The Wandle Trail is a walking and cycling trail that follows the

River Wandle The River Wandle is a right-bank tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about , the river passes through the London boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth, where it reaches the Thames. A ...

from

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive ...

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its nam ...

in south-west

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

Background

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. The original map was heritage and walk based (although the first, more limited version appeared some years earlier concentrating on disability access to the River Wandle), but then a revised map was produced by Groundwork Merton to facilitate bicycle access.

Organisation

The Wandle Trail Group is now responsible for the promotion of the trail. The group consist of an association of the London Boroughs of

, Merton and

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a location * Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire * Sut ...

, together with Groundwork Merton (a charity to support the improvement of the quality of life for Londoners), and

Sustrans Sustrans is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network. Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United Kin ...

(a charity for sustainable transport, especially cycling).

Description

The trail follows the river as far as possible by its banks. In some areas unsuitable for cycling, it divides into two trails: one for walkers, and the other which uses nearby roads for both cycle and walking. The Wandle runs through areas that are largely built-up. As public transport is available in the areas close by, access to the trail is easy at many points. Sections of the trail can be comfortably walked with stops for food and drink. Much of the trail uses existing Green Spaces (see below), each of which has its own attractions. There are some sections where the trail has to leave the river and use local roads. Schemes have been presented for future development that may overcome the obstacles by the river, but cost has so far prevented their implementation. The trail has been designated

National Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...

Route 20, and also will be part of route 22.

Facilities

The trail starts at

East Croydon East Croydon is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, Greater London, England, and is located in Travelcard Zone 5. At from , it is one of the busiest non-terminal stations in London, and in the United Kingdom as a whole. It is one of th ...

Station and runs for about to the Thames near

Wandsworth Town Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

Station. The route passes near

Earlsfield Earlsfield is an area within the London Borough of Wandsworth, London, England. It is a typical London suburb and comprises mostly residential Victorian terraced houses with a high street of shops, bars, and restaurants between Garratt Lane, Al ...

and Haydons Road railway stations,

Colliers Wood Colliers Wood is an area in south west London, England, in the London Borough of Merton. It is a mostly residential area, but has a busy high street around Colliers Wood tube station on London Underground's Northern line. The high street is part ...

and

Morden Morden is a district and town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Merton, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. It adjoins Merton Park and Wimbledon to the north, Mitcham to the east, Sutton to the south and Worcester ...

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ( ...

stations and Phipps Bridge

Tramlink London Trams, previously Tramlink and Croydon Tramlink, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It began operation in 2000, the first tram system in the London region since 1952. It is manage ...

stop. Many sections of the trail are suitable for wheelchair users and improvements have been proposed to extend these. In addition to the parks, the trail is adjacent to both Morden Hall (

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

) and

Merton Abbey Mills __NOTOC__ Merton Abbey Mills is a former textile factory in the parish of Merton in London, England near the site of the medieval Merton Priory, now the home of a variety of businesses, mostly retailers. The River Wandle flowing north towards W ...

, which has a working waterwheel. There are several parts of the trail that are suitable for nature and ecological study, and some places where fishing is allowed. A description and map of the trail are in a pamphlet published by the group. It shows the location of bus stops, phones, seats, and toilets. It also shows places on the route where refreshments can be obtained. This pamphlet can be downloaded from th
Borough of Merton's Wandle Trail page

Green spaces used by the trail

* Wandle Park,

* Beddington Park,

Grove Park (Sutton) The Grove Park, or The Grove is a public park in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated close to Carshalton Village in the area approximately bounded by the High Street, North Street and Mill Lane. The southwest corner of th ...

, known as "The Grove" * Wilderness Island,

* Dale Park * Poulter Park * Watermead * Ravensbury Park,

Mitcham Mitcham is an area within the London Borough of Merton in South London, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross. Originally a village in the county of Surrey, today it is mainly a residential suburb, and includes Mitcham Common. It ha ...

Morden Hall Park Morden Hall Park is a National Trust park on the banks of the Wandle in Morden, south London. Its several buildings and associated parking included, it is of predominantly parkland. Hinting at the former mill leats the river here splits int ...

* Wandle Park, Colliers Wood * Wandle Meadow Nature Park * Garratt Park * King George's Park

References

External links

The original Wandle Industrial Museum Wandle Trail map, web version

The Wandle Trail

Borough of Merton's Wandle Trail page

Pictures of The Wandle Trail by Imran Ahmad
{{coord, 51.3969, -0.1803, type:landmark_region:GB-MRT, display=title Cycleways in England Footpaths in London Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Merton Transport in the London Borough of Croydon Transport in the London Borough of Merton Transport in the London Borough of Sutton Transport in the London Borough of Wandsworth