In Sutton A rich history on the Riverbank The Grotto The Wandle rises in two places, Waddon in the Borough of Croydon, and in the Borough of Sutton. It flows through Merton Springs and water courses down to the Thames at Wandsworth. The Spit Once upon a time it was a peaceful Wandsworth Town Station chalk stream in open country, The springhead by Carshalton House lake meandering past grand estates and King was the other main source of the Georges Park pretty villages. Its fast flow, however, Wandle. The house is now part of was ideal for watermills, which St Philomena’s School. The lake and Southfields developed throughout its 12 mile Community surrounding garden have had a College Earlsfield Station length, and by the nineteenth century complicated history but their present The Carshalton Park grotto . This was built by Thomas it had become one the hardest form date from the mid-18th century Scawen as part of the landscape around a very grand house worked rivers in the country. which was never completed. The grotto was covered with glass Wandle when they were reshaped to create Haydons Road Park Station Along the Sutton stretch of the waste, sea shells, fake red coral and other material so it was Colliers the landscape shown here. Wood Station Wandle there were many historic Merton Abbey originally a sparkling fairy tale structure. By the time this was Mills/Chapter House Deen City Farm buildings, gardens and mills, some of taken – perhaps in the 1880s or 1890s – it was a ruin. Morden Road Tramlink Phipps which can still be seen to this day. A Bridge Tramlink Belgrave Walk selection is described here. Tramlink Carshalton Park about 1800-50. The Park

Mitcham Carshalton High Street in the Morden Mitcham was then larger and came right down to the Station Tramlink Station

Ravensbury Park Published by: Wandle Valley Festival 1880s by William Tatton Winter. Funded by: Awards For All High Street. The Orangery in the background Design : Jonathan Spearman-Oxx Some of the water from Text and pictures: John Phillips, still stands in Bookside near The Square. courtesy of the Carshalton Park ran in a stream

Wandle Spencer Valley Road along the side of the High Street. Wetland Wetland In the past Carshalton was a The water from the Station village of watercourses. Although Grotto Canal ran Park some like the High Stream have Wilderness Island (Café) into the Westcroft Nature Reserve Wandle gone Carshalton still has more Park Tramlink Canal which still water than most places especially Carshalton Station exists by the when all the springs rise after a Carshalton House Water Tower Westcroft Sports Sutton Ecology Centre Westcroft Carew Manor very wet winter. Grove Leisure Dovecote Honeywood Park Centre although is Museum Centre and Wetland (Carshalton Ponds) St Mary’s Church Waddon Ponds Woodcote now normally dry. Holdings Carshalton Park Grotto Waddon Station The Grotto Canal by Winifred Madder, 1920. The Carshalton The Water Tower Wandle has several sources including the Grotto Canal in Carshalton Park. In the past this was always full of water.

The Grove Iron Works Mill . This stood near the Wandle The Water Tower and West The Water Tower in the grounds of opposite Mill Lane on the site Street ford by Gideon Yates, Carshalton House dates from the of the Paper Mill Close. It 1825. In the early 19th century around 1715-20. It was built for the was powered by water from Dame Duffin’s Cottage and Anne Margaret’s Pool about 1880. This pool is at the the water from Carshalton House financier Sir John Fellowes who was the Westcroft Canal. When Boleyn’s Well by ‘WJT’, 1897. This is copied corner of West Street and Pound Street. It was flowed through the tower and sub-governor of the notorious South first built in the 1780s the from an earlier picture as Dame Duffin’s once part of the West Street ford and became a then spilled over West Street Sea Company which was at the mill was used for grinding Cottage was demolished in 1836. The circular separate pond when that was filled. In the 1870s forming a long ford. centre one of the first speculative The Grotto today. Part of the park was eventually acquired by tobacco into snuff. It later fence guards a spring called Anne Boleyn’s John Ruskin had the pond tidied up and bubbles. It housed a fine cold bath, a Carshalton Council. Children were climbing up the ruin and the became an iron works Well. This is almost certainly a corruption of decorated with rocks from the Lake District. water driven pump and an orangery Council though this dangerous so the structure was refaced in specialising in mill machinery. Bullen Well – that is bubbling well. However, he soon lost interest in the project. for over wintering plants. 1915 to produce its modern appearance.