Morden Hall Park volunteer restoration project

Project overview

We are restoring sections of the River Wandle as it flows through Morden Hall Park in South London — improving habitats, enhancing natural river processes and creating space for wildlife to thrive.

Working in partnership with National Trust and supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, this project builds on previous restoration work delivered in 2015 and 2020.

Through a series of volunteer-led restoration days, we are increasing habitat diversity and strengthening the river’s resilience over the long term.

Why it matters

Morden Hall Park is a unique riverside landscape, where the River Wandle splits into multiple channels as it flows through historic parkland.

While this creates valuable refuge areas for wildlife, much of the river has been heavily modified. Straightened, over-widened channels and artificial bank structures limit natural processes and reduce habitat quality.

Restoration is helping to:

• Improve habitat diversity for fish, invertebrates and plants
• Support spawning and nursery areas for fish
• Reduce pollution risks and improve water quality
• Restore more natural river processes

Where we’re working

Located in South London, Morden Hall Park is a nationally significant green space owned by the National Trust.

The River Wandle flows through the park in multiple channels — a legacy of its industrial past, including its use to power a historic snuff mill.

Today, the park provides an important opportunity to restore river habitats within an urban setting.

Our approach

We are working with volunteers to deliver practical, nature-based restoration techniques that help the river function more naturally.

These include:

• Narrowing over-wide channels to increase flow diversity
• Reintroducing natural features such as berms and deflectors
• Reprofiling riverbanks to create more natural slopes
• Removing artificial structures that limit natural processes
• Managing invasive species

What we’ve delivered so far

Phase 1: Initial restoration (2015)

A 50-metre side channel was restored to create a refuge area for fish:

• Removal of chemical-laden toeboarding
• Installation of brash berms to narrow the channel and create a meander
• Reprofiling of riverbanks
• Creation of scrapes to provide nursery habitat for young fish
• Relocation of native plants to stabilise banks

This stretch now provides valuable refuge habitat and supports young fish populations.

Phase 2: Habitat improvements (2020–2022)

Working with volunteers, we began restoring a straightened channel near the wetland boardwalk:

• Installation of brash berms to improve channel shape and flow
• Increased flow energy to keep gravels clean for invertebrates and spawning fish
• Removal of 300 metres of toxic toeboarding
• Planting of native species including sedges and iris
• Management of invasive floating pennywort

This work forms part of a wider, catchment-scale effort to control invasive species along the River Wandle.

Phase 3: Volunteer-led restoration (2023)

During Wandle Fortnight, around 40 volunteers contributed to further improvements:

• Removal of over one tonne of floating pennywort
• Installation of four in-channel deflectors
• Creation of three additional brash berms
• Planting of native species including sedges and iris

These interventions are helping to diversify habitats, vary river flows and support a wider range of wildlife.

Working with the community

Volunteers are central to this project, contributing time, skills and local knowledge to help restore the river.

By involving the community, we are not only improving the river environment but also building long-term stewardship of this important local space.