By Joan Pring
safety@mo-ra.co
3 May, 2022
T
hroughout the centuries many of our rivers and waterways have been the life blood of much of our country and its inhabitants, supporting many forms of industry and livelihoods. Not the least was the Wandle, now rising at Wandle Park Ponds and Carshalton Ponds, its source within the deep chalk of the North Downs.
Approximately twelve miles long, it flows from Croydon through Sutton and Merton to Wandsworth where it finally joins the Thames. I had been aware that the Wandle was once a ‘busy’ river but the actual extent of its fascinating history was revealed to me only on visits to the Honeywood Museum at Carshalton and the small but very comprehensive Wandle Industrial Museum at Mitcham.
The Doomsday Survey (Book) of 1086 recorded thirteen watermills on the Wandle’s banks, grinding corn or wheat for bread but it is certain that as far back as Roman times the river’s fast flowing water had been utilised for the production of flour. Gradually other industries, reliant on flowing water, were also established along its banks beginning with ‘fulling’, i.e. the cleansing of sheeps’ wool, in the 1300s.
The 1600s saw the first significant growth in working water mills, then producing iron, copper, gunpowder, leather and paper but it was in the 1700s when the increased needs of the time dictated the further diverse nature of the many goods produced and, as a result, the creation of more mills, although some simply adapted to different production. This was the era of snuff taking and several snuff mills were established, many converted from former grain mills.
Medicinal oils from lavender and herbs grown in Mitcham, once famous for its lavender fields, were manufactured as other mills appeared producing calico and silk. In 1805 the Wandle was described and quoted as “the hardest worked river for its size in the world”.
By this time the increased industrial activity necessitated a more efficient way to get finished and raw goods to and from the Thames for onward or inward transportation. The upper reaches of the Wandle were not navigable and a canal not suitable which led to the opening, in 1803, of the (horse drawn) Surrey Iron Railway (SIR) the country’s first public railway sanctioned by Act of Parliament.
This was also a time when England was at war with France and plans were made to extend the original Wandsworth to Croydon line on to Portsmouth to aid transportation of munitions and supplies to the naval base. England’s victory in 1805, however, dispensed with this need and the line stopped at Godstone, becoming known as the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Line (CMG). The eventual expansion of steam locomotion meant that the SIR and CMG could no longer compete and they closed in 1846 and the late 1830s respectively, much of their land being sold off to the new railway companies.
[custom-related-posts title=”Related Posts:” none_text=”None found” order_by=”title” order=”ASC”]
During the late 1800s the benefits of the Wandle and the surrounding area became evident to William Morris probably as well know today, for his distinctive designs, as he was in his own time but additionally, then, as a writer.
His old production premises becoming too cramped, he moved to Merton in June 1881, his chosen site having buildings suitable for fabric production and a watermill which would allow printed silk to be washed in the river. In addition to the block printing of silks, stained glass, tapestries and carpets were produced.
A contemporary of William Morris was Arthur Liberty, whose flagship shop in London’s Regent Street was opened in 1875. Preferring natural, as opposed to chemical dyes, for his fabrics Liberty sought the services of a specialist dyer and, in turn, a reputable printing company, Littler. Littler’s works were also by the Wandle, now the site of Merton Abbey Mills, from where ultimately their quality hand block printing became synonymous with Liberty Art Fabrics. Production for Liberty & Co. continued on the site until 1972.
Many of the Wandle mills have long gone but some evidence of the river’s industrial past can still be seen with a few remaining buildings, or remnants of, scattered along its banks e.g. the snuff mills at Morden Hall Park. Together with various conservation organisations and dedicated volunteers, however, the river continues to play an important role today, albeit a more tranquil one, that of supporting and maintaining local wildlife.
A ‘Wandle Trail’ that follows the river’s course past industrial landmarks and other places of interest has been specially created, helped by the Wandle Industrial Museum, for walkers and cyclists.
If you wish to know more, the Wandle Industrial Museum holds lots of fascinating information about the river and its industrial past – check their website for opening times.
Images and Video Courtesy of the Wandle Industrial Museum
Story contribution taken from the Autumn/Winter 2018 Edition of the MORA Magazine
| Morden Hall Park > Where Old Methods Of Hay-Making Meet With The Present Day |