Carshalton Park photos

[brogdale]

I dunno about you but Im not overly excited about drains especially boring ones. Theyve opened out the Wandle section through Wandle Park now and the council are looking to encourage more people to use the park. Theres a new play area, the rivery bits, the skate park, a bandstand and theyre opening a cafe there too.

View attachment 46817

I went not long after they reopened the park with the rivery bits erm working? and it was OK but the water was very shallow. I expect its all filled up now so maybe the lake bit (was all just dry, low bits) is fully functioning now with the rain? Another place to go and have a look at. I have tried to include Wandle Park in my Wandle walk before but you have the Purley Way smack bang through the middle and its not very scenic!

Inspired by your posts, (Dan & Callie), i took myself off to Wandle Park this afternoon realising that I'd not actually seen what they'd done to rennovate the park/river. Have to say I think they've done well to 're-discover' the course of the Wandle through the park, and the boating lake/bandstand area looked pretty good even in winter.

Inevitably...(no groaning at the back, please)...I took a couple of photos...

The river entering Wandle Park...(with the elevated tram-line and Roman Way in the background)

and gently meandering in it's 'new' course...(looking roughly East)

and then leaving the park, towards the West to be culverted under the new(ish) "South Quarter" housing development, the Purley Way and the industrial estate to the North of Waddon Ponds...

The Wandle finally remerges from it's culvert a couple of hundred metres West of Waddon Ponds into the pleasant section of the Wandle Trail alongside Richmond Green...

 

[existentialist]

To me, the Wandle was for a long time, the bit of water by the papermill just opposite Merton Bus Garage. I didn't even think it was a river, just this turgid drain that was always covered in a thick, rich, yellowy foam. I was astonished when someone pointed at a little brook somewhere and said "That's the River Wandle, there...".

The papermill's now (or was) a Savacentre. And the bit behind that was restored and became a market area and craft type place, in the buildings of an old mill. It was rather pleasant. </nostalgia>

 

[brogdale]

To me, the Wandle was for a long time, the bit of water by the papermill just opposite Merton Bus Garage. I didn't even think it was a river, just this turgid drain that was always covered in a thick, rich, yellowy foam. I was astonished when someone pointed at a little brook somewhere and said "That's the River Wandle, there...".

The papermill's now (or was) a Savacentre. And the bit behind that was restored and became a market area and craft type place, in the buildings of an old mill. It was rather pleasant. </nostalgia>

And to think that, in the late 1880s, Lexden Pocock painted that stretch of the river like this:-

 

[brogdale]

I'm afraid I haven't yet worked out how to change the title of this thread to a more general "Wandle appreciation" one. Any tips?

Howsomedever...today was nice & bright...so I took a few pics around and about Beddington.

First up a view of St. Mary's Church, Beddington. The Wandle flows in a diversion around the church precincts,(and Carew Manor), to the North. I'm no great fan of churches, but I've always thought this one rather lovely in its own way, and gives Beddington a living glimpse of it's past:-

Looking Westwards from here it is still possible to pick out where the Manor's 19thC ornamental lake lay. The flat depression between the trees shows that a large part of the Northern section of Beddington Park would have been under water:-

Just to the North lies Canon Bridges' bridge, where the Wandle meanders pleasantly through the park:-

Whilst down in Beddington I decided to nip up to the 'new' roadbridge at Hackbridge to take a few pics of the "Beddington Farmlands". The 'farm' bit of the farmlands title really meaning (former) sewage farm! Nevertheless, the area is an amazing wildlife sanctuary in the urban sprawl of South London. Potentially the farmlands could well become on of the jewels of the WVRP. Here a few views, some showing the birdies...

and this one with Croydon town in the background!

and just for Callie ...

 

[Dan U]

so i was driving up the A24 last weekend and just after Tooting and Mitcham FC I crossed the Wandle and their appeared to be a lovely old weatherboard building in the little nature park next to the road. Anyone know anything about it/was I imagining it?

I've driven over that bridge many many times but I am paying a bit more attention to the Wandle now thanks to this thread!

