Sharon Creek homes and rural living in southwest London

What is the Lower Dingman ESA?

Unlike most of London's publicly owned natural areas, the Lower Dingman Environmentally Significant Area sits in a rural setting, and its main parcel lies partly inside Sharon Creek and partly in Talbot. Its 20 hectares of public land are reached at 3370 Homewood Lane, off Deadman's Road east of Westdel Bourne, with 1.6 km of mostly flat trails beside Dingman Creek. The land was reforested in stages from 1959, starting with the Delaware Sportsmen's Association, and in 2005 the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the City removed Alsop's Dam, a 1940s weir on the creek, to improve water quality and fish habitat.

On the east side, about a third of Lambeth Centennial Park (home to Lambeth Arena, a spray pad and trails) and part of Graham Place Park fall inside the district's boundary.

How do you get around from Sharon Creek?

Highway 402 runs along the district's southern edge, and its Colonel Talbot Road interchange (exit 98) sits at the southeast corner, south of Lambeth. London Transit buses serve neighbouring Lambeth; check LTC for current routes and times. Families are served by the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board, so check the board's school locator for the exact address.

What should a Sharon Creek buyer look into first?

Confirm whether the house is on City services or on a private well and septic system. For a well, look up its record on Ontario's well records map and have the water tested; Ontario offers private well water testing through public health. For a septic system, ask for the permit and pumping records, since the Building Code governs these systems and the owner is responsible for maintaining one.

Dingman Creek, Sharon Creek and their valleys are the kind of land covered by Ontario Regulation 41/24, under which the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority issues permits for work in river and stream valleys, floodplains and wetlands. Ask whether a lot is regulated before you plan to build or regrade. To weigh it against its neighbours, look at Byron to the north and at the rest of London.