Wandle Park London Tramlink Stop

Wandle Park croydon if I am right is the oldest open space to be created for the people of Croydon in the 1890’s. Sadly over the recent modern years the park has suffered a lack of cruicial basic maintainance, and right now I am not sure if the bowling green is still in use, the last time I looked the grass was thin a wispy and blowing in the wind like a cornfield. Shame because when I was working for English landscapes years ago in the Wandle Park depot, we would regularly maintain the lawn there using professional machinery. It’s a terrible shame that Croydon council repeatedly choose the contractors that offer to do the maintaince of Croydon Parks, verges and schools for a much more council franchising a cheaper price. Unfortunately the residents of croydon have to look on as their local park goes downhill through lack of basic care. The New south quarter development should free a million or so I am told for the regeneration of Wandle park. Let us hope this is not just a another dried up hope of a porky pie. As it would be nice to see the Wandle brought back up to the surface within Wandle park as well as seeing it on the New south quarter development. The skating and BMX park is worth a look just to see the smiles of playing children, grown men in their mid twenties on a BMX bike doing their best to spin their bike within mid air and not quite succeeding, better luck next time. Also local talented urban artists brighten up this small corner of the park and give the public something colourful to look at apart from Green trees, grass and Grey crumbling Asphalt. An eco café in the park would be nice too, with is own wind turbine and as Carbon neutral as possible. It would also be nice to have the country shows, Baseball and other sports back too. I take it fun has’nt been made illegal. I was born in the late seventies and I fortunately had a childhood. I look at the kids today and feel that something has gone terribly wrong, the lost look, the way they talk text messages and declare the use of a non existant state of mind that is called (Bordom) when there realy is so much to do out there apartfrom loitering on the street corners and look intimidating in small groups. Wandle park could also be very interesting in an Archaelogical sense too and it might be worth getting in a team of Geophysisists? in to see what lies beneath apart from the obvious wandle. I have found interesting items myself on this site on the Tram stop end. By products of the clay pipe making industry. Clay pipe pieces, rejected sections of swirly clay pipe, baked clay and tufa as well as slag with clay pipe bowl within. I also found a section of pipe with the words Corney Croydon on, as well as a Bone toothbrush with Long chemist croydon on. I moraly support the regeneration of Wandle park as it can only bring good things for the residents for the area, be them young or old. Edit: Feb 2013 I have decresed my star level to only 1 star because they have rebult the park worse than it was before. The river is always polluted, recently installed features have allready been vandalised not long after the park was made publicaly open. The best thing about the park seems to be the new Bandstand. The adventure playground is still yet to be opened.. Even more love is needed at Wandle Park. Dont leave it at that after opening it. The spent they majority of the millions on moving dirt and unculverting a section of the wandle that may never realy be able to support wildlife, so long as there is a risk of malicious pollution. Edit: 06 Feb 2013. As of recently a pedestrian footbridge has been constructed at the Wandle Park tram stop side of the park. This bridge carries park of the main park orbital footpath. The bridge it self was thrown up pretty quick and despite this seems to be of reasonable contruction. Although the View over the side towards tramlink does’nt look none too good and the banks down to the river are quite steep, ungrassed and there could be a tripping risk on partialy uncovered metal caging full of rocks, that have been installed to reinforce the banks of the river. The view into the park is starting to come on now and a few extra trees have been planted in regular posistions to join the Weeping willow at the top of the bank. The adventure playground has’nt quite been finished but this is starting to look good with log sets, more trees and I saw a small feature with sand inside for ankle paddling in the summer months. A lot of Roses and other plants have been popped in at the old Slaughter House corner. Lets hope these plant grow up strong and healty, and that the surface underfoot that you walk on remains stable. Be nice to see what this looks like later in the year, as the sap rises and the plants begin to grow. I have raised my star rating to two again due to the site finaly begining to take shape. The pollution in the river finaly seems to be under control. I am hoping to raise my rating again

A nice average size park inlucing a mini skateboard park and a bowls lawn. It is very easy to reach — Wandle Park tram stop is one stop away from Croydon town centre. The park itself is circular and there is a Tarmac path going round it in a complete circle so it’s a great place for joggers, cyclists and dog walkers. There is a playground which is great for children and an expanse of flat (but sometimes very muddy) grass in the middle. Local football matches are also held there on a Sunday. The park closes early in the Winter but is sometimes open till 10pm in Summer. Downsides? Well, maybe there’s a bit of graffiti and litter as well as the odd gang of teenagers hanging around but as parks go it’s pretty good. I have spent many a happy day there. There are also plans to resurrect the River Wandle which was routed underground many years ago.