What a week! What a walk! It was a pleasure to do our second Streatham Common walk of the season on a day just after the run of Amber warnings for heat. We had an old English summer day to match the old English nature of the Common, Great North Wood and the formal gardens of The Rookery.
We started in cloud cover so by the time we made our second stop at the Common’s swales or system of staggered ditches and dips designed to incorporate our changing rain patterns we could relate to their need.
The swales act like a filter system to stop heavy downpours of the hill of Streatham Common cascading down too quickly and washing away the topsoil, wildlife and creating flash flooding on very dry ground that cannot absorb it fast enough. They allow water to pool creating an environment for amphibians such as frogs and newts to breed and thrive among other ways to nurture biodiversity.
We got the group to guess what they might be and loved the answers from ‘fox crossings’ to ‘cricket pitches’ showing our connection with urban wildlife and the area’s history with cricket.
By the time we reached the Community Garden, the sun had come through as warmly as the team there always welcomes us on Incredible Edible walks. It feels like greeting an old friend each time we see the mulberry tree as well as those who tend the garden each Wednesday and Saturday. Smelling the ripening fruit, seeing how the garden had thrived since we visited in mid-May, the plump berries we were offered converted a few potential volunteers to come and help out.
Others had their first introduction to The Rookery’s beauty and a bit like an Incredible Edible walk, few only ever go once! It’s such a joy to introduce walkers to so many special things in this corner of our lovely Lambeth.
We spent time embracing the Great North Wood before concluding at Railside Community Garden who had cold water for our walkers and glorious globe courgettes to take home. Courgette glut season is a great moment to share our edible knowledge on walks with recipes swapped from across the world.
Summer vibes and good food had us ready for our second Brixton walk just three days later on July 19th. We were so disappointed when the Amber weather warning for rain and thunderstorms forced us to cancel but we never risk safety on our walks. But as we stared out the window at the unbelievable level of rain, those Streatham Common swales resonated even more.
Having seen the routes in different weathers and seasons over several years now adds to our enjoyment showing you the hidden wonders of West Norwood and Vauxhall still available to join on 3rd and 13th August respectively.
