Main Walk: 15½ km (9.6 miles). Toughness 1 / 10.
A wander down the Wandle Trail, through Beddington and Grove Parks to picturesque Carshalton Ponds. As well as stopping for lunch there, you could explore the Sutton Ecology Centre (open daily; free entry).
Nearby, the intriguing18th century Carshalton Water Tower and grounds will be free to enter from 1p.m. as part of the Open House season. There's more there than just water.
After Carshalton, the walk continues through parks and reserves, including Watermeads.and Morden Hall Park, (125 acres of NT parkland).
A working watermill can be seen near the end, at Merton Abbey Mills, where you could also explore the craft shops and eateries. And pubs.
Transport
Get the 10:11 Dorking train from Victoria (Clapham Jct. 10:18) to Mitcham Junction (TfL Zone 4) arriving 10:33.
At walk’s end, your best option is the Northern line, with stations at Morden (Zone 4) and Colliers Wood (Zone 3).
Lunch
There's a choice of three pubs in Carshalton, the large Greyhound Hotel (020-8647 1511 overlooking the ponds, a community pub The Hope at 48 West Street (020-8240 1255), and The Sun at 4 North Street (020-8773 4549.
Tea
The National Trust's Morden Hall Park has the Potting Shed Café serving hot food and the Stableyard Café for cakes etc. A little further on there is a café at Deen City Farm.
Stronger fare is available at Merton Abbey Mills in the William Morris (020-8540 3254) and the Merton Apprentice
Directions: here t=swc.273
4 comments:
Isn't there remains of old mill near the river with a ghost rat who's supposed to scurry around on ancient cobble stones? and also the chapter house museum under a supermarket car park ? Really interesting!
Forgot to mention the name : Merton Priory
Beer garden of the Holden, by the tube station
N=9 at the station . On we went through Beddington wetlands. We stopped at hides to look at ducks and stuff twice. Lots of em. Plus an egret. At the second stop, a n=10 th caught us up. On we went, on, on, past a highly decorated church, past the bird feeding-tree and into Carshalton. Here the group split with a few going to the Sun for its food, the others to the Hope for its drink. Simpler fare was available there and a kindly benefactor laid on some chips. Quite a pleasant stop,. The Sun crowd were joined by an n=11 th for a short stretch .
Afterwards it was back to the Water Tower for a look inside. Not the most dramatic building I’ve ever visited, but I guess the bagniol was worth a look. It turns out it’s not an exotic pastry, but a kind of deep bath with ornamental tiles. We looked at the pump and tried to look interested, then went up all 37 steps to the roof. Then we was away again along the river, over countless bridges.
There was a tea stop in Morden Hall park. Sticky doughnut for Mr Tiger.
Near Deen Farm we were intercepted by another walker and his dog. That made us n=12 and a dog ( though some of us had evaporated by that stage).
The noble remnant explored the possibility.of a further stop at Merton Abbey Mills but it was heaving, so we continued to the William Holden opposite the station. Whilst consuming our beverages, the dog-walker let slip that the Trafalgar, a real ale micropub, was nearby. But it was too late for us. We was done in.
A w=mostly-cloudy-warm day.
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