Recordings of background atmospheres and incidental noises from all over London. Many form part of a sound grid series recorded at evenly-spaced points across the city, each marking the centre of a square on the map below.
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Above: graphic based on a daytime satellite image courtesy of the Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Each red grid square is 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers across.
File name: The Wandle near Copper Mill Lane
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 19 May 2011
Time of day: 7.25pm
Location: By the Wandle opposite the electricity station at Copper Mill Lane, south London.
Description: Buzzing sound of coronal discharge from the electricity station, faint birdsong, traffic on Plough Lane, a jogger runs past.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics and Fostex FR-2LE recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: The Wandle Summerstown
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 19 May 2011
Time of day: 7.45pm
Location: On the riverside path in Summerstown, near Earlsfield, south London.
Description: Loud rushing of the Wandle in a stretch of the river with a noticeable drop, aeroplane drone in distance.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics and Fostex FR-2LE recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: The Wandle south of Plough Lane
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 19 May 2011
Time of day: 7.20pm
Location: By the Wandle near Waterside Way and Plough Lane, south London.
Description: A blackbird's alarm call, distant traffic and aeroplane drone, faint sound of the river, intermittent bangs from an industrial estate.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics and Fostex FR-2LE recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: The Wandle by King Georges Park
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00pm
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 15 May 2011
Time of day: 4pm
Location: On a short stretch of path along the river, overlooking King George's Park, Wandsworth.
Description: Loud rushing of water as the river flows over a small weir, dull thumps as a football is kicked about in the park nearby, indistinct cries of players.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics and Fostex FR-2LE recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: The Wandle off Garratt Lane
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 15 May 2011
Time of day: 3.45pm
Location: Junction of Garratt Lane and Maplteton Road, Wandsworth.
Description: Loud sound of passing traffic, gentle trickling from the river, aeroplane drone, a moped drives past near the end.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics and Fostex FR-2LE recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: Southside shopping centre Wandsworth
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 15 May 2011
Time of day: 3pm
Location: Walking through the Southside shopping centre, Wandsworth.
Description: Echoing voices and footsteps of visitors in the shopping centre beneath which the Wandle flows.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x Shure WL-183 mics and Edirol R09-HR recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: The Wandle by St Johns Drive
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 15 May 2011
Time of day: 4.30pm
Location: On a footbridge over the Wandle, with St John's Drive to the east.
Description: Distant traffic and aeroplane drone, faint noises from the flats on St John's Drive, birdsong close by, gurgling of water.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics and Fostex FR-2LE recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: TQ 2439 7309
Grid square: Putney Heath, Wandsworth, Wimbledon Common
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 19 February 2009
Time of day: 3.00pm
Location: TQ 2439 7309. Albert Drive.
Description: A suburban street with noticeable aircraft drone, birdsong, someone getting into a car and starting the engine.
Technical guff: Head-worn stereo. 2 x Shure WL-183 mics. Olympus LS-10 digital recorder.
Additional notes: None.
Sound map recordings fall into two kinds, shown by the filenames they're given.
A sound grid recording has a filename beginning with the letters 'TQ', followed by eight digits. These are the Ordnance Survey co-ordinates for where the recording ought to be made. Each is part of a regularly-spaced series of recordings covering London. More about them, including graphics showing the resulting city-wide patterns of sounds, can be found on this page.
Other recordings have more descriptive filenames and these are simply of curious or distinctive sounds heard in different places.