The River Wandle is sourced from the North Downs over Croydon, surfacing now in Waddon, running west till it meets the secondary supply in Carshalton, then by way of Hackbridge Mitcham, Ravensbury St Helier Morden Wimbledon Colliers Wooden, Summerstown and Wandsworth to the Thames passing through the London Boroughs of Croydon Sutton, Merton, and Wandsworth.

The wandle Trail is a 13-mile lengthy route follows the River Wandle from its two sourrces in Sutton and Crodoydon, through Merton to exactly where it enters the Thames in Wandsworth. The route links many little parks and two National Believe in attributes.

Groundwork Merton have announced the commencement of the project to enhance the existing walking and cycling route along the Wandle to ‘enhance the amenity value of the river and its hinterland’.

This project is in partnership with the London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton, as nicely as Sustrans (the National Cycle Network’s marketing campaign name), and has a specific aim to match it into the National Cycle Network as NCN route 22, but will provide landscaping, seats, information boards, and viewpoints.

A rolling 4 year system is envisaged, with the initial three sections being Watermead Lane to Bishopsford Street, Plough Lane to Garratt Mills, and Garratt Mills to Rufus Business Centre.

The picture on this web page is from the new ‘Wandle Guide’, printed by Sutton Leisure Solutions, and accessible through the Museum shop at £4.95.

The new Wandle Trail map produced by Groundwork Merton was released final month, with a fanfare of publicity, linked with its various public artwork tasks. It has been much praised, and rightly, for the function that has been carried out.

We had been happy to see that, as printed, the new map complements our personal, but now face the job of selling our personal map, a essential component of our cashflow, in obvious competitors to the new 1, which is both offered absent free, or offered for nominal amounts.

The current answer, in fact, as you will see if you go to our shop, is that we market the two as a package deal we provide the new 1 free to purchasers of our personal map.

We had expressed concerns about the dangers of combined cycle and pedestrian use of the Trail, partly solved by Groundwork’s clear marking of the alternate cycle routes exactly where that is legally or virtually necessary.

“30th October 1991

Dear Gillian

Additional to our discussion at the Heritage Action concerning the Wandle Trail, we comment as follows:

(one) We comprehend that there are proposals for waymarking/sign posting the Wandle Trail utilizing a h2o wheel logo. While we agree this is naturally a suitable logo to adopt, we also propose an alternative logo of a horse and wagon to honour the Surrey Iron Railway which was constructed to serve the active industries of the Wandle. The sign posting would present a perfect chance to market this fascinating component of the well-known Wandle tale and the railway was horse drawn and also the initial public railway in the country. This would definitely include a new dimension to the Wandle Trail.

(2) Also, the Wandle past of the Surrey Iron Railway could be substantially enhanced by erecting a “Surrey Iron Railway sculpture”. Refer connected sketch of to-day’s day. We comprehend this project would be of interest to the new Arts Officer and would complement the sign posting if a Surrey Iron Railway logo was adopted.

(three) Also, we feel there is a great deal of value in retaining the present identity of the Wandle Trail, as it is now recognized. Its simplicity is its attraction. We suggest that when last agreement is attained by Merton, it should be co-ordinated and totally adopted by the other Wandle Boroughs.

I believe in these feedback are useful.

Regards,

Ray Leyden”

Equally, the express perform of the Trail, from the community’s point of view, is as a way of encouraging use and satisfaction of our atmosphere. Sustrans support for the Trail is as an alternative to street use in travelling from A to B. The 1 use a leisurely stroll, the other much more immediate and forceful. We hope that the two makes use of can live in harmony, and security.

Anything which encourages the use of the Trail is great, in principle, and we must now wait and see. In impact the issues will arise from good results!

We have been because of to update our nicely recognized map of the Wandle Trail.

This has been put on maintain, since Groundwork Believe in have been upgrading much of the Trail, and the scenario keeps changing. There are also some mistakes – lately we have also had pointed out to us by an e-mail correspondent, for the initial time since the map was printed over ten many years back, that Morden Lodge was never a pub!

We have been more and more concerned that the function Groundwork are doing has taken on a existence of its personal, which now threatens the Wandle Trail as we know it. The main point of issue is their proposed marketing of it as a cycling route, and as a indicates of getting from A to B, rather than as a stroll to appreciate it for what it is.

It is also disappointing that there has been little or no acknowledgement of our rights as original creators of the project. A go to to the new web site www.wandletrail.org.united kingdom shows a path that is far eliminated from the heritage of the valley.

It speaks of the artworks to be constructed as if new ideas, despite our input on this ten many years back (see reproduction of Rays letter to Gillian Hein of Merton below).

We are also very concerned about the legal problems. A nicely utilized cycle way along such slim paths will be offputting, if not harmful to pedestrians. Cycle access will encourage the motorised selection. 24 hour access has its personal dangers, and the parks groups are currently shifting to locked gates at nights to limit vandalisation.

Worse, we concern that locations of the path now utilized might be shut off by landowners confronted with new insurance coverage and upkeep obligations.

Groundwork are presently considering our fears, and we will report in because of program.

I am the web site administrator of the Wandle industrial museum (http://www.newsletterjournal.com). Established in 1983 by local people to make sure that the history of the valley was no lengthier neglected but enhanced awareness its heritage for the use and advantages of the community.