London's lost waterways...

[GS250]

Anyone else have some kind of interest in these?

For those not familiar, there used to be a number of small rivers running 10 or so miles from the suburbs into the Thames. These became heavily polluted and eventually were covered up and diverted into the Victorian interceptor sewer system.

The largest of these was the River Fleet which I believe was navigable by small boats for the first couple of miles.

The sewer infrastructure is quite impressive although I do not believe Thames Water offer any tours anymore.

There were some unofficial subterranean groups who visited them on the quiet although this may no longer take place due to heightened concerns regarding terrorism etc.

 

[edwin_m]

diamond geezer

diamondgeezer.blogspot.com

Twelve rivers that used to be visible but no longer are, all of them investigated, photographed and summarily digested. What a pointlessly stupid thing to do. I could have had a life over the last 11 months, whereas instead I've been out regularly traipsing through London's suburbs, scribbling things down in reference libraries and staying indoors of an evening to write everything up in far too much detail. And for what? There are no rewards, save that of a job complete. Yes, I know you've enjoyed it. But you're in the minority, you know that. Most people couldn't give a damn about parks in Peckham and backstreets in Acton. They'll have come back to the blog this morning hoping I've finally shut up about rivers, and be mortified to see me dribbling on about them for one more day. I have rock solid evidence, too, of your increasing lack of interest.

Onward links within this post.

 

[davews]

Earlier this year I walked most of the hidden rivers and found it interesting although a little boring at times. Followed the guides in London's Hidden Rivers by David Fathers. Diamond Geezer seems a bit disillusioned by them, personally I found Peckham Rye Common a rather magical part of London that I had not visited before - and he does have detailed blogs on all of them.

 

[Busaholic]

You could extend it a bit by including some other rivers that drain into the Thames, for instance if Pudding Mill took your fancy a short hike would bring you to the Bow Locks, where the part-canalised River Lea meets other waterways. Just be careful how you reply should someone ask you where you're off to!

 

[Snow1964]

I think one of the rivers to the Thames was covered when they built Feltham marshalling yard a century ago. I think a river was moved and partially covered at Heathrow as well.

London is not the only city
Sheffield has a covered over river in city centre

Cardiff also has one, it is actually a diversion of part of the river and acts like a canal feeder to fill the docks behind the lock gates

 

[Shimbleshanks]

When I read the title of the post, I thought you were referring to the canal link between London and Portsmouth via Guildford, which very definitely is an interest of mine. At the time, in the late 18th and early 19th Century, avoiding sending ships around the coast where they would have attracted the attentions of a certain Napoleon Bonaparte was seen to be a good idea.

The route isn't lost in the sense that the rivers and canals have been covered over, but it ceased to function as a through commercial route during the 19th century and commercial traffic over the remaining sections ceased progressively until the 1960s. Hard to believe now that Guildford was once quite a thriving inland port.

However, sections of the route are navigable by pleasure boats today, I believe.

There's an excellent book, London's Lost Route to the Sea, by PAL Vine available secondhand online for a few pounds.

 

[swt_passenger]

I think one of the rivers to the Thames was covered when they built Feltham marshalling yard a century ago. I think a river was moved and partially covered at Heathrow as well.

AIUI the east end of the old marshalling yard, (the new EMU stabling sidings don’t go quite that far), crosses a branch of the culverted River Crane, it’s where the Reading line underbridge was washed out back in 2009. But I think it’s only a relatively short distance in comparison to the overall length so I don’t think it counts as lost, as such.

Heathrow expansion over the years seems to have affected the River Colne, Longford River and Duke of Northumberland’s River, I think the latter two were relatively early man made watercourses, 1600s or so.

 

[Typhoon]

John Rogers is pretty good at anything like that to do with London. His River Fleet video is at

Others that came up are the Rivers Effra, Neckinger, Peck, Tyburn. I find his style very easy (although others may disagree), worth a look.

 

[davews]

My forays on the inner London lost rivers are blogged:

London Loop Index

listed in the London's Hidden Rivers section.

 

[Flying Snail]

When I read the title of the post, I thought you were referring to the canal link between London and Portsmouth via Guildford, which very definitely is an interest of mine. At the time, in the late 18th and early 19th Century, avoiding sending ships around the coast where they would have attracted the attentions of a certain Napoleon Bonaparte was seen to be a good idea.

The route isn't lost in the sense that the rivers and canals have been covered over, but it ceased to function as a through commercial route during the 19th century and commercial traffic over the remaining sections ceased progressively until the 1960s. Hard to believe now that Guildford was once quite a thriving inland port.

However, sections of the route are navigable by pleasure boats today, I believe.

There's an excellent book, London's Lost Route to the Sea, by PAL Vine available secondhand online for a few pounds.

You would certainly have a long list of all the lost navigations across the country.

 

[westv]

Earlier this year I walked most of the hidden rivers and found it interesting although a little boring at times. Followed the guides in London's Hidden Rivers by David Fathers. Diamond Geezer seems a bit disillusioned by them, personally I found Peckham Rye Common a rather magical part of London that I had not visited before - and he does have detailed blogs on all of them.

I used to live a short stroll from Peckham Rye but moved away years ago.