River Wandle Walk
Did you know that the River Wandle in Wandsworth once boasted important watermills which produced flour to feed medieval and possibly Roman London; an iron mill where cannon were bored; Huguenot artisans who made scarlet cardinals’ hats and a textile bleaching ground overlooked by the proprietor’s house which still stands on Merton Road? You are invited to join an illustrated industrial heritage walk along the River Wandle trail from Earlsfield to the mouth of the Wandle, taking in the sites of mills and factories dating from the Domesday Book onwards. The walk will be led by John Sheridan of the Wandle Industrial Museum.
The walk along the course of the Wandle to the Thames takes about 45 minutes at a brisk pace without stops. With stops for discussion it can take up to 120 minutes. It is mainly flat, in fact slightly downhill on average. It is mostly paved, although there are a couple of gravelly paths. There will be a few main roads to cross at pedestrian crossings.
Meet at Earlsfield Station at 10.30am on Thursday 23 April.
To book a place please e-mail events@claphamsociety
John Sheridan is a volunteer at the Wandle Industrial Museum and at the Merton Priory Chapter House Museum. He delivers talks and conducts industrial heritage guided walks along parts of the Wandle and he edits the WIM’s quarterly bulletin. (The bulletin is distributed free of charge to members of the museum. Membership costs £10pa and information about how to join can be found on the Membership page of the museum’s website, here: https://www.wandle.org/index.html)”