River Wandle - Use of River

Use of River

The river has been well-used since Roman times and was heavily industrialised in the 17th and 18th century (the industrial revolution), declared one of the most polluted rivers in England. The main industries of the period were tobacco and textiles.

The Liberty print works and Merton Board Mills once dominated the riverscape in what is now the London Borough of Merton. The concentration of heavy industry in this area resulted in the stretch of the river running between Windsor Avenue and Colliers Wood High Street being diverted during the 18th century. The original course of the river still runs underground beneath Liberty Avenue, surfacing at Runnymede as the Pickle Ditch and rejoining the modern river outside Sainsbury's. Few local residents realise that the stretch of the river running past Merton Abbey Mills craft village and in front of Sainsbury's is actually man-made.

Subsequent cleanups of the river have led to a dramatic improvement in water quality leading to a return of the river's once famous Brown Trout. This improvement in water quality has also seen other fish thrive with stocks of Chub, Roach and Perch all flourishing once again with the most popular angling spots situated on the river at Colliers Wood.