
Chicago Sun-Times
By love as much as necessity, most of us who knock around the outdoors are weather buffs. For us, Aurora measuring stick for cold. The coldest temperature there this winter was The effects of the sixth-warmest winter to date since 1895, as calculated ...

and more »


Outdoors: Last-minute hunt provides necessary ingredients (with video)
News-Herald.com
By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn Nothing like waiting until the last minute to try and get the main ingredient for a squirrel meat pie. Given Ohio's squirrel hunting season started Sept. 1, the fact I procrastinated until the last day on Jan.



Outdoors: Nearly Picture-perfect
Arizona Daily Sun
The walls of Picture Canyon are nearly vertical and barely 10 yards apart in some spots. In winter, the full discharge from the Wildcat Hill wastewater treatment plant sends a torrent of water over a series of ledges in the canyon.

and more »


Outdoors: Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition at DCU Center
Worcester Telegram
The 36th annual Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition runs Friday through Sunday at Worcester's DCU Center. Exhibitors will showcase tackle, hunting gear, boats, and exciting fishing and hunting trips. The expo is always fun for window shoppers, ...



The West Australian

Great outdoors beckons thrillseekers
The West Australian
The Peel Region, which includes Dawesville, Mandurah, Dwellingup and Pinjarra, has a number of outdoor activities for travellers looking to raise their heart rate. First stop for the adrenaline junkies is the Harvey Estuary for a jetski ride.

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006