Exciting News to Kick-Start the New Year

Happy New Year! ... a little belated perhaps for the UK, but Chinese New Year is just around the corner!

So far 2016 has got off to a busy start... 

Last week we took part in a Living Wandle Landscape Partnership event, which began as a relaxing walk along this unique river. We were reminded just how fantastic the River Wandle is as we stumbled across the Watermeads - a great spot to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Today, the Watermeads is maintained as a nature reserve where you can experience the combination of natural beauty and urban history, while taking in a breath of fresh air!
  

River Wandle at Watermeads Nature Reserve

Opposite the Watermeads sit three Mill Cottages, commonly referred to as the Fisheries Cottages. The cottages are Grade II listed and include elements dating from the late 18^th and 19^th Centuries.

Fisheries Cottages during the summer months

The event provided an opportunity for us to preview our Wandle Treasures map and to test the heritage knowledge of workshop participants.

Detail of Wandle Treasures map

We are excited to announce that we will very soon be launching our Wandle Treasures Crowdfunding Campaign. The campaign aims to raise funds to tour the illustrated map by artist StephanieTheobald to community venues along the river. The map captures the rich heritage of the River Wandle depicting historic treasures researched by our team of enthusiastic volunteers during 2015. Funds raised will also support a programme of events including artist-run workshops, talks and river walks. 

Details of the crowdfunding campaign, and how you can get involved, will follow soon! In the meantime, if you would like to hear more about the Wandle Treasures map or you can help in any way, please let us know.

*The Wandle Treasures is a volunteer-led local heritage project where we identified heritage treasures along the course of the River Wandle, which spans four London boroughs (Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton and Croydon). The final selection has been drawn by artist Stephanie Theobald and will be uploaded to a website along with an interactive map on the Living Wandle Digital Archive. The project has been delivered in collaboration with Living Wandle Landscape Partnership Scheme as part of the Industrial Heritage Recording Project.