Carshalton Ponds – My London+

I’d been through Carshalton on the bus a few times. It always looked inviting, so in 2015 this was the stopping point. Since then I have returned a few times, including a year ago when I walked part of the Wandle River Trail, which incorporates this.

This is a beautiful spot. There are always ducks, swans and other birds on the ponds. There is also a church opposite which is worth a look, and the town, though small, offers coffee shops – a nice pit stop before or after a walk. Carshalton also boats The Honeywood Museum overlooking the ponds. It’s history goes back to the 1600’s and the house was probably built for the Earl of Arundel. You can read the history of the place here.

The museum regularly holds exhibitions. The rooms are interesting and there is a great little cafe. Though the cafe is currently closed due to Covid restrictions, I believe they are doing a takeaway service.

Used in the war to keep children safe while sleeping!

Across the road from the ponds is All Saints Church. This is impressive inside, and a church has stood here since the Norman conquest!

To finish with, here are a few general shots in and around the ponds.

What do you do on a bright and frosty day? You pack a rucksack with a flask of hot chocolate and head out for a walk. The map for this walk can be downloaded from the Merton Council website, or follow it in the book London Waterside Walks. The whole walk is around twelve and a half miles (Croydon to the Thames), but we actually started in Wandle Park (where you pick up the river) as we travelled on the tram. Our aim was to walk to Carshalton Ponds and then review whether to continue to Merton Abbey Mills (the river eventually meets the Thames at Wandsworth, but that’s for another day!) In fact, we did end our walk at Carshalton Ponds.

The beauty of this walk is that there are various places you can drop out and catch a bus, train or tram. If you are travelling from a London terminal, trains run from Victoria to East Croydon from where you can walk or catch the Wimbledon bound tram and get off at Wandle Park.

The River Wandle winds through the park until it disappears underground through the distant housing estate.

Wandle Park looked pretty with the sun on the frost. A stones-throw from the busy town of Croydon with its many shops, the Whitgift Centre and Fairfield Halls, the park is an oasis with playpark, bandstand, lake, grassed areas, skatepark, and of course, the river. This is where it begins, running through the park before going underground through a housing estate and meeting again at Waddon Ponds.

Waddon Ponds is a beautiful area hidden away behind the industrial estate off Purley Way. With benches, lookout points, a little bridge, this must be a great place to unwind in the spring and summer. You can circle the ponds before setting off to Beddington Park. This huge park (94 acres) is now split into several sections. In the past it was part of a deer park and Carew Manor and is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. It was sold off to pay family debts. It is now Council offices and an Academy.

Following the river through the minor sections of the park it meanders before tumbling down weirs and passing a row of cottages. When you arrive at the main section of the park where the Manor House is, it opens up to reveal playing fields where Sunday football was taking place. Hence the Pavilion was busy (we were going to stop for food but the queue trailed outside), and the toilets appeared to be locked! Nearby is a Dovecote and St Mary’s Church before you double back over the Terracotta Bridge and head up river where we encountered some very muddy ground. We continued to Elm Pond and in to Grove Park (adjacent to Westcroft Leisure Centre) where there is a café and toilets (finally!). From here it is just a short walk to Carshalton Ponds where we ended our journey. Across the pond is Honeywood Museum which dates back to the 17^th century. You will find lots of history about the area inside, and I can recommend the café!