•so much industry inhibited the builders of London’s sprawling suburbs from building too close to the river and what with the remaining riverside estate of local entrepreneurs, left a string of attractive parks linked by wilderness and the Wandle Trail. Add to this an area comprised of Mitcham Common, Beddington Park and Farmlands and you have what will eventually be Wandle Valley Regional Park (WVRP). Both chains are linked at Hach Bridge and have been extended by the addition of outlying recreation grounds.