The River Wandle, South London 4K

A trip down South London's River Wandle.

[@temiodearie]

Walked the river yesterday. Got the bus to Wandle Park and walked to Wandsworth. Really enjoyed it. Have done Hogsmill and Beverly Brook this pandemic too. Thanks for these videos

[@Frege100]

If you fancy a ride out then the Tillingbourne is very pretty, especially around Shere in Surrey. You can get there by train to Gomshall although they aren't very frequent and the line doesn't run in to London. I'm pleased you enjoyed the walks.

[@yiabwstetienne7474]

Wonderful informative film of the Wandle Chalk Stream, a real Oasis in the midst of Metropolis. Thanks for posting.

[@Frege100]

It is my local river and my great ambition is to visit and video its New Zealand namesake. I discovered, before this quest became my ambition, that I was within 75 miles of the NZ Wandle a few years ago. So close and now so far. Thanks for the comment.

[@yiabwstetienne7474]

@@Frege100 My mother, (a Waddon girl) used to play in it as a child, catching fish in a home made tiddler net. I think this may have been in the Duppas Park area? She is now 93 and still recalls it. She now lives 7000 miles away from me in Cape Town.

[@Frege100]

I'm afraid the nets of my sisters and I decimated the Stickleback population around the Goat Bridge back in the 1960's. One of those sisters has just returned from a month in and around Cape Town. She respected her surroundings and had a great time.

[@clivenewton7609]

A brilliant video on this special little river. With a bit of gentle, quiet music in the background, I can imagine Jack Hargreaves waxing lyrical in “Out of town” ! A big thumbs up from deepest Dorset 👍

[@Frege100]

Thank you for your kind words and thumb. I wondered if anyone would mention in passing the great river man Jack Hargreaves. Not that I can claim him as an inspiration but rather another legend called Malcolm Webster who ran the wonderful "Shropshire Railways" KZbin channel until he sadly left us in 2018. I can't hope to emulate Jack's professionalism but Malcolm's desire to share the love of his (rather different) subject did help me to get up steam.

[@edepillim]

Nice to see the Wandle so clean. I remember great mounds of foam near Merton Board Mills.

[@Frege100]

If Claudy is as beautiful as the song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYmQnpWDj9Onbsk I first heard when I was 16 then it must indeed be lovely.

[@edepillim]

@@Frege100 Never heard this song so l have shared it with friends. Many thanks. From the Gaelic Cloididh meaning strong flowing, referring to where the two rivers meet.

[@Nature-qj7fw]

Thanks for the information, I recently visited waddle park in Croydon and found this river but didn’t know it travels that far.

[@Frege100]

It's in South London. If your ever around there, the train to Carshalton will take you to the start. Earlsfield is good for the lower river.

[@MassiveLib]

Really hard to imagine this river was once a trout stream. I spent many a happy hour catching sticklebacks in beddington Park in the 70s

[@Frege100]

Really! It is a trout stream: wandlevalleypark.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Anglers-Guide-to-the-River-Wandle.pdf

[@MassiveLib]

@@Frege100 I went on to do a degree in fishery management degree working on Hampshire chalk streams. So well done all those that made this happen

[@Frege100]

Still plenty of sticklebacks too:)

[@MassiveLib]

@@Frege100 wonderful. I remember in Bedlington Park there was an open swimming pool.

[@Frege100]

The swimming pool has vanished but I gather the water was always very cold.

[@COBARHORSE1]

Would have liked to heard that tidal bell.

[@holgerhansen5643]

Where is this?

[@edepillim]

I was born in carshalton in 1948

[@Frege100]

Has it changed much?

[@edepillim]

The honest answer is l don’t know. I was born in St Helier Hospital in January 1948. Then lived in Morden up to age 25. Visits were made to Mitchum,Sutton,Croydon, and St Helier and Rosehill. Unfortunately never really went to carshalton but recent photos show a nice area and the Wandle has been transformed. I remember going past Merton Board Mills and seeing mounds of foam floating down the river. No one cared in those days. Moved out to Reading then to Northern Ireland since retirement. Still have fond memories of the area.

[@Frege100]

@@edepillim Thanks for the response. My children were both born in St Helier which has just been saved from closure. I visited Belfast a few years back and was very impressed by the pubs and the mountains. Merton can't really compete. Pubs are becoming as rare as mountains.

[@edepillim]

@@Frege100 You would love it here in Claudy, Northern Ireland. We live in an isolated house just 4 minutes walk across fields to the lovely River Faughan( pronounced Fokkan) a really good salmon and sea trout river. I used to frequent the Crown PH in Morden and loved the Director’s bitter at 2/6 a pint. Now the Islamic Centre. I have no regrets coming here on retirement as the people are really friendly.

[@edepillim]

@@Frege100 BTW Your video was really interesting and l have saved it to watch again.