5. The Wandle Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Start: Morden Tube station
End: Wandsworth Town railway station
Terrain: Flat, but narrow and uneven in places
Ninety working mills once lined the River Wandle, a Thames tributary that powered the manufacture of products as varied as wheat and gunpowder, copper and snuff. While most of their wheels no longer turn, several still dot this path. It only takes a little imagination to envisage what life would’ve been like here during the Industrial Revolution. Jump off the Tube at the very end of the Northern Line and head to the Wetlands Boardwalk. The city seems very far away here, where the only noise to disturb your stroll is likely to be the breeze singing through the reeds that line the river. Next up, you’ll reach Dean City Farm, where the resident pigs are both friendly and greedy. If you’re there at feeding time, you’ll be welcome to muck in, but if not, linger anyway and say hello to the other resident animals. Following the river onwards, looking out for the Wandle Art Trail that runs for its entire route. Designed by Andrew Sabin, it features viewing platforms, bridges and hand-carved markers. If you’ve timed your walk right, you should reach your next stop, Merton Abbey Mills, around lunchtime. A former textile market, the site now has several pubs and cafes, as well as a weekend craft market and working mill wheel. No fewer than 10 parks line this river, and the latter half of the walk passes through four of them, each more picturesque than the last. London proper appears on the horizon as you enter your final green space, King George’s Park. As you’ve earned it, end your walk with a drink at The Ship, less than a five-minute walk from Wandsworth Station.
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https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2021/07/five-of-south-londons-best-sightseeing-walks
