The Happy Wandler

Back in Spring 2021, Lincolnshire Tom and I walked a large part of the Wandle Trail. This is a walk along the river of that name that rises in near Croydon in South London and runs down through Wimbledon and thence to the Thames at Wandsworth.

Rivers from left to right are: Hogsmill; Beverley Brook and Wandle - all subject of river walks by yours truly. Central London is off the map, top right. Earlsfield is in the upper central part of the map.

On that trip LT and I met at Earlsfield Station and walked upstream to Carshalton where we called it a day and walked to catch the bus back home from Sutton. The full trail can be seen in the attached link.

https://www.merton.gov.uk/system/files?file=wandle_trail-4.pdf

The stretch downstream from Earlsfield looked like it would be mostly urban and uninteresting. But a couple of weeks ago the Margravina and I decided to give it a go on the spur of the moment one Sunday evening. It did prove to be pretty urban, but more interesting than expected, as these things often do. 

Most of the trail seemed to be away from the banks of the river, with the best views of it coming from the many pedestrian bridges. That said, much of the walk was through parks, so there was plenty of greenery. For part of the way, on the right bank (i.e. right as you head downstream) several houses backed onto the river and residents had built decks from where they could dine by the stream. As it was balmy weather, many residents were out, so taking pictures didn't seem the right thing. Once we got to Wandsworth Town, we were clearly in a much busier urban space, but ironically the river was more open to view, especially around the site of the former Young's Brewery.

First siting after leaving the station. Some public spirited person clearly wanted to help encourage flora by creating a a 'dam' with an old bike wheel.

Ah, this is better. View from one of the many foot bridges.

This looks like apartments in an old 1930s factory. I could be wrong.

A fair stretch of the walk was through a park like this. Not a great view, but it is a growing city.

Information board in the park explaining its previous use as the site for pre-fabricated houses built after WWII as a quick response to the housing crisis. I remember houses like this still being occupied into the 1970s in Grimsby. They were very well thought of by residents as they came with 'all mod cons' that they often didn't have in their old homes.

Think this must have been part of the old brewery.

Mixed use redevelopment of the brewery site. Bars, restaurants and retail below residential flats.

Back on a main road, a rare example of housing from c.1900(?) surrounded by more modern development.

View from next to the above houses, showing the on-going development of the south bank of the Thames. 

A more run down industrial stretch of the Wandle

A 'pool' by the above stretch. I can this this becoming a waterspouts area at some point.

This sort of scene wouldn't be out of place in the Sweeney.

Waste recycling centre?

At last a sighting of Old Father Thames!

Looking towards Chelsea

Lots of new blocks of flats by the Thames

House boats?

Ah-ha! An island of Georgian architecture. I wonder what it was.

Ah, so the Prince Regent's knocking shop. Or am I being too liberal in my interpretation of the word 'frequented'?  

Wandsworth Park, resplendent with London Plane Trees

From the mouth of the Wandle we turned left to walk up the Thames to Putney to catch a bus back home. The Thames Path took us inland slightly, to skirt around some properties which fronted directly onto the river bank. The architecture became more varied as we approached Putney, with many fine Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Close to the end we spotted this curious shield.

All in all, a pleasant evening's stroll, after the heat of the day. It's filled in more of the gaps for me and has got me around 3 sides of a circuit involving the Wandle, the Thames and the Beverley Brook (see map above) since I've done the walk to Putney Bridge from both the Beverley and the Wandle. I'd like, at some point, to find a route which links up the two tributaries upstream, 'across the watershed' as it were, that doesn't involve too much walking along pavements. We'll see.