I was roughly here but pesky trees block google maps view

http://goo.gl/maps/aFj7O

 

[cybertect]

Brogdale's pics in the OP seem to have disappeared, but I took a few today.

Quite amazing how much water is flowing down the canal cut. I don't think I remember it ever being this full and I've been living in the area for most of the last 40 years.


Carshalton Park Canal by cybertect, on Flickr


Hog Pit, Carshalton Park by cybertect, on Flickr


Carshalton Park Grotto by cybertect, on Flickr

 

[cybertect]

As we have a Wandle Appreciation thread, heres a few more pics


The Lower Pond, Carshalton by cybertect, on Flickr


Carshalton Ponds and The Greyhound by cybertect, on Flickr


The Wandle at Carshalton by cybertect, on Flickr


Wandle Waterfall by cybertect, on Flickr

and a little further afield

Just by where Dan U was asking about earlier.


Wandle Meadow Nature Park by cybertect, on Flickr

Earlsfield


A Little Green [RGB] by cybertect, on Flickr

Wandsworth


Argento Tower by cybertect, on Flickr


The Ram Brewery by cybertect, on Flickr


Bell Lane Creek by cybertect, on Flickr

 

[Dan U]

Nice one cybertect wonder what it looks like today. The river mole near me is seriously flooded

 

[cybertect]

. Mis-posted

 

[brogdale]

. Mis-posted

Excellent pics; thanks for sharing and replacing those of mine that have gone missing. Damn that photobucket; it seems as though you only have to open the edit function to see the lot moved/made private etc.

 

[cybertect]

FWIW, I think when you edit a photo on Photobucket, it changes the URL.

Just to underline how much water is flowing down this usually completely dry stretch of the Wandle, this is the waterfall on Carshalton Place, just off the High Street


Waterfall, Carshalton Place by cybertect, on Flickr

 

[brogdale]

FWIW, I think when you edit a photo on Photobucket, it changes the URL.

Just to underline how much water is flowing down this usually completely dry stretch of the Wandle, this is the waterfall on Carshalton Place, just off the High Street


Waterfall, Carshalton Place by cybertect, on Flickr

Excellent pic Cyber......and yesterday that lower channel, by the High Street, had over-flowed onto the road, into the street and over down to Westcroft....

 

[RubyToogood]

Just testing, this may not work... the mill race at Merton Abbey Mills today.

 

[RubyToogood]

Also Waddon Ponds last week.

 

[Dan U]

video removed RubyToogood

 

[Callie]

video removed RubyToogood

i watched it

eeee at waddon ponds, nice for the ducks maybe?

 

[lizzieloo]

Why can't I see brogdale's photos?

 

[brogdale]

Why can't I see brogdale's photos?

Sorry Lizzie, I did something to my privacy settings in Photobucket, and I can't seem to undo it now.

 

[brogdale]

Also Waddon Ponds last week.

View attachment 48347

That car park over the back of the pond is spectacularly ugly; nearly as bad as the one near Purley Oaks station.

 

[Dan U]

Always wandered what it was for tbh

 

[TopCat]

I have never seen such flow in the Wandle near Morden Hall Park. I will get some pics in the morning. It's overflowing the banks in the park and the nearby weirs are a mad rushing torrent.

 

[Callie]

That car park over the back of the pond is spectacularly ugly; nearly as bad as the one near Purley Oaks station.

I like it its kooky

So my Mum was saying tonight that she thinks/has heard that the Bourne in Caterham/Whyteleaf joins up with the wet bits in Carshalton somewhere around Purley GigantiTesco and its all feeds into the Wandle.

Can anyone confirm or deny that? I know the Bourne is mostly underground but is there a map or something of where it goes and where it comes from?

ALSO I now want to go and see what Norbury Brook is up to as I used to live on a road right next to it and it always seemed pretty weedy but maybe given the circumstances it could be problematic.

 

[TopCat]

I like it its kooky

So my Mum was saying tonight that she thinks/has heard that the Bourne in Caterham/Whyteleaf joins up with the wet bits in Carshalton somewhere around Purley GigantiTesco and its all feeds into the Wandle.

