wildcornerz: 2020

Started January 2010 [by Jack Thurgar]

This is a scrapbook dedicated to the study of London's weeds and the wild places where they grow. Wildcornerz also looks at the languages, cultures and mythologies that develop in these cracks.

What is a Wildcorner?

A Wildcorner is a term referring to a piece of land that has been left to grow wild in a man made landscape. To be a true Wildcorner, the land has to be restricted from public access. Many are hidden from public view altogether. A common type of wildcorner is referred to by govements and local authorities as a 'brownfield site'.

Wildcorners and corridors* are dotted all over the capital and vary in content, depending on their location and history. In this blog we focus particularly on the Wildcorners of south east London.

* Wildcorridors are networks of pathways that run through the city and facilitate the propagation and growth of weeds. Many are restricted from public access such as railway embankments and urban rivers. In the suburbs, footpaths such as the Green Chain connect public green areas by a network of alleyways and passages that skirt between houses and private land. It could be argued that these are also wild corridors.

Urban and Suburban Weeds

By the term 'weeds' we are of course referring to the cities wild plants and flowers. But their are also two other weeds that grow in the city.

'Graf' like its botanical relation, has many families and strains. Both of these weeds can often be found together, sharing many qualities including their adaptive nature and unregulated status. Both in many cases, originally entered and populated the city using the railway network.

Another 'weed' that historically flourishes in London is invisible and uses the tops of tower blocks to propagate. Pirate radio like its weed relatives, grows away from the public eye and is constantly adapting to exploit these same gaps across the cities FM radio spectrum, fighting and flourishing in-between the commercial stations.

Monday, 17 February 2020

Welcome to the family kid!

My Corner Weedz print is available to buy [along with the tee version].

Each Corner Weed member, represents four different species of 'weeds' that grow in the wild places of South London.

Meet, Poppy Head, Levi the dandy Lion, Ragz [Ragwort] and 'Mad' Bud [Buddleia.]

....

More Road than the green cross code!

Lewisham Natureman article [Archive]

Newshopper Article from 2014 about some of the stag sightings in the borough.

Interesting the article suggests they have been made using stencils. The few that I have seen close up, look like they were painted with a brush.

Wednesday, 12 February 2020

Raids on Lewisham Pirates [Archive]

Article from 2001

One location mentioned is Aragon tower, formally the tallest residential block in Europe. Also formally owned by Lewisham council until it was sold off to Berkeley Homes in 2006 and turned into luxury apartments. It was at an early phase of the 'gentrification' of Deptford. This is documented in the BBC series 'The Tower: A Tale of Two Cities'

Mentions Nigerian pirate; N Power and Uk Garage pirate; Silkroom FM.

Lewisham Natureman Catford Bridge Sighting

These photos were taken some years ago now [maybe 5 or 6] featuring Lewisham's own wandering spirit of wild places. Under Catford Bridge it is seen walking alongside the Ravensbourne, as the river passes underground. Thank you to P.M for the tip off.