The stretch of the River Wandle on this walk doesn't seem to have been as badly affected by the diesel spill as the nature reserves upstream so I'll risk rescheduling this walk, postponed from February 23rd. Let's hope the clean-up operation prevents too much harm to the wildlife on this fast-flowing chalk stream through south London.
Length: About 13 km (8 miles). Toughness: 1/10
Take a Northern line tube to arrive at Morden (TfL Zone 4) by 11:15. It's a 30 minute journey from central London; if necessary, use the TfL Journey Planner from your local station. Meet upstairs in the ticket hall.
You can return from either Putney Bridge (District line) or Putney (six trains an hour to Clapham Jct & Waterloo, but this is on the same line as Twickenham so these trains will be very crowded after the England–Italy match ends at 5pm). There are also several drop-out points on or close to the walk route: Colliers Wood on the Northern line plus Earlsfield and Wandsworth Town for trains to Waterloo. All these stations are in Zones 2 or 3.
I've decided to combine two short walks which together cover the final stretch of the Wandle Trail through south London, with a short extension along the Thames Path to finish. They're normally posted separately as evening walks but this combination should make a reasonable day walk. The notes admit that this final stretch of the Wandle Trail “isn't the prettiest of walks” but there are parks at both ends, and as much of the route is on firm paths there should be little or no mud to contend with.
If you want a mid-walk refreshment break the notes mention the Louis Earlsfield restaurant just before you have to divert away from the river into Earlsfield. A little further on you'll pass two or three pubs on its High Street, including The Halfway House and The Wandle. There are plenty more places in Wandsworth and Putney too, with The Boathouse and The Rocket by Putney Bridge competing for your custom at the end of the walk.
As usual there's no walk leader so please download the GPS files and/or the directions from the Morden Hall Park and the Colliers Wood to Putney Bridge walk pages. NB. If you're running late you'll see from the route maps that there are some obvious short cuts you could take in Morden Hall Park.
T=short.25
1 comment:
N=13 on another w=sunny day. Several first-timers. The walk went well, the first half maybe a little greener than the second.
Not much sign of the recent pollution (although the reeds in the first wetland seemed a bit worse for wear and a local said there’d been less birdlife since).
Al this changed past Merton, where apparently the Wandle had been spared the diesel leak by a blockage. We encountered a local naturalist there who told us loads of stuff. Like how they’d just had the first golden ringed whatever in London (dragonfly, I think).and pointed out an egret, just sitting there bold as brass, unperturbed by our presence. Although the kingfishers are supposed to be equally unperturbed they must have been having a day off. But we did learn how to tell who the fish in their beaks was for.
Lunch was partaken in Earlsfield in the Halfway House. A kindly benefactor accidentally ordered a king sized baked Camembert and chips and had to share it with the group. No prizes for guessing who was first in the queue. One or two finished here. The rest continued along the Wandle to the Thames, saying Hi to some horses on the way...
5 rounded off the day in the Rocket with drinkies. A few others went for tea and cake in the church.
it wasn’t all green and-pleasant - the stretch through Wandsworth sticks out as a bit that wasn’t - but, all in all, a grand day out.
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