Pyl Brook

Pyl Brook in Morden

Pyl Brook is a small stream in southwest London. It is a tributary of Beverley Brook, itself a tributary of the River Thames. Pyl Brook has two sources. The 5.3 kilometre main brook rises in Sutton Common in Sutton and flows through the London Borough of Merton to join Beverley Brook at Beverley Park in New Malden. The 3.9 kilometre East Pyl Brook also rises in Sutton and flows through Merton, joining the main Pyl west of Grand Drive in Raynes Park.

The most common consensus among historians is that "Pyl" derives from the Old English word pyll, which translates to a pool, a tidal creek, or a localized well. In early Saxon Charters, the word pyl was frequently used simply to denote a small stream or brook. The name 'Pyl' could also derive from Celtic, with a very similar set of meanings – 'pwll' in modern Welsh is a pool or stream so the name may pre-date Anglo-Saxon settlement and reflect the ancient Celtic-speaking Britons.

Local Nature Reserves

Two sections of the East Pyl are nature reserves. Pyl Brook Local Nature Reserve is an area of 1.3 hectares between the brook and the back gardens of houses in Rutland Drive, Morden. It is also a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II. In the mid-1980s the London Wildlife Trust adopted the site, but it is no longer on their portfolio of reserves. It has mature hawthorn and elm scrub, with areas of crack-willow, elder, blackthorn and bramble. The entrance gate on a path which crosses the site is kept locked and there is no public access.

The brook also passes through Morden Park Local Nature Reserve.

References

  1. ↑ "London's rivers and streams resource" (PDF). Wildpro. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lower Pyl Brook". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Beverley Brook Information Pack" (PDF). Environment Agency. Spring 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "History of Pile Hill/Pylle Hill – TRESA". www.tresa.org.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Haunton, David (June 2008). "Musings on Merton Water-names" (PDF). MERTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY (BULLETIN NO. 166 JUNE 2008): Page 12. Musings on Merton Water-names – David HauntonMusings on Merton Water-names – David Haunton.
  6. ↑ "Pyl Brook Nature Reserve Management Plan 2001-2010" (PDF). The Wildlife Trusts. January 2001. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Pyl Brook". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Map of Pyl Brook". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 24 January 2014.

51°23′13″N 0°12′11″W / 51.387°N 0.203°W / 51.387; -0.203