Where trout gave way to industry
River Wandle
The River Wandle was once one of the fastest flowing streams in London. The trout fishing was excellent until the leather tanning industry killed it off at the end of the nineteenth century.
Power for industry
Water mills driven by the Wandle provided the power for a host of industries some of which were very polluting. At its worst, at the beginning of the 20th century, the river was a stinking and lifeless stream.
Even today there are industrial estates alongside the river but the decline of manufacturing means that it is becoming possible to bring life back to the cleaner waters of the river.
Back to nature?
Much of the river Wandle has been heavily engineered as shown by the concrete channels in Earlsfield. This makes it hard for wild life to establish itself and in times of flood the rapid water flows can be very damaging. There are plans to 'soften' the banks to create habitats for plants and animals.
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 21 January 2007
