Car Hire Wallington

Wallington sits just where suburban London begins to soften—past Croydon‘s commercial reach but before Surrey fully takes hold. While the trains serve the basics, driving gives you better freedom to explore—especially if you’re planning to stop off in nearby towns or follow the greenbelt’s quieter roads. It’s a town where around 21,000 people reside. You’ll get here easily by car via the A232 or A237, especially useful if you’re linking stops across Morden or Carshalton. Spring tends to show the parks at their best but late summer is perfect for longer drives and unrushed days.

Attractions In Wallington

Some places unfold only when you stop trying to tick them off. Wallington offers this slower style of exploration—its value isn’t in landmarks but in what links them. A mixture of green corners, historical echoes and unexpected artistic spaces.

Beddington Park

Easily the largest open space in the area, Beddington Park sits just west of the main stretch, off Church Road. Once part of the Carew Manor estate, it still carries the layout of a formal park, complete with the River Wandle weaving through its middle. What sets it apart is the mix—families playing football near the pavilion, solitary walkers following the riverbank and older buildings like St Mary’s Church anchoring the past to the present. There’s a small car park near the main entrance and nearby roads are generally stress-free for drivers.

Little Holland House

This modest home on Beeches Avenue deserves more attention than it gets. Built and furnished by local artist Frank Dickinson in the early 1900s, it blends Arts and Crafts principles with a kind of handmade stubbornness—everything inside was crafted with purpose. It’s only open a few Sundays each month (11:00am–5:00pm) and even then, it’s easy to drive past if you’re not looking. We parked on a quiet side street—plenty of space if you arrive early.

Anne Boleyn’s Well

Tucked at the edge of the High Street, this stone-framed well is quietly attributed to a fleeting moment in Tudor history. No signs, no gift shop—just a historical footnote resting in a modern setting. If you’re behind the wheel, it makes a curious pause between other stops.

Carshalton Park Grotto And Canal

A short drive east leads to Carshalton Park, where a mid-18th-century grotto lies partially hidden behind grass and low trees. The accompanying canal is dry now but its stone banks still hint at past elegance. We passed a pair of dog walkers who didn’t seem to notice it—easy to miss unless you’re actively looking.

Vellum Mill Gallery

Found on Mill Lane, this small gallery showcases local and regional art in a space that feels more like a conversation than a showroom. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday, usually from 10:00am to 5:00pm. On our visit, we caught a series of pen-and-ink sketches that traced the borough’s railway expansion—simple, unpretentious work that fitted the space well.

Pollock’s Toy Museum (Croydon)

This small outpost in the Whitgift Centre holds onto an older kind of charm—wooden toys, paper theatres, tin soldiers lined up behind glass. It’s only open on Saturdays (11:00am–4:00pm) and the collection is still growing. Not large but thoughtful and worth combining with a stop in Thornton Heath if you’re nearby—parking in Croydon is busier but manageable with side street options.

The Wrythe

More a neighbourhood than a destination, The Wrythe sits within Carshalton and carries a relaxed, small-business feel. There’s a decent coffee spot called Moo and Bean, where we picked up a latte and a Nutella-filled doughnut that lingered in memory longer than expected.

Landmark Arts Centre

While driving in from Banstead, we made a short detour to the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington—an arts venue inside a converted church. Its stone arches now frame exhibitions, chamber concerts and occasional community workshops. It’s open daily from 9:30am (10:00am on weekends) and the building alone is worth the trip if you have any interest in adaptive architecture.

Bushy Park And Upper Lodge Water Gardens

A drive along the A232, then following the curve into Teddington, brings you into one of London’s royal parks—sprawling, spacious and unmanicured in all the right ways. Bushy Park has its wilder corners but it also contains formal water gardens tucked behind Upper Lodge. Open daily from 9:00am to 7:30pm, they make for a quiet spot away from the more popular walking loops. Car access is straightforward and several entrances offer free or low-cost parking.

Ancient Lamp Post

This spot draws a lot of interest from people in Cheam—a cast-iron lamp on Riverbank Way that’s thought to be one of the oldest still standing in the area. Pass it at dusk and you’ll notice how the light it gives off is softer than modern fixtures—a small detail but memorable.

Wallington In A Few Words

Tucked within easy reach of Sutton, Wallington offers a slower pace that still keeps you connected. For those hiring a car, it’s a practical hub—easy to park, calm to navigate and well placed for short day trips into quieter parts of south London. You’ll find generous green space, tucked-away galleries, cafés with character and streets that still feel lived in. With wheels under you, it’s just as easy to reach Coulsdon as it is to follow the Wandle Trail across boroughs. Wallington’s charm comes through in small ways—not flashy but quietly memorable.