Catchment Plan Section 0.4: Timeline

Legend Land use / pop change 2001 census reveals almost 1 million people live in the Wandle catchment, with highest population density of the four London Boroughs being Sutton with >300,000 residents. Population is also very diverse, like central London, with notable populations of Black Caribbean, Black African, Asian and Eastern European communities. Today land use is overwhelmingly urban and residents are not engaged with working on the river for commerce or in factories. Those that do work on the river have a conservation and social engagement interest to rehabilitate it as a natural resource. Green spaces are valued for recreational, aesthetic and educational benefits. Modifications to 2011- present channel Wandle Park, Croydon river de- culverted and rehabilitated Water quality issues Water quality is slowly GQA assessment for 2009 WFD but steadily improving, water quality classification good but though phosphate introduced phosphate too high= remains high eutrophic condition Pollution events 1973 spill from BSTW 1995 Summer 2007 BSTW incident Summer 2012 BSTW BSTW incident incident Fluvial flow / water Caterham Bourne 1995 2000-2001 extensive 2009 WFD classification good 2012-2013 v. high inputs possibly flowed Caterham winterbourne floods for Carshalton w b, not good for rainfall throughout bourne C-W w b. summer/winter causes flooding

1970 1975 19 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 80

Abstraction / pipe Chalk aquifer resources considered fully Late 1990s GARDIT abstraction 2011-2012 29% leakage situation committed abstraction reduced slightly increase in actual s begun abstraction under GARDIT 2002-2003 Thames 2008-2009 pipe leakage 2010-2011 6% Water pipe leakage reduced to meet targets increase in actual peaks abstraction Groundwater status Gw levels continue to recover G 1989-1992 very wet Building foundations & tube tunnels at Late 1990s Gw rise halted (possibly Bourne winter flow now only Winter 2012-2013 w winters caused risk of flooding in London winterbour stabilised) but dropping in intermittent and irregular no bourne flowed le exceptionally high gw nes cease some places despite v. high ve levels carrying rainfall ls large co volumes of Winter 2013-2014 nti chalk gw Caterham Bourne nu and upper Wandle e springs all flowed River Wandle Catchment Plan Section 0.4: Timeline

to strongly re co ve r Key documents 1990s EA Chalk status reports begin 1999 2009 Thames C. Flood 2013 Thames 2015 S&ESW NEP report LEAP Management Plan Water NEP report report Key activity/policy 1992 GARDIT established 2006 EA CAMS report 2012 EA chalk aquifer report 1991 Water Resources Act 2003 WFD adopted 2009 1st cycle of WFD RBMP 2013 EA new 2015 2nd cycle of WFD CAMS report RBMP 2012 Catchment Plan pilots River Wandle Catchment Plan Section 0.4: Timeline

Legend Land use / pop change Post-war tower blocks Heavy industry and extensive declines, rise in residential commerce development. Many of the remaining open spaces close to the river (historically used for fabric bleaching) are turned into industrial estates. Focus faces away from the river, which is increasingly seen as hazardous and unsightly and no better than a sewer. Modifications to Culverting and 1966-69 river culverted channel diverting the course of in Wandle Park, the river continued e.g. Croydon between Goat Bridge and Watermeads in the 1950s and 1960s 1968-69 Carshalton Ponds lined & re- circulation system installed Flora and fauna 1913 last wild trout catch (1) recorded Water quality issues Water quality 1929 water described Water quality 1960 new Beddington Despite the STW, oil, continues to decline as lethally toxic to man continues to decline Sewage Treatment cyanide and other due to pollution from and fish, sewer-like due to pollution from Works opened, water chemicals still enter heavy industry and low heavy industry and low quality starts to the river and preclude flows failing to dilute flows failing to dilute improve healthy fish stocks. contaminants contaminants sufficiently and sufficiently. inadequate sewage 1930s Sewage treatment and refuse Treatment Works collection opened at Beddington but water quality is still declining so presumably treatment is insufficient. Pollution events 1969 sludge released from BSTW Fluvial flow / water Carshalton 1920-21 droughts, 1934-35 springs failed 1944-45 springs 1950s-early 1960s 1950s-early 1960s 1968-69 Caterham inputs suffering from Carshalton Ponds dry failed springs fail regularly springs fail regularly bourne flowed failing water out supply

1915 1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965

Abstraction / pipe Abstraction increasing Abstraction peaks, Reduction in leakage situation cone of depression abstraction for industry created Groundwater status Gw table falling

Key documents Key activity/policy 1963 Water Resources Act River Wandle Catchment Plan Section 0.4: Timeline

