London's Lost Waterways

As you stroll around London you may be walking on water without knowing it. A number of tributaries that were once open streams and rivers are now hidden beneath the city streets, diverted into sewers, drains and culverts.

We often think of London as having only one river - the Thames - but Londoners would once have been familiar with the rivers Walbrook, Fleet, Tyburn, Westbourne, Ravensbourne, Peck, Falconbrook, Neckinger and Effra, along with Counter's Creek, Stamford Brook and Earl's Sluice.

So what happened to them all? Here are some details on just a few.

The Fleet

Probably the most famous of London's "lost rivers", the Fleet gave its name to Fleet Street in EC4. This river rises in Hampstead in the north and flows underground through Kentish Town and King's Cross, to join the Thames near Blackfriars bridge.

The stones used to build the original St Paul's Cathedral were transported along the Fleet, and in mediaeval times the river was central to a number of trades. Tanneries and slaughterhouses lined the banks of the Fleet and by all accounts the dyes and blood turned the river various shades of red.

As space in London was at a premium, the docks and wharves were destroyed and the river was built over. By 1766 the entire stretch was completely covered.

Walbrook

The Walbrook was crucial to the Roman settlement of Londinium, probably providing fresh drinking water to inhabitants. The Romans built a temple to the god Mithras on the east bank. The name Walbrook is thought to derive from the fact that the river ran near or under the London Wall.

Today the river runs underground from Finsbury through the City and meets the Thames at Cannon Street Railway Bridge. Above ground, a street called Walbrook indicates the position of a stretch of the river. The church of St Stephen Walbrook also marks a point on the east bank of the stream. The church burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666 but Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt it in 1672.

The Tyburn

Completely enclosed in underground conduits, the river Tyburn runs from South Hampstead to the Thames at Vauxhall, via St James's Park.

Two major streets in London took their names from the Tyburn: Tyburn Road and Tyburn Lane. Today they are known as Oxford Street and Park Lane respectively.

The name Tyburn is probably most associated with a famous place of execution. From the 12th to the 18th century, condemned criminals were hanged on the Tyburn gallows. Originally, the gallows were beside the Tyburn stream but during the 16th century the "Tyburn Tree" was moved to a site near today's Marble Arch.

Effra

The Effra rises near Crystal Palace and flows through Herne Hill, Brixton and Kennington to the Thames by Vauxhall Bridge. Vikings used it to attack London Bridge in 1016AD. It was still navigable during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Reputedly she travelled by barge when she visited Sir Walter Raleigh at his home in Brixton. When Joseph Bazalgette was creating London's sewer system in the mid-19th century, most of the open stream was diverted into a sewer while the remaining flow was enclosed in a covered culvert.

Neckinger

The River Neckinger rises in Southwark and enters the Thames at St Saviour's Dock (near the Design Museum). The river's name refers to an unsavoury past, commemorating Neckinger Wharf. This is where pirates were hanged with a rope called the "Devil's Neckcloth" or the "Devil's Neckinger". A Neckinger Street still exists nearby in Bermondsey.