Wilderness Island

The River Wandle with Wilderness Island on the right

Wilderness Island is a 2.7 hectare island between two arms of the River Wandle in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is designated as a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The site is owned by Sutton Council and managed by the London Wildlife Trust.[1][2][3]

The island was industrial from the seventeenth century, with watercourses for local mills, and was later the site of a pleasure garden. A fish pond still survives.[3] Other habitats are woodland, meadows and river. Trees include a black poplar, and there are birds such as the woodpecker, kingfisher and grebe. There is a variety of butterflies including the speckled wood and holly blue, and the rare hornet clearwing moth. The ponds are an important habitat which have a variety of wetland plants.[1][4]

There is access from River Gardens.[1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Wilderness Island". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Map of Wilderness Island". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Wilderness Island". London Parks and Gardens Trust. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Wilderness Island". London Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 28 March 2014.


Coordinates: 51°22′25″N 0°09′28″W / 51.3736°N 0.1578°W / 51.3736; -0.1578

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