Wilderness Island

A freely accessible nature reserve at the junction of the Carshalton and Croydon branches of the river Wandle. Note that there is only one way in and out of the reserve, and it is at the junction of Mill Lane and Strawberry Lane in the south west corner.

Lovely small, wild park. Great for the kids.

Beautiful wild, natural space to relax and unwind. Fairly small in size, but more than makes up for it in tranquility.

Be aware that some of the trails are very narrow, windy and bumpy.

Surprising large area with winding pathways through trees and small water areas. It is hilly and uneven in aces, but that is how the site naturally is. It is looked after by the London Wildlife Trust. There wasn't much wildlife visible but lots of birdsong.

I remember Wilderness Island from my youth when it was a wilderness and a nature reserve. Now it is a small area of wasteland (1 hectare) covered in muddy footpaths, bags of dog waste and litter. This area has been ruined by the London Wildlife Trust who call it a nature reserve, but by opening it up and improving pathway access they have destroyed it. Their website say dogs must be on leads but none of them are and there are no signs to say they should be at the entrance. But as the Trust is a charity, they do not care about the nature only donations so they will not want to upset dog walkers by demanding they must be. There are also children on bikes! - There is no shortage of green areas locally for dog walkers or children to ride their bikes so it would be nice if this area could be reserved for nature.

The Island is open throughout the year and is free to visit. Keep dogs on a leash and stick to the paths as not not disturb the wildlife. A beautiful nature trail.

Beautiful hidden gem, lived by it for years and never really took the time to visit, until now. Lovely trails through the wilderness, alongside the water and different paths to take. However, you can't get lost as they all come back to the main trail. Would recommend to all, especially families for a short walk. My first visit and we had a mother duck and 8 ducklings cross our path which was so nice to see after my four walls at home!

A lovely secluded litte spot. Despite being local to Beddington for 8 years I'd never visited before. It's a wild space not a park. No bikes allowed so it's quite peaceful. A bit muddy at times underfoot but .. it's a wild place what do you expect. Nature may be red in tooth and claw but its also brown in foot and shoe ;)

Will be back through the seasons to see how it changes. Not really suitable for wheelchair users unfortunately due to the kissing gate entrance.