Wilderness Island
{{Short description|Nature reserve in Carshalton, London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Wilderness Island is the 2.7 hectare island between the Wandle and Wrythe in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is designated a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, is owned by Sutton Council and is managed by the London Wildlife Trust.
Features
A fish pond still remains from a former public garden on the site.{{cite web |title=Wilderness Island |url=http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=SUT070 |access-date=28 March 2014 |publisher=London Parks and Gardens Trust}} Other habitats are woodland, meadows and river. Trees include a black poplar, and there are birds such as the woodpecker, kingfisher and grebe. Butterflies/moths include the speckled wood, holly blue, and the rare hornet clearwing moth. The ponds are an important habitat which have a variety of wetland plants.{{cite web |date=8 March 2013 |title=Wilderness Island |url=http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=0&N=&ID=509 |access-date=28 March 2014 |series=Local Nature Reserves |publisher=Natural England}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/reserves/wilderness-island|title=Wilderness Island|publisher=London Wildlife Trust|access-date= 28 March 2014}}{{commons category|Wilderness Island}}
History
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| image = 1773_Kitchin_Map_of_the_Country_30_Miles_around_London%2C_England_-_Geographicus_-_London30MilesRound-kitchin-1773.jpg
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| caption = Extract from Kitchen's Map of the country 30 miles around London, 1773; its symbol denotes water mill per the legend below; the description of the site given is Copper Mills.
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The island from the seventeenth century was the site of copper mills. It was later the site of a pleasure garden.
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References
{{Reflist}}
{{Local Nature Reserves in Greater London}}
{{London Wildlife Trust}}
{{coord|51.3736 | -0.1578|type:landmark_region:GB-BNE|display=title}}
Category:Local nature reserves in Greater London