Wandle Walk

The River Wandle

On Saturday we took advantage of the fine weather to walk along part of the the Wandle Trail, and a very fine walk it was too.

Sometimes it was hard to believe we were in London, and that if we followed the course of this tributary of the Thames we would, in a few miles, find ourselves in Wandsworth, practically in the centre of the metropolis.  But we were, and exploring the banks of a river which, in the recent past, had been described as an open sewer.

The Wandle is now returning slowly to its wild state and being repopulated by fish of all kinds, Kingfishers and many other water birds. The Pike is still missing, as the waters are not quite pristine enough, but in comparison with the dead place we might have found a few years back this river is now full of life. This is all thanks to the work of conservationists and local Councils alike, and is a fine example of what can be achieved as a result of long-term concerted action.

The Rubble Mountain

Of course you do still get the odd whiff of solvents as you go past an industrial estate; and the vast pile of scrap and rubble heaped up in one place seemed to be ready to tumble into the waters, in an avalanche of foul waste. At one time this mountain of detritus would have been all but invisible to everyone, lying as it is in the back end on a factory area, out of sight and out of mind. But walkers can now view it in all its horrific enormity.

In spite of this the route is invigorating and truly re-creational. After a couple of hours on the trail we felt great when we got back home, ready for a welcome pre lunch drink.