Georgian Regency / Victorian Victorian Victorian / Edwardian Edwardian Land use / pop change Vegetable crops & hay 1750s Industrial 1803-1846 Iron Pop increases, 1865 steam railway 1860s on rapid traded with London for Revolution begins Railway operated to especially in Croydon, comes to the area population rise in south manure to improve which attracts workers help deal with rising as part of burgeoning which in turn creates a London and ever- gravel soils for and in turn increased trade supply to London industry, which housing boom and increasing demands produce need for housing, increases water rapid transformation for food and other factories, demand and sewage. from rural to urban supplies in which the warehousing, foreign Local villages and char Wandle valley plays a influx and new towns become key part. techniques, industries engulfed in expanding etc suburbs of south Wealthy London, aided by entrepreneurs, gentry, improved transport merchants etc build connections grand houses as peaceful country retreats from London Modifications to Milling along the river, Milling increases and 1805 Wandle said to 1831 90 mills said to Mid-1800s on mill Further culverting of channel mainly for flour expands into new be ‘the hardest worked operate along the river industries decline the river in , industries of paper and river for its size in the 1840s much of the Wimbledon and parchment-making, world’ river through Croydon Wandsworth has taken leather, gunpowder, is culverted and many place throughout the oil, snuff, metal and ponds filled in as a 19th C and lowering of copper response to cholera it into concrete and typhoid outbreaks. channels to make it safer and easier to clean, if much less aesthetically pleasing or natural. Grotto created in Throughout 18th & 19th Ditches created on Bleaching & calico 1830s on new Industry becomes Carshalton Park over C river used as low-lying flat land for printing decline as industries develop increasingly heavy. a natural spring ornamental feature for calico bleaching chlorine bleaching and along the river large houses steam-powered including machinery grow papermaking, chemical works, and matchmakers. Some industries are less dependent on water from the river itself e.g. gas manufacture (company founded in 1834) and expanded to several sites especially near the Thames clearing away lots of historic buildings. Operated until 1971 when North Sea gas took over.

Flora and fauna Throughout 18th C 1817 excellent angling 19th C huge fish 1852 trout disappear Mid-1800s accounts of 1905 brown trout catch huge fish catches noted catches recorded from lower reaches worsening river recorded recorded conditions begin Water quality issues Water quality Mid-1700s onwards: calico Water quality declines as Mid-1800s on 1890 Anglers appalled Industry increasingly good – industry booms, thanks to pop growth leads to calico industry by pollution cleared the pollutes river with harsh supports trout plentiful pure water supply increases in sewage and declines due to loss river (though they chemicals going. Low and industries refuse and reduced flows of pure water believed Wandsworth flows reduce dilution. that require cannot cope with demand. supply. was already beyond But demand for potable clean water Water becomes a major redemption) water outstrips supply factor in the spread of and inadequate waste disease. disposal and refuse 1849, 1854 cholera collection abounded, outbreaks in Wandsworth resulting in the ponds Typhoid outbreaks in and channels being little 1840s. better than open sewers. 1850s potable water 1866 cholera outbreak supply still largely taken directly from the river despite it being diluted sewage Pollution events Privies overhang the 1860 Beddington river and cesspools Sewage Farm built leach into wells which helped situation in Croydon but made lower reaches the River Wandle Catchment Plan Section 0.4: Timeline

most polluted river in London Fluvial flow / water 1861 river flow 1860s on river flow suffering from 1912 river flowed inputs recorded as 84 million declines steadily due failing water supply alongside Carshalton gallons/day to rapid pop rise High St

1720 1740 1760 1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1910

Abstraction / pipe Abstraction begins to Abstraction increasing Mid-1800s river level Mid-1800s on falling Abstraction increasing 1905 railway well Abstraction increasing leakage situation rise to match rise in being affected by water levels affect mill caused dramatic river population abstraction industry drop Groundwater status New boreholes sunk Gw table falling as more into the Chalk helped abstraction for expanding improve water supply. suburbs of London River Wandle Catchment Plan Section 0.4: Timeline

Legend Palaeolithic occupation Mesolithic occupation Neolithic (4-2,700 BC) Romans Anglo-Saxons Normans & Angevins Lancastrians, Yorkists & Stuarts Pre-7,000 BC 7,000-4,000 BC Bronze (2,700-800 BC) AD 43-410 550-1066 (early Mediaeval period) Tudors (early Modern period) & Iron Ages (800BC-AD 1066- 1399 (late Mediaeval and 43) Renaissance period) 1399-1603 Land use / pop change Population is thought to Landscape remains rural Population spurt occurs have remained fairly and with agricultural but plague outbreaks consistent from Iron Age focus. temper growth 1603-3, to early Medieval period. 1625, 1636-48, 1665-6 Growth of manors and Landscape rural and ecclesiastical institutions only lightly worked for agriculture.

Large numbers of Old Middle Stone Age New Stone Age farming Villa bathhouse, Mercenary settlements, 12th C first proper Large mansions and Stone Age implements implements at Waddon, (around Mitcham) but settlements and burial cemeteries and civilian settlements around the pleasure grounds particularly in Beddington & occupation was possibly sites, roads, wayside villages at several sites. river for agriculture appear along the river Wandsworth Carshalton only intermittent market at several sites Modifications to channel Bronze Age implements Water-powered corn mill Domesday Book records 12th C extensive 14th C on records show Many canals, cuts and 1600 24 corn mills found in Beddington & recorded at least 13 mills on the watercress beds exist, attempts to keep sluices begin to appear recorded (some existed Carshalton river and mills for cloth- channel clear of in the post-Medieval from Norman Conquest making obstructions and period to late 19th C) maintain banks Iron Age fortified Ponds along the river Merton Priory (1114- 16th C more records enclosures at from Croydon to 1538) managed the river show attempts to Beddington, Wallington, Carshalton used as mill locally for milling & manage flow to prevent Carshalton & Wimbledon ponds calico-printing flooding Flora and fauna 1606 Wandle Valley declared a royal hunting & fishing preserve Water quality issues Pollution events Fluvial flow / water 15th C -19th C records 1610 plan to pipe water inputs show high river levels to London strongly and riparian flooding opposed, showing need occur for flow for mills Pre-history AD 50 500 1000 1200 1400 1500 1600