Can anyone confirm or deny that? I know the Bourne is mostly underground but is there a map or something of where it goes and where it comes from?

ALSO I now want to go and see what Norbury Brook is up to as I used to live on a road right next to it and it always seemed pretty weedy but maybe given the circumstances it could be problematic.

I used to wander the Norbury Brook in my wellies as a kid. As it's channelised, (enclosed by concrete walls) it goes from a dribble to a fuck off torrent in minutes in a heavy rain. Scary as fuck if you are in the western tunnel sections.

The Bourne does get going at Purley. Any real news about the water treatment plant the "pond" is supposed to be protecting?

 

[Callie]

? is this the bit down on Brighton Road, near the dump? My Mum (bringer off all the good weather news) was saying if the pit pool thing overflows they'll have to close the road as there are chemicals that are bad or something. Shutting the Brighton Road would be....interesting.

 

[TopCat]

Have any of you been to Wandle Park since Boris gave up a million to do it up and get the Wandle back onto the surface? I have seen it from the tram and it looked like they had physically cut huge banks into the park that had a pissy dribble sitting about getting manky. This was a park that no one went to apart from the occasional organised gang fight. (No road access for police).

 

[brogdale]

I like it its kooky

So my Mum was saying tonight that she thinks/has heard that the Bourne in Caterham/Whyteleaf joins up with the wet bits in Carshalton somewhere around Purley GigantiTesco and its all feeds into the Wandle.

Can anyone confirm or deny that? I know the Bourne is mostly underground but is there a map or something of where it goes and where it comes from?

Not quite right Callie. The Croydon Wandle and Carshalton Wandle join in Hackbridge at Wilderness Island. Normally the Caterham/Whyteleafe element of the old (wider) Wandle are little more than trickles in ditches/culverts, but the full extent of the Wandle is emerging with this record-breaking rain and extremely high water table. There are a few unculverted parts like the stream past Roke school, the Promary Pond at the recycling centre at Purley Oaks etc., but for the most part the river remains hidden under culverts until it (now) emerges briefly in Wandle Park. Thereafter it can be seen past Waddon Ponds and pretty much all the way through Beddington down to Hackbridge.

 

[brogdale]

Have any of you been to Wandle Park since Boris gave up a million to do it up and get the Wandle back onto the surface? I have seen it from the tram and it looked like they had physically cut huge banks into the park that had a pissy dribble sitting about getting manky. This was a park that no one went to apart from the occasional organised gang fight. (No road access for police).

It's actually been done rather well IMO. Quite a nice place to be...now!

 

[Callie]

Not quite right Callie. The Croydon Wandle and Carshalton Wandle join in Hackbridge at Wilderness Island. Normally the Caterham/Whyteleafe element of the old (wider) Wandle are little more than trickles in ditches/culverts, but the full extent of the Wandle is emerging with this record-breaking rain and extremely high water table. There are a few unculverted parts like the stream past Roke school, the Promary Pond at the recycling centre at Purley Oaks etc., but for the most part the river remains hidden under culverts until it (now) emerges briefly in Wandle Park. Thereafter it can be seen past Waddon Ponds and pretty much all the way through Beddington down to Hackbridge.

ahh ok. Promary pond at the recycling centre probably is the pool pit thing near the dump

 

[TopCat]

? is this the bit down on Brighton Road, near the dump? My Mum (bringer off all the good weather news) was saying if the pit pool thing overflows they'll have to close the road as there are chemicals that are bad or something. Shutting the Brighton Road would be....interesting.

http://tinyurl.com/q785ss6

They are battling around the clock to save the water supply to thousands.

 

[brogdale]

? is this the bit down on Brighton Road, near the dump? My Mum (bringer off all the good weather news) was saying if the pit pool thing overflows they'll have to close the road as there are chemicals that are bad or something. Shutting the Brighton Road would be....interesting.

I took a few pics there the day after it had started to overflow onto the Brighton Road down through Purley Oaks...