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Walks
On a mellow Saturday in September a group of walkers met at
Mitcham Junction Tram/Railway Station and proceeded across the
edge of the common, across Mill Green towards Hackbridge and
picked up the Wandle Trail alongside the path that leads to Buckhurst
Avenue but skirts away to the Wandle Trail alongside the river,
here just a trickle, though it was in full force at the commercial
centre which we left behind.
Following the waymarks we traversed the stream at Culvers
Retreat to cross the Hackbridge to come to Nightingale Lane,
Strawberry Lane and the arched railway bridge near Carshalton
with a fantastic display of brickwork in a fan shape. Along the
route the river has a little waterfall favoured by ducks and
then converges into a larger waterfall just before Restmore House.
We went into Wilderness Island, managed by the Wild Life Trust
and walked around and over the river here.
It is a place to get lost in so you should make notes which
way you go when you enter, and then we came to Butter Hill and
took the bridge over beside Ansells Mill and the modern equipment
for controlling the strong current that the river has become
here. During last year's flood the Wandle flooded everywhere
and even a site near Carshalton Town Centre which had not flooded
for 50 years was suddenly full of water.
We entered Carshalton Grove Park and walked around and over
the river into Carshalton Ponds and to Honeywood House some of
us going to eat outside at their tables, some to dine in the
Greyhound. After lunch it was decided it was such a lovely day
we would walk our dinner off and walk back through Beddington
Park and this is what we did following the river into and past
the lake and the Grange and on to Carew Manor and Beddington
Church and thence to Richmond Green and to Waddon Ponds and we
then took the bus home. A lovely (long) day's walk.
For the Second Walk we met Pat Tongue, chairman of the Addington
Church Heritage Society who was our leader. We met at St. Mary's
Church, Addington and walked along to the Cricket Field past
the cottages with 1773 in the flint bricks of its front face.
We looked at the new buildings which had replaced the old barn
and farmyard which became unsafe. The buildings were in course
of erection and it was difficult to see how they were being erected.
They were mews cottages and faced into the square with no windows
on the road side.
I later came across an advert in a Houses enclosure in one
of the freeby papers showing them in a 'virtual' finished state
and they looked quite nice. We did not go up to the old Vicarage
as it looked as though it would rain but we did look at the Lion
Lodges, one of which has a planning application on it it
badly needs attention. We also looked at the cricket pitch which
slopes downhill though the bowling length is flat. Games are
still played on this.
We looked at the War Memorial which has the names of those
who fell in the first world war. Twenty two soldiers died, amongst
them were Annetts C and Annetts E they had a horticultural
business in Sandrock Road and A C W Ballard (of Ballards Farm?)
and G J Goschen of Addington Palace. The memorial is in the form
of a silver grey granite cross in the Celtic style, and was unveiled
in 1922 on 25th March by Lt Col AA Goschen DSO. We looked at
some graves in the graveyard but then as it started to rain we
went into the church where Pat gave a running commentary on the
various effigies there.
Thank you very much for your interesting tour, Pat.
We may be going back for just a tour and talk on the Church
in the new year as we ran out of time and there was a lot more
to hear. If you would like to join us in a visit to St. Mary's
Church Addington Village give me a ring.
May Johnson
Walks Arranger
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