(Tram engine whirring)
So behind me, the trams
I'm at Merton Park tram stop.
I said in episode one on the Woodside Railway,
that a lot of old railways
had been converted over to be used by trams,
certainly here between Wimbledon and Croydon they have been,
but here at Merton Park, there's a branch off
that headed to Tooting on another abandoned railway,
which you can walk.
Which we're gonna do now.
(birds chirping)
The Tooting, Merton, and Wimbledon railway
looped around from Tooting,
through Haydons road,
down to Wimbledon,
and then back across through Merton,
and up to Tooting again.
Whilst the Haydons Road section
is still in use by Thameslink today,
the branch with Merton Abbey on it
closed during the first World War,
but reopened after,
but then closed completely to passengers in 1929,
with the branch actually staying open for freight
for quite a long time,
until it too eventually closed in 1972.
And that's the bit we're walking today,
between Merton Park and Tooting.
So start your walk here by noticing
that the original Merton Park Station
had two sets of platforms.
The modern day tram stop takes the place of the one
to the branch that went to Mitcham West Croydon,
was looked to the left where the path is,
and there used to be a second set of platforms here
for the line that went towards to Tooting.
And that's where we're walking.
Actually, it only takes a few seconds
to get to the first thing of interest,
and that's the old Station House
that was used right up until 1997.
That's when Merton Park British Rail Station closed
for the line down to Croydon to be converted to trams.
Following the path takes you past some playing fields
and alongside Abbey Recreation Ground.
Although the local council will have you know
that it's known as the Merton Park Green Walks.
Either way, just keep walking.
Another path
walked a lot of flat paths
flat is good though
If you do decide to come and walk some
of the lost the abandoned railways yourself,
maybe even this one,
the good thing is that you can almost always be assured
that there's going to be no hills,
no gradients,
always flat.
(gravel crunching)
And as flat as it is,
you then encounter a bit of a hindrance.
That being a main road,
and the old railway here is completely destroyed
as the road has been built directly on top of where it was.
Merantum Way is where the cars go now.
Not trains, with this faded sign looking worse for wear.
But there is a clue around the corner
with another faded sign.
This one, a Station Road sign,
in a location where there isn't a station.
But that's because we're now at the point
of Merton Abbey Station,
and because of the new road,
it would have been exactly where this electricity pylon,
and fast food outlets are now located.
Merton Abbey Station was unintentionally built
on top of Merton Priory.
Andt that dates back to 1117
and is where Thomas Becket was educated.
When they cleared away the old station
and railway to build the new road,
remains of the old chapter house were found underneath
which is now a tourist attraction,
in its own right,
which you can visit today.
At the end of the new road,
you cross a roundabout,
and the path picks up the old alignment again.
This time,
going through a nature reserve,
until you come out into a residential area.
And what you're looking for here is the alleyway
at the end of Lyveden Road.
Walk down it
and you're now very much approaching the spot
where Tooting Junction,
that was the original name remember,
Railway Station was originally built.
And you find yourself coming around
to a footbridge that goes up and over the railway.
So this footbridge,
originally let you cross the first station that was here,
Tooting Junction.
If you look in that direction,
you can see the present day Tooting Station,
and down here,
there's some other things you can see as well.
The edge of the old platform is still there,
clearly visible.
And then,
if you look to the right,
you can now see a supermarket,
which is in the Old Goods yard
and you can clearly see where the old railway line
would have curved off and branch from here.
Oh, and the nearby church
hangs onto the old Tooting Junction name too,
which is a nice touch.
(train whirring)
And that is how you walk the old railway line
from Merton Park, through Merton Abbey,
to here at Tooting.
This is number four in a series of London's Lost Railways